IBK Industrial Bank of Korea won the first place in the Asian Quarter Draft, the first in the history of the V-League. Thai setter Phonpun Gedpard (30, 173cm), who was considered the biggest fish, was nominated to further strengthen his power.
As a result, the competition between IBK Industrial Bank setters for the new season has become more intense. From Kim Ha-gyeong (27, 174cm), the previous main setter, to Kim Yun-woo (19, 176cm), the youngest setter, it has become difficult to guarantee an opportunity to participate.
However, Kim Yun-woo had a different idea. On the 8th, we met at the IBK Gymnasium in Giheung-gu, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do, and expressed his anticipation, saying, “I think it’s a good opportunity to see outstanding players up close and learn a lot.”
Yunwoo Kim, a graduate of Gangneung Girls’ High School, was nominated by IBK Industrial Bank in the 5th place in the first round in the 2022-2023 season rookie draft. In his first season, he played 23 matches and played 36 sets, serving as a backup to main setter Kim Ha-kyung.
For Kim Yun-woo, the first season of his debut was full of regrets. He said, “I was given a lot of opportunities,먹튀검증 but I regretted it a lot because I didn’t do better than I thought.”
However, director Kim Ho-cheol of IBK Industrial Bank expressed satisfaction with the performance of rookie Kim Yun-woo. He highly evaluated his growth potential and showed expectations.
Kim Yun-woo felt a lot of pressure as he was usually put in when the main setter Kim Ha-gyeong was shaken during the game. He recalled, “There were many cases when I entered the team when the atmosphere was low and I couldn’t play in my style.
Contrary to concerns, Kim Yun-woo performed his role beyond expectations, and director Kim always encouraged him with applause. However, Kim Yun-woo made people laugh when he said, “The manager is not usually the type to praise me well,” and “even when a good play comes out, he briefly tells me that he did well.”
Coach Kim, who is known to be strict with his players, is nicknamed ‘Tiger Coach’. However, Kim Yun-woo said with a smile, “I thought he would be very scary and strict, but he’s more playful than I thought.”
As coach Kim made a name for himself as a great setter during his active career, setter players aspire to receive guidance. Kim Yun-woo said, “I learned various toss styles from the coach and taught me how to apply them. I think I was surprised too,” he said.
Kim Yun-woo, who is preparing for his second season, has recently been focusing on strength training. He said, “I heard a lot of people say that I look weak because I’m on the thin side. It was to the point of being called ‘paper man'” and “After coming to the pros, I worked hard at weights, so my coaches said that I had gained a lot of strength recently.” Then, he laughed, saying, “Now, ‘paper man’ has become thicker, so they call it ‘cardboard’.”
With the addition of Phonpun, who is active as a member of the Thailand national team, chances to participate are expected to decrease. However, Kim Yun-woo said, “I’ve seen a lot of Thai setters play in the past.” there is,” he said.
Finally, Kim Yun-woo said about his goal for the new season, “I hope that I will not be cursed at when I go in as a substitute because I can show an image without ups and downs.” He continued, “Unlike in high school, I tried a lot of low-level plays, so I was under a lot of stress because of the lack of accuracy.”