The fifth set of the third match of the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Challenge Cup 2024 Group C between South Korea and Qatar at the Isa Bin Rashid Hall in Isa, Bahrain on Wednesday night (KST). South Korea was on the brink. They had a 14-13 match point, but Kim Jee-han’s attack was blocked and they lost the lead.
At 16-17, Qatar’s Wadidi Raimi served hard, and Lim Sung-jin’s return went over the net. Ibrahim Muhammad, the 6-foot-2 middle blocker, attempted a direct kill, but his attack was blocked by Hwang Taek-ui (28, National Armed Forces Athletic Corps) and fell to the Qatari court. 스포츠토토 A moment of miracle just before the end of the match.
South Korea rallied from 19-18 down when left-handed Shin Seong-jin hit a spike with his right hand to end the game for a 3-2 victory. With their second straight win, following a 3-0 victory over Indonesia, South Korea advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament as the top seed in Pool C. It was a refreshing victory for South Korea, who were 1-3 against Qatar since 2018. Shin Shin-jin had a team-high 19 points, Lim Sung-jin had 17, and Kim Ji-han had 15. Hwang Taek-ui added 11 points, including seven digs and three blocks. Lee Sang-hyun added 10 points, including four blocks.
South Korea, under new head coach Isanaye Ramirez, did not field its best team in the tournament. Jung Jung-seok, Kim Min-jae (Korean Air) and Heo Soo-bong (Hyundai Capital) were out with injuries. To replace them, Jeon Kwang-in (Hyundai Capital), Shin Young-seok (KEPCO), and Han Se-u (Korean Air) have already been ruled out, while Lim Dong-hyuk (Korean Air) and Park Chan-woong (KEPCO) have joined the National Armed Forces. The average age of the 14 players in our squad is 24.1 years old, the youngest ever. Cha Young-seok (Hyundai Capital) is the only player in his 30s. Captain Hwang Taek-do is also in his 20s.
Hwang’s shoulders were heavy. As the captain and starting setter, he had a lot of pressure to lead the team. I talked to Coach Ramirez often and tried to change the team colors as much as possible. We used a lot of fastballs, back-row attacks, and other patterns even if we didn’t have perfect receptions. It’s not perfect yet. Even against Qatar, we didn’t have the right coordination and made a few mistakes. But as the match progressed, she became more focused and made good use of her new teammates Lim Sung-jin and Kim Ji-han.
Above all, their serves were sharp. He started the first set with a strong serve and served two aces. Throughout the match, Hwang’s serve was bold and accurate. He also made three interceptions, including a block at the most crucial moment. It was a match that played to Hwang’s strengths as one of the best scorers among setters. “I’m happy. The heavens helped me. I think the heavens helped me because I was really desperate,” he said.
In fact, the men’s national volleyball team is in decline. It hasn’t been to the Olympics in 24 years, since the 2000 Sydney Games. They”re now in the middle of the pack in Asia, let alone the Olympics. They can”t even beat China, let alone the world leaders Japan and Iran, and they struggle against Middle Eastern teams like Qatar and Bahrain. At last year’s Asian Games, they were upset by Pakistan and didn’t even make it to the quarterfinals.
While the women’s national team is classified as a “core team” and competes in the Volleyball Nations League (VNL), the men’s team has not competed in the VNL since it was reorganized. In order to qualify for the VNL, the team will have to win the Asia Challenge Cup and then go all the way to the top of the International Volleyball Federation Challenge Cup. It’s a tall order. “I want to do well in this tournament,” Hwang said. “As a senior in the national team, I want to protect my national pride.
It’s only been two games, but there’s hope. Lim Sung-jin, Kim Ji-han and Lee Sang-hyun, all born in 1999, are showing signs of maturity. Rookie Lee Woo-jin (19), who joined Monza in Italy, is also quickly gaining experience. Shin Shin-jin, an apo jit spiker, has also exceeded expectations. If the team can earn as many ranking points as possible, they will be able to maintain their World Championship qualification cutoff of 28th in the world rankings. The team will play the quarterfinal against the second-place finisher in Pool A on Saturday. For now, home team Bahrain is the favorite.