Korea’s best setter in men’s volleyball, Han Seon-soo (Korean Air), will appear on stage at the Asian Games for the fourth time.
The Korean men’s volleyball team headed to Hangzhou, China through Incheon International Airport on the morning of the 16th. They will participate in the Hangzhou Asian Games, the last competition of this year.
This year, the national team will compete in the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Challenge Cup, Asian Championships, and the Asian Games. Player Han was named to the final 12-man list ahead of the Asian Games. Coach Lim Do-heon is also hoping that veteran Han will lead the team.
Sunsu Han will participate in his 4th Asian Games. He won bronze medals at the 2010 Guangzhou and 2014 Incheon Games, and won a silver medal at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games, failing to surpass Iran. Now, we are looking at medals at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Two weeks have passed since I joined the national team. Player Han said스포츠토토, “There are still things that need to be adjusted. I think it will be important to go to Hangzhou and work together while playing. “I will do my best to help my breathing gradually improve,” he said.
The Korean men’s volleyball team had a difficult season this year. They aimed to win the AVC Challenge Cup, but were held back by Bahrain and took third place. They failed to advance to the FIVB Challenger Cup, which determines qualification for the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Volleyball Nations League (VNL). Instead, Thailand, led by coach Park Ki-won, won a surprise victory in the AVC Challenge Cup and earned the right to participate in the FIVB Challenger Cup.
Afterwards, Lim Do-heon-ho, who participated in the Asian Championships, lost to China in the semi-finals and was thwarted from advancing to the semi-finals. I ended up finishing the competition in 5th place, leaving behind a deep sense of disappointment.
The growth of Asian teams was noticeable as they competed in various international competitions. In the FIVB world rankings, teams that were outside the world rankings, including 5th place Japan, 11th place Iran, and 17th place Qatar, as well as 43rd place Taiwan, 51st place Pakistan, 47th place Indonesia, 71st place Thailand, and 74th place Bahrain, are gradually accumulating ranking points. Korea has no one to take lightly.
Coach Lim Do-heon said, “First, we have to play our game. What is important is how much we demonstrate our skills through teamwork. “If that happens, there won’t be a game we can easily win, but we won’t lose easily either,” he said.
Player Han also watched the progress of this year’s men’s volleyball team. He said, “Even though they were not part of the national team, the players would have tried to do their best in their roles. “I think it must have been difficult because the situation I wanted didn’t come out,” he said about his role, adding, “I want to play a role in helping the players make it less difficult and create a better atmosphere.”
He continued, “Other Asian teams have grown a lot. Even when I played the game myself, I was able to feel that teams I had never expected to see had grown tremendously. “It seems that overseas leaders, including those in Europe, have developed these teams,” he said. “Korea also needs to grow a lot to fit into world-class volleyball. “Players must also have such thoughts, and all members, including the association and leaders, must immerse themselves in this and think deeply about it,” he said.
Korean men’s volleyball has not made it to the Olympic finals since the 2000 Sydney Olympics, and women’s volleyball also fell to 36th in the world rankings two years after reaching the semifinals of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Women’s volleyball is showing shocking progress, losing to Vietnam at the Asian Championships. Now, Korea has lost its reputation as an Asian powerhouse and has been pushed to the periphery. Player Han also expressed his sadness at the reality of Korean volleyball.
Finally, Han said, “There is no season in my head. I’m only thinking about the Asian Games. “I just need to win the gold medal regardless of whether I get hurt,” he said, adding, “I told the players to trust each other and play with the mindset that ‘we are one team.’” He expressed his aspirations. He emphasized the power of ‘one team’ and showed his determination to win an Asian Games medal.