(Asiad) Women's volleyball coach confident of winning medal after 1st training in Japan
OKAZAKI, Japan, Sept. 14 (Yonhap) -- The coach of South Korea's national women's volleyball team on Monday expressed confidence that his team will win a medal at the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, saying his players are on track after their first official training session in Japan.
"In the previous competition, we stopped at the quarterfinals. I can see their strong determination for this Asian Games," coach Cha Sang-hyun told reporters after the training session held at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium in Okazaki, some 50 kilometers southeast of Nagoya.
"We are doing our best and making every effort to achieve our goal."
Cha Sang-hyun, coach of South Korea's national women's volleyball team, oversees a training session ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium in Okazaki, some 50 kilometers southeast of Nagoya, on Sept. 14, 2026. (Yonhap)
The team arrived in Japan the previous day to begin its campaign to reclaim a medal at the Asian Games, which will kick off Saturday.
South Korea will face Hong Kong, Qatar and Vietnam in Pool D of the preliminary round. The top two teams from each of the four groups will advance to the quarterfinals.
At the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, South Korea lost to Vietnam in its first preliminary match and failed to get into the medal phase. It was the first time since 2006 that South Korea had failed to win an Asian Games medal in women's volleyball.
Cha said Friday's match against Vietnam will be an opportunity for revenge and will be key to finishing first in Pool D.
"We have to beat Vietnam by whatever means possible so that we can gain an advantage in a quarterfinal match against a team from Pool B, where China is grouped," he said.
He said he asked his players to focus on receiving and serving during the training session and discussed attacking tactics with setter Kim Da-in to avoid the opponents' middle blockers.
"All players are eager to win and do well. No one wants to lose," Cha said. "There are many players who competed at the Hangzhou Games, and they do not want to repeat the same experience here in Japan."
South Korea will take on Hong Kong on Wednesday in Pool D at Park Arena Komaki in Komaki, just north of Nagoya.
South Korea's national women's volleyball team trains ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium in Okazaki, some 50 kilometers southeast of Nagoya, on Sept. 14, 2026. (Yonhap)
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