(Asiad) Volleyball captain Kang So-hwi eyes medal in likely final Asian Games
OKAZAKI, Japan, Sept. 14 (Yonhap) -- South Korean women's volleyball team captain Kang So-hwi said Monday she has one special goal at the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which will be her second and likely last Asiad as a national team player.
"I want to win an Asian Games medal for my teammates," Kang told reporters after an official training session at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium in Okazaki, some 50 kilometers southeast of Nagoya.
"To achieve this goal, I will do my best fearlessly and without hesitation," she said.
South Korea's women's volleyball team captain Kang So-hwi (2nd from L) laughs during a training session at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium in Okazaki, some 50 kilometers southeast of Nagoya, Japan, ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Sept. 14, 2026. (Yonhap)
The 29-year-old outside hitter first joined the national squad in 2016 and helped South Korea win bronze at the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia.
At the 2023 Hangzhou Games, South Korea failed to advance to the medal round after losing to Vietnam in the preliminary round. It was the first time since 2006 that South Korea had failed to win an Asian Games medal in women's volleyball.
For Kang, it was a painful memory, but she stressed that she did not want to let it weigh on her any longer.
"It was a big hurt. But I do not want to stop with that memory. I want to overcome it and grab a medal," she said.
Setter Kim Da-in tosses a ball during a training session of South Korea's women's volleyball team at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium in Okazaki, some 50 kilometers southeast of Nagoya, Japan, ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Sept. 14, 2026. (Yonhap)
Setter Kim Da-in said she is preparing some sophisticated attacking tactics to improve the team's speed against well-organized teams with tall middle blockers.
"I know we are still behind other teams in many things. We all know that well, and we are making every effort to make up for that part," she said. "I am ready to use our speed and set plays to disturb opponents."
Middle blocker Lee Da-hyeon is also confident the team can achieve a podium finish if it attacks and defends one step faster than its opponents against Hong Kong, Qatar and Vietnam.
"I think we need to find our own color, and we are still finding it," Lee said. "If our middle blockers play in a more aggressive way, we can help our hitters score well."
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.
South Korea's campaign will begin at 4 p.m. Wednesday against Hong Kong at Park Arena Komaki in Komaki, just north of Nagoya.
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