“We need a miasma now. “No matter what team we face, we must be determined to win and win a medal.”
Park Ji-hyun (23, Asan Woori Bank), whom we met at the Grand Plaza Hotel in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, on the 26th of last month, first said, “It was disappointing” and “I’m sorry.” Regarding the performance of the 2023 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Women’s Asia Cup held in Australia last June, “We were unable to repay the support of our fans. “I am disappointed in myself and have many things to reflect on,” he said, and pledged, “I will show a performance that lives up to expectations at the Asian Games, which everyone is paying attention to.”
At the time, she finished the competition in 5th place and did not qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics, but she played a key role in the national team, and Park Ji-hyun averaged 14 points, the most in her team.
Regarding this, she said, “If the team loses, individual performance is meaningless,” and “Coach Seon-min Jeong often asks us to attack confidently. “As I am given a lot of playing time, I have to help the team by making plays that fit the situation,” he said.
She cited ‘coordination between players’ as an issue that needs to be improved. Park Ji-hyun said, “I was unable to help after leaving the attack to (Park) Ji-soo (25, Cheongju KB), and when (Kang) Iseul (29, KB) did not explode on the outskirts, I lacked support,” and “I played all positions.” I have to make use of my strengths. “I will focus on the bad things, such as rebounding and defense, and be greedy when I need to score,” he emphasized.
They also did not forget to keep in check China, ranked second in the FIBA world rankings, which is hosting the tournament in its home city of Hangzhou. Regarding the third game of the Asia Cup group stage, where we lost after a close overtime match, he said, “We couldn’t get over the final hurdle,” and “We have to go into the game with venom and the mindset to win. I am confident that if we prepare based on our experience of playing equal matches, we will have a good chance of winning.”
Every time he participates in an international competition, his older brother, Park Ji-won (25, Sangmu), serves as the head of the cheering squad. This is because he is a professional athlete in the same sport and is the one who understands his younger brother’s feelings the best. Park Ji-hyun said, “I had a meal with her older brother, who came to the Jincheon Athletes’ Village to play a practice match with the national team as a member of Sangmu. “When I asked him to do better and join the national team, he said in a timid voice, ‘I’ll work hard,’” he said, laughing.안전놀이터
The teammate on the national team he relies on the most is Kim Dan-bi (33, Woori Bank), the MVP of the Korea Women’s Professional Basketball (WKBL). While imitating Kim on his team, he was scolded by the coach and asked, ‘Are you Kim Dan-bi?’ He looked embarrassed and said, “He understands the players’ characteristics and adapts to them. “As I believed in that and ran, we got along well and received a lot of help,” he praised.
At the same time, he mentioned the women’s volleyball team that reached the semifinals at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Park Ji-hyun said, “The players talk a lot about volleyball. “There will be more fans who support you if you win and perform well, rather than saying, ‘I lost, but I fought well,’” he said. “We all share the same hope that the sport we play will receive attention.” “I will participate in the competition with the sense of responsibility that popularity is something that is created by the players,” he said.