(Asian Games) Volleyball star not yet ready for Asiad swansong

By Yoo Jee-ho

JAKARTA, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) -- Before arriving in Jakarta for her fourth Asian Games, South Korean volleyball star Kim Yeon-koung didn't think there would be anything new or exciting about the competition. The 30-year-old had simply seen it all and done it all.

But on Friday, a day after landing in one of the host cities of the 2018 Asian Games, Kim admitted she was wrong.

"It's exciting to be around my teammates and players from other countries," Kim said after the national team's first practice in Jakarta at GBK Sports Complex. "Physically, I am getting better and better. I am really looking forward to this."

It's because of this sense of anticipation that Kim isn't about to call this her last Asian Games -- though it very well could be, given her age.

Kim is easily the finest volleyball player South Korea has ever produced. In a professional career that began in South Korea in 2015 and included stops in Japan, Turkey and China, the outside hitter has guided her teams to multiple league and continental titles and picked up top individual honors. Along the way, Kim has earned a reputation as one of the world's top attackers.

Kim lifted host South Korea to gold medal at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, and will try to do the same here starting this weekend. South Korea has never won consecutive Asiad gold medals in women's volleyball.

Suffice it to say, South Korea will only go as far as Kim takes it. And the world's 10th-ranked team will face stiff competition from China, the 2016 Olympic champion and world No. 1, and sixth-ranked Japan, which defeated South Korea 3-0 in the FIVB Volleyball Women's Nations League two months ago.

South Korea is in Pool B with China, Chinese Taipei, Kazakhstan, Vietnam and India. The five countries in Pool A are Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong and the Philippines.

The top four from each of the groups will advance to the quarterfinals.

South Korea will have to face China in the preliminary round, but if China and South Korea finish first and second in the group as expected, then they won't meet again until the final.

And that suits Kim just fine.

"China, Japan and Thailand (world No. 16) should all be strong, but China is obviously the best of the bunch," she said. "I think it's better for us to play the Chinese early and then avoid them in the semifinals. But of course, we'll likely have to beat Japan or Thailand in the semis."

Before Friday's practice, head coach Cha Hae-won said he wanted to avenge the Nations League loss to Japan if they meet again in Jakarta. Kim also said she's eager for a rematch.

"I think that was the only time we lost to Japan in recent memory when we had all of our best players," Kim recalled. "We might have taken our opponent lightly at the time. We'll have to bear down and try to figure out ways to break down their defense."

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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