“If volleyball can develop further, I want to help”
“My goal is to show everyone that I am ‘developing’”

“It feels new. 카지노사이트Wearing clothes with the Taegeukgi on them (always) feels really good.”

I don’t play as a player, but now I go out as an assistant for the national team. Kim Yeon-kyung (35, Heungkuk Life Insurance), who turned into an advisor (adviser) for the women’s national volleyball team, wore the national team’s training suit for the first time in a long time. It has been about two years since she retired from the national team after the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021 (semifinal) that she wore the Taegeuk mark.

Women’s national volleyball team advisor Kim Yeon-kyung holds a press conference prior to national team training at the Jincheon National Training Center on the afternoon of the 16th. /yunhap news

On the 16th, at the Jincheon Training Center in Chungcheongbuk-do, Kim Yeon-kyung announced her future schedule and goals in front of reporters for the first time as an advisor for the national team.

Upcoming Volleyball Nations League (VNL)

Korea (23rd in the world) will participate in the 2023 VNL, which will be held from the 30th. VNL is a competition in which 16 countries participate to determine the world’s best volleyball player. 12 matches will be played until the 3rd week, and the top 8 countries will advance to the final round. The national team will play its first match against Turkiye (ranked 7th in the world) in Antalya on the 1st.

At last year’s tournament, the national team was humiliated. Korea finished the tournament with a record of ‘0-12’ without accumulating a single point for the first time in the history of the tournament. Compared to other Asian countries such as China (8 wins and 4 losses), Japan (8 wins and 4 losses), and Thailand (5 wins and 7 losses), it was a disappointing result.

Regarding this, Kim Yeon-kyung said, “Everyone knows that we have to do better than last year. I think there will be some pressure on him,” he said. “My first goal is to show everyone that I am ‘developing’.”

Kim Yeon-kyung will also partially participate in the national team training and dispatch schedule with the cooperation of his team, Heungkuk Life Insurance. On the 22nd, they will also accompany the Turkiye battery training ahead of VNL. Kim Yeon-kyung said, “I will go to Turkey early and prepare well so that I can show a good image from the first week.”

Women’s volleyball team advisor Kim Yeon-kyung (far left) helps the national team players train at the Jincheon National Training Center in Chungbuk on the afternoon of the 16th. /news1

Paris Olympic qualifiers, forced march leading to Hangzhou Asian Games

Regarding the reason why Kim Yeon-kyung became an advisor to the national team even though she was still an active player, “As a person who is involved in volleyball, there was something I wanted to help if volleyball could continue to develop further. The association made a good offer, so I (accepted) this offer,” he said. “Many people are still playing as players, but there are some concerns about being an advisor. We are trying to (convey) the parts to be helpful in staffing with the players.”

In fact, the women’s volleyball team, along with VNL this year, has to go through big competitions such as the Paris Olympics qualifiers and the Hangzhou Asian Games in September and October. These are competitions that cannot be neglected due to the nature of sports, where the performance of international competitions is directly related to the popularity of the sport. In particular, the women’s volleyball team has not had any international competition results since writing the ‘four-final myth’ at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

In women’s volleyball, Kim Yeon-kyung, Kim Su-ji (36, Heungkuk Life Insurance), and Yang Hyo-jin (34, Hyundai Construction) retired from the national team after the Tokyo Olympics. Coach Stefano Lavarini (44, Italy), who led Korea at the time, also left. Since then, head coach Cesar Hernandez Gonzalez (46, Spain), who assisted coach Lavarini, has been promoted to manager and is holding the baton. He, who is also the coach of Turkiye Vakifbank, will join the team in Turkiye, where the first match of the VNL will be held due to the league schedule.

This VNL is a competition where you can check the skills of young players such as ‘three people born in 2001’, such as Lee Da-hyun (Hyundai E&C), Jung Ho-young (KGC Ginseng Corporation), and Kim Da-eun (Heungkuk Life Insurance), and once again gauge Korea’s international competitiveness.

Kim Yeon-kyung said, “When I looked at the composition of the members this time, a lot of young players came in. They also say that (the player base) has improved compared to last year,” he said. “After VNL, there is a long journey leading up to the Olympic qualifiers and the Asian Games. I will try to improve my condition and physical condition as time goes by and focus on the second half so that I can achieve good results. The Asian Games is a competition that all citizens are interested in. We also think differently.” Kim Yeon-kyung wore her national team uniform and won a gold medal at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.

Women’s volleyball team advisor Kim Yeon-kyung (far left) encourages the national team players at the Jincheon National Training Center in North Chungcheong Province on the 16th. /news1

“Names are arbitrary, such as advisor, advisor, and older sister”

Although Kim Yeon-kyung calmly expressed her aspirations and thoughts, she did not lose her unique wit. Kim Yeon-kyung said, “The players call me whatever they like, such as advisor, advisor, or older sister. There are many players who are very comfortable. They tell me things you can’t tell the coaches or the manager,” she laughs.

And then she said she wasn’t a ‘shrew’ herself. She said, “Maybe I am blowing a burden from the side that is not a burden (I am careful). The players themselves are well aware that they have to perform better than last year and show an improved image,” she said.

Wouldn’t the national team advisor become a stepping stone for a bigger role in the future? Regarding this, Kim Yeon-kyung said, “I tried advisor for the first time, but it is not easy. He felt good when he was playing. Even when the players are sleeping, they have to set up practice schedules,” he said. “Still, I am learning a lot through the advisor. I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I think it will be of great help for the directions I’m going in the future.”

After the interview, Kim Yeon-kyung and the players continued training while sweating under a banner with the slogan, “Players who did their best, I’m proud of you.”