“You need to calm down and calm down” 동행복권파워볼
South Korea held an afternoon training session at Ariake Arena Auxiliary Gymnasium in Tokyo on the 6th.
Korea defeated Japan 85-84 in the 2024 Softbank Cup warm-up match held on the 5th. Korea, which is undergoing a generational change, convened mainly for young players. It even had a 22-point advantage over Japan, which is set to advance to the Olympics. Although there was a regret to allow the team to catch up in the fourth quarter, Lee Jung-hyun (187 cm, G) and Ha Yoon-ki (204 cm, C) won the match.
Korea needs to prepare for the second match after winning the first match. Ahead of the team’s training session on Thursday, Korean coach Ahn Jun-ho said to his players, “I won the last match by mental strength. It is a tough situation, but you did a great job. That part was more meaningful than any other championship game. But it passed. I hope we can calm down and focus on the second match.”
After Ahn’s brief remarks, Korea began its training in earnest. However, the training conducted by Korea was not a team training but an individual training. “I chose free practice for tomorrow’s game. I hope the players can relax and fill in what they have to do. Above all, I need to calm down yesterday’s excitement. I hope they can play tomorrow with composure. The last game is over. This means that we should focus more on tomorrow’s game,” he said, explaining why he chose the individual training.
Afterwards, he said, “In the second round, the opponent will come out stronger. Hachimura can also play. It is true that it is burdensome. But we have to do it with our mentality. I’m looking forward to that as well.”
However, the problem was the physical condition of the players. “It hasn’t been long since we called in. We didn’t have enough time to train, and their physical condition is not 100 percent. Therefore, we had difficulties. Under such circumstances, we dumped cold water on Japan. What matters is that the players were not injured. Byun may not be able to come out in the second round. It is not up to me to judge. It is up to the players and trainers,” he said, referring to the physical condition of Byun Joon-hyung (187 cm, G).
What Ahn emphasized was “one team.” To create the best synergy effect by bringing players together. That is what Ahn wanted. So, he said, “A lot of things happened over the past few years. There were many times when we couldn’t become one. However, we are similar in age now and it’s good for everyone to think about it. I am also emphasizing “one team.” If we become one and create synergy, we can produce good results. There is not much I can do. But the players are doing well in that area.”
Lastly, Ahn left a personal statement. “We need a big man. Yoon Ki is doing well, but other players need to do their best. Then, we need to select players who naturalized as Korean citizen. This is the trend. Japan actively utilizes players who naturalized as Korean citizen. But not us. We need to bring in players who can blend in well with the team and adapt them quickly.”
