The women’s basketball team, whose final entry was announced, embarks on a journey to the Asian Cup.
On the 28th, the Korea Basketball Association announced the 12-man entry for the Korean women’s basketball team to participate in the 2023 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup, which opens in June. Park Ji-soo (KB Stars), the pillar of the national team, who had left due to panic disorder, was also named as the main member of the existing team, such as Kim Dan-bi (Woori Bank) and Kang I-seul (KB Stars).
In a phone call with this magazine, coach Jeong Seon-min of the women’s basketball team said, “(Park) Ji-soo is back and it gives me a lot of strength. Since the opening of the tournament is only two months away, it may not be possible to raise it to its best condition, but I will try to use it while managing it well. I will slowly raise my body and use it appropriately for the national team,” she said, welcoming Park Ji-soo’s joining.
However, there were members who left due to injuries. Park Hye-jin (Woori Bank) fell off the horse due to poor soles and poor condition, and Bae Hye-yoon (Samsung Life Insurance), who has a chronic bad knee, was also not on the list.
Regarding this, coach Jeong Seon-min said, “It is unfortunate for the national team. (Park) There was an article about Hyejin retiring from the national team, but it is absolutely not true. In fact, she was a bit embarrassed. I’ve talked with director Seong-woo Seong-woo and Hye-jin, but she said that the soles of her feet and knees are not good. I heard that she is mentally exhausted and has lost a lot of weight. She made an omission from the 12-man roster because she didn’t think it would be in advance. (Bae) Hyeyoon’s condition was not good even during the season. While she was playing with the national team, she was not in shape to play, so we had to take it off,” she said.크크크벳
The most notable name is Lee Kyung-eun (Shinhan Bank). Lee Kyung-eun, who had been away from the national team since 2015, wore the Taegeuk mark again after 8 years. He appeared in all 30 regular league games last season and played for an average of 23 minutes and 32 seconds, showing off his strength with 7.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
“Last season was very good. (Lee) Kyeong-eun has no shortage of skills or basketball sense. Didn’t he play as a member of the national team in the past? Although he struggled with injuries, he was selected because he showed a lot of improvement last season. He thinks it will be useful enough if he uses it while managing. He expects that the sum of 2-on-2 play with Ji-soo will match well.” This is what director Jeong Seon-min said about Lee Kyung-eun.
The national team, whose final list has been announced, will convene on the 15th at the Jincheon National Training Center. After starting training, he is scheduled to leave for Latvia on June 4 for training. The 2023 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup will be held in Sydney, Australia, from 26 June.
Coach Jeong Seon-min said, “After entering the village on May 15, I will leave for Latvia on June 4 for field training. Didn’t you play against Korea last year? The Latvian side said that the training went well and the offer came first. This year, we are going to have about 3 matches in Latvia. On the 11th, she will return to Korea, and on the 22nd she will depart for Sydney, Australia, where the Asia Cup will be held.”