“Korea was defeated by India”
“I was really surprised that Korea lost to India.”
September 20, 2023 is a day that will inevitably be remembered as a disaster in the history of Korean men’s volleyball. In the first match of the men’s volleyball group stage of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, Korea, ranked 27th in the FIVB rankings, lost 2-3 to India, ranked 73rd. It has been 11 years since Korea lost to India in the 2012 Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Cup.
They got off to a good start by winning the first set, but were dragged down by dropping the second and third sets, and then won the fourth set, taking the game to the fifth set. The match, which continued to be up and down, eventually went to deuce, and at 15-15, both attacks in a row were blocked, resulting in a shocking loss. Everyone refers to that time as the ‘Hangzhou disaster’ and the ‘India shock’.
National team coach Lim Do-heon said, “I think the players felt pressure because it was their first game. “It was difficult because there were a lot of criminals,” he said.
Hwang Taek-ui said, “I think the loss was due to a weak serve. As a result, the middle blockers had a hard time,” he said, citing the loss, and one player said, “India came out with a good strategy without making any mistakes. “We should have prepared for that as well, but we felt hesitant.”
Korea’s loss to India was quite a shock to the Asian volleyball world. Because everyone predicted Korea’s superiority.
On the 22nd, I had a brief chat with a Taiwanese reporter who is the deputy director of the sports team at the China Times News Center Sports Center in Shaoxing China Textile City Sports Center, Zhejiang Province, China. He said, “It was surprising that Korea went to a full set against India, but I was really surprised when I heard that they lost. “It was a shock,” he said. It was similar to the feelings felt by Korean volleyball fans.
Fortunately, Korea succeeded in turning the situation around by winning 3-0 against Cambodia on the 21st. They will meet Pakistan, ranked first in Group D, in the round of 12 on the 22nd. Expectations are high whether the shock from that time can be erased and victory can be achieved.
Meanwhile, the Taiwanese reporter also explained about Taiwanese national team middle blocker Tsai Feichang, who will play in the V-League Hyundai Capital starting the upcoming season. Tsai Feichang, who is 203cm tall, is currently representing Taiwan in the Asian Games. He was named the best middle blocker in the Taiwanese league last season. He is scheduled to join Hyundai Capital as soon as the Asian Games are over.
He said, “For the Taiwanese national team, he mainly plays the role of an auxiliary striker, but the styles he can use are diverse. “I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of performance he will show in Korea.” He added, “Apart from Tsai Feichang, there are many promising players in Taiwan. “I hope you will also show a lot of interest in Taiwanese volleyball,” he added.
BY: 안전놀이터