The Korean men’s volleyball team has shown its determination as it heads to the Hangzhou Asian Games.
The team, led by head coach Lim Do-heon, boarded a plane at Incheon International Airport on Saturday morning for 토토사이트 Hangzhou, China.
The final 12 players will compete at the Asian Games. Veteran setter Han Se-u (Korean Air) earned his first taegeum this year, while middle blocker Kim Jun-woo (Samsung Fire), the 2022-23 V-League Rookie of the Year, was also named to the roster.
They will be joined by existing setter Hwang Taek-ui (Armed Forces Athletic Corps), outside hitters Jeong Ji-seok and Jeong Jeong-yong (Korean Air), Jeon Kwang-in (Hyundai Capital) and Na Kyung-bok (Ministry of Defense), middle blockers Kim Kyu-min and Kim Min-jae (Korean Air), libero Park Kyung-min (Hyundai Capital), and outside hitters Lim Dong-hyuk (Korean Air) and Heo Su-bong (Hyundai Capital).
Han, the ‘eldest brother’, was the first to show his commitment. He said, “First of all, thank you for calling me to the national team. We prepared together because we want to win gold. There is no season in my mind. I’m only thinking about the Asian Games,” he said encouragingly.
He added, “The Asian Games is a team event, and we need to believe in each other as a team to win gold. I also talked to the players about this. I also told them not to think about the season.”
Head coach Lim Do-heon is also happy to have Han on board. “The team is made up of young players,” Lim said. We need someone to help us through difficult times, and I’m looking forward to that. Since Han came in, we’ve been focusing on combo play training.”
South Korea won back-to-back gold medals in Busan in 2002 and Doha in 2006. They are looking to win their fourth title. After finishing fifth in 1962, South Korea has consistently finished in the top three since the 1966 edition. It has won 14 consecutive medals.
“This is the last tournament for the men’s volleyball team this year. We talked about doing our best,” Lim said.
Lim also emphasized teamwork. “We have a group of players who are good at volleyball. It’s all about how well we work as a team. There are some areas where we are outnumbered, but we have to overcome them with teamwork.”
South Korea will face India and Cambodia in Group C of the tournament. China in Group A, Iran in Group B, Chinese Taipei and Pakistan in Group D, Qatar in Group E, and Japan and Indonesia in Group F are all formidable opponents.
“India is a resilient and organized team,” says Lim. We’ve also analyzed Cambodia’s game, and we’ll have to watch out for their three naturalized players.” “There are many teams to watch out for. In the round of 12, we will likely face the likes of Taiwan and Pakistan. Japan, China, Iran, and Qatar are good, especially Qatar, which is considered to be the returning champion of this year’s tournament.”
South Korea is currently ranked 27th in the FIVB world rankings. In Asia, it is fourth behind Japan (5th), Iran (11th), and Qatar (17th). China (29th), Australia (35th), Chinese Taipei (43rd) and Pakistan and Indonesia (51st and 57th) have jumped up the rankings.
Lim Do-heon-ho is in the hunt for his 15th consecutive Asian Games medal.