The women’s basketball team participating in the Hangzhou Asian Games is making final efforts to win the gold medal.
The players also have high expectations for a special meeting with North Korea.
This is reporter Kwak Jun-young.안전놀이터
[Reporter]
Ahead of the opening of the Hangzhou Asian Games, the women’s basketball team is in the midst of refining its last-minute tactics in a practice match against a male high school team with superior physical condition.
The national team, which failed to secure a ticket to the Paris Olympics, which is awarded to top 4 players in the last Asia Cup, is determined to make up for its disappointment this time.
<Kang Yi-seul / Women’s Basketball Team> “I think we’re talking a lot about how the only way to regain the popularity and pride of women’s basketball is to get good results at the Hangzhou Asian Games.”
There is another reason why the athletes’ emotions ahead of the competition are special.
This is because this time they will face North Korean athletes who came together as a team and won the silver medal in the previous competition.
<Park Ji-soo / Women’s National Basketball Team> “Hye-yeon Kim was born in 1998 and is the same age, and I remember her liking me very much… (After seeing the list), my first thought was that she had been selected and I was so happy.”
<Park Ji-hyun / Women’s National Basketball Team> “I have only good memories, so thinking about going and meeting them this time is a bit surprising, and I think it’s nice to see them, but it also feels a little strange.”
taiwan,
I have no intention of giving up victory in my quest for gold.
<Jisoo Park / National Women’s Basketball Team> “Outside, we can say hello and say it’s nice to meet you and it’s been a while, but inside the stadium, we’ll work hard to make sure we win.”
<Kang Yi-seul / Women’s Basketball Team> “I remember that the (North Korean) players worked really hard and were very stubborn, so I think we need to be careful about that when we face them.”
The North and South Korean players, who exchanged goodbye five years ago saying “let’s meet again,” will reunite in Hangzhou on the 29th.
