South Korea men’s national volleyball team ace Heo Soo-bong (Hyundai Capital) has expressed his eagerness ahead of the Hangzhou Asian Games.
South Korea, led by head coach Lim Do-heon, will open their Asian Games campaign against India in Group C at the Linping Sports Center in Hangzhou, China, on Tuesday. On the 21st, they will play their second game against Cambodia. The goal is gold. South Korea won gold at the 1978, 2002 and 2006 Asian Games. It will be 17 years since it won the title at the 바카라사이트 2006 Doha Asian Games.
This will be the last international tournament for the Korean men’s volleyball team until 2023, when they will compete in the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Challenge Cup and the Asian Championship. The team has been in Jincheon since May 1.
Some players will be competing in three consecutive tournaments. Heo Soo-bong, setter Hwang Taek-ui (Armed Forces Athletic Corps), libero Park Kyung-min (Hyundai Capital), outside hitters Jeong Ji-seok, Jeong Jung-yong (Korean Air) and Na Kyung-bok (Ministry of Defense), and middle blockers Kim Min-jae and Lim Dong-hyuk (Korean Air).
The eight players spent most of their time with the national team rather than their clubs. “Still, Jincheon and Cheonan are close, so we traveled back and forth not often, but I think once or twice a month,” Heo said, adding, “The last two tournaments left a lot to be desired. This last one is the most important one. I will pay more attention to each game and each ball and do my best,” he said.
Born in 1998, the 6-foot-9 Apojit Husubong is one of the biggest offensive contributors to the national team. He plays the role of a fixer. “I think it’s going to be tough for all the players. “I think it’s hard for all the players,” he said. I was able to manage my physical condition well,” he said. “However, playing internationally and attacking in front of high blocking, I had to think more about how to hit the ball to score, and I learned a lot.”
Ahead of the Asian Games, veteran setter Han wore a new Taegeuk mark. “When my brother came in, we focused on getting our breathing in sync, and we also analyzed how to beat good teams like Japan, China, Iran, and Qatar,” said Heo Su-bong.
“Before he came, (Kim) Kyu-min did a good job of gathering the players and leading them. He also gave us good words outside of volleyball. He said that we have to do it with a lot of urgency, and he showed a lot of signs of trying to pull us together as a team,” he said, expressing his expectations for the veteran setter and leader.
Han has competed in three consecutive Olympics, winning one silver and two bronze medals. Heo will be competing in her first Asian Games. “I’ve heard a lot of people say that the Asian Games are different in terms of eagerness. The fans expect a lot from the Games, so I will do my best to live up to their expectations. I want to finish with a gold medal without any injuries,” he said, expressing his determination to win a medal.
In the meantime, Heo has won bronze at the 2016 U20 Asian Championships, bronze at the 2022 FIVB Challenger Cup, and bronze at the 2023 AVC Challenge Cup. In Hangzhou, China, she will be hunting for gold.