Kim Yeon-koung to fly to Turkey with national team

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Kim Yeon-koung to fly to Turkey with national team

Published: 17 May. 2023, 15:30 Updated: 17 May. 2023, 17:19

Korean national volleyball team adviser Kim Yeon-koung, center, coaches the team at Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong on Tuesday. [YONHAP]

Former captain and current Korean national team adviser Kim Yeon-koung will travel to Turkey with the team next week for the Volleyball Nations League (VNL).

The national team started training at Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong, on Tuesday in preparation for the upcoming VNL, Olympics qualifiers and Asian Games.

Kim, who played 16 years for the national team and is still active in the V League with the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders, is looking to succeed at the VNL with the team. Last time around, the squad failed to secure a single win.

“We have to get better results at the VNL than last year and our objective is to obviously show an improved performance,” Kim said on Tuesday.

Kim has been helping the national team’s training since being appointed as adviser last month despite the off-season break.

Kim will also travel to Turkey and train with the team, before they play their first game of the VNL against the hosts on June 1.

Han Yoo-mi, another former player who was appointed as assistant coach also last month, is on the same page.

“My personal objective is to win a VNL game every week,” Han said. “I believe the players, fans and coaching staff, who have yet to join the training, have the same goal.”

The VNL lasts three weeks, with the first week running from May 30 to June 4, the second from June 13 to 19 and third through June 27 to July 2.

Korea will play 12 VNL games total through July.

The national team will then compete at the Olympics qualifiers and Asian Games, both scheduled in September.

“The VNL is our priority, but the Olympics qualifiers and Asian games are all important,” Han said. “The Asian Games are last, so the players might find it difficult stamina-wise, but I think our teamwork will be fine.”

The national team will jet off to Turkey on May 22 for pre-tournament training.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [paik.jihwan@joongang.co.kr]