“I think I have to think about it.”
Will the day come when Kim Su-ji (35), a middle blocker at IBK Industrial Bank of Korea, will play for the national team again? Suji Kim scored 10 points in the Dodram 2022-2023 V-League Women’s Division match against Heungkuk Life Insurance held at Samsan World Gymnasium in Incheon on the 11th, leading the team to a 3-1 victory. IBK Industrial Bank is still in the bottom ranks, but it won a meaningful victory by winning the first victory of the season against Heungkuk Life Insurance, which was aiming for the lead.
Coincidentally, Cesar Hernandez Gonzalez, coach of the women’s volleyball team, came to the stadium that day to watch the game. Then, Kim Ho-cheol, coach of IBK Industrial Bank of Korea, laughed, saying, “Coach Cesar came and the players seemed to have done well.” Kim Soo-ji, who heard this, also laughed and said, “No. It’s not like that.”
Kim Su-ji has already announced her retirement from the national team. Suji Kim, one of the members who led the semifinal myth at the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021, announced her retirement from the national team along with Yeonkyung Kim (Heungkuk Life Insurance) and Hyojin Yang (Hyundai E&C) after the tournament. 바카라사이트
But the gap they left was too great. The women’s volleyball team struggled with 1 win and 16 losses in last year’s international competition. At a press conference held that day, coach Cesar said, “Last year, there was the absence of Kim Yeon-kyung, the best player in volleyball history, and there were no long-time players such as Kim Su-ji and Yang Hyo-jin, so it was a moment when I faced the reality of Korean volleyball.”
What decision would Kim Suji make if asked to rejoin the national team? Suji Kim, who said, “I think I should think about it because I am playing active duty,” showed prudence, saying, “I don’t think it’s a question to give a definite answer right away. You’ll have to think about it before answering.” At the same time, he added, “But there are many good players in the middle blocker right now,” adding that the first priority is for junior players with excellent skills to play.
Perhaps it can be said that the national team is going through the pain of a generational change. This year, important competitions such as the Paris Olympics qualifiers and the Hangzhou Asian Games are waiting for the women’s volleyball team. If the national team’s struggles continue this year as it did last year, the longing for veteran players who announced their retirement will deepen.