Seventeen years after the 2006 Doha Games, Lim Do-heon will be looking to win his first Asian Games gold medal.
The South Korean men’s volleyball team, coached by Lim Do-heon, will open their Pool C campaign against India at 7 p.m. (local time) on Tuesday at the Linping Sports Center in Hangzhou, China. They are in Group C alongside India and Cambodia (2 p.m. on the 21st). If they finish second in their group, they will advance to the round of 12.
For the Korean men’s volleyball team, the goal is to win the title. The last time South Korea won an Asian Games title was in 2002 in Busan and 2006 in Doha. It”s been 17 years since then. They won bronze in Guangzhou 2010 and Incheon 2014, and silver in Jakarta-Palembang 2018.
The Korean men’s volleyball team has consistently finished on the medal podium at the Asian Games, with the exception of the 1962 Jakarta Games.
Since their fifth-place finish in Jakarta in 1962, they have finished on the podium on all 14 occasions from Bangkok 1966 to Jakarta-Palembang 2018. South Korea has finished first three times, second eight times, third four times, and fifth once.
Recently, the team has had a series of ups and downs. Not only is the team failing to qualify for international competitions, but they are also on the verge of being relegated to third place on the Asian stage. The team performed poorly at the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Challenger Cup and the Asian Championships, both held just before the Asian Games. The gap between Asia and the rest of the world is widening.
This is why the Asian Games are so important. We need to make a comeback. Coach Lim Do-heon called up Han (Korean Air) for the tournament. She is the best setter in the country. Despite not being at full strength, Han joined the team in hopes of reviving Korean volleyball and winning her first individual Asian Games gold medal.
“In a big event like the Asian Games, veteran experience and seasoned game management are more important than ever,” said Lim Do-heon. “He joined us for this tournament ahead of the Asian Games, so I hope he can bring out the best in our team,” said Lim.
The first match is against India. Even though they are objectively lesser than Korea, we’ve seen upsets happen on the international stage. Even if India and Cambodia are objectively outclassed, we can’t let our guard down.
“In a big event like the Asian Games, the most important thing is to manage athletes’ injuries and physical condition,” said Lim Do-heon. We have been checking each player’s physical condition in detail since the call-up in Jincheon. Although it is very hot and humid in Hangzhou, we are determined to ensure that the athletes can compete under normal conditions through proper management.”토토사이트
Han said, “‘If there is no today, there is no tomorrow. Let’s do our best now,” he said.
Due to the men’s qualification schedule for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the tournament will start earlier than in previous years. Can Korean men’s volleyball make a comeback?