Korean Air, led by coach Tommy Tillikainen, finished the 2023 AVC (Asian Volleyball Confederation) Men’s Club Championship in 7th place.
On the 21st (local time),안전놀이터 Korean Air beat Bayanghongor, Mongolia 3-0 on the final day of the tournament held at ISA Sports City Stadium in Manama, Bahrain to finish the schedule.
From the process of preparing to participate in this event, Korean Air had to revise its strategy several times. As the protagonist of the combined championship for three consecutive years, it was a power to compete for the top spot in Asia, but foreign player Lincoln was dropped due to the expiration of the ITC (International Transfer Agreement) period, and setter Han and middle blocker Kim Gyu-min were excluded from the entry for rehabilitation. . Experienced libero Jung Sung-min couldn’t go to Manama with him.
In the end, Korean Air changed its direction to a strategy that produces maximum results while accumulating experience points for players who have not had many opportunities to participate. The result was a cross between success and disappointment. After two consecutive wins in the group stage, Korean Air advanced to the quarterfinals as second in the group, losing to Indonesia’s Bayankara. Afterwards, they lost to Japan’s Suntory, who won the tournament, and were pushed back to the 5th-8th place, and were defeated by Kuwait Sporting Club, failing to advance to the 5th-6th place match.
Coach Tommy, who finished all the games, said, “I clearly stated my goal to give players who did not get a chance before the start of the tournament a chance to play, but I felt complicated and subtle emotions during the tournament.”
He continued, “There were several situations in which the prepared play did not come out properly. This is the part where we became aware of what parts we need to supplement after returning from vacation.”
With the harvest of this tournament, coach Tommy said, “Regardless of the opponent, Dong-hyuk Lim showed off his offensive power without regret, and his attitude and behavior on the court were also very good. I think Lee Jun also showed his skills and potential.” mentioned
Head coach Tommy Tillikainen continued, “This tournament is not an easy tournament to watch. Other teams have hired players on short-term contracts just for this tournament. I’m serious. I think I need to participate in these various international competitions for the development of Korean volleyball.”
Coach Tommy’s sincerity is to strengthen competitiveness through participation in various international competitions. This leads to Korean Air’s off-season power reinforcement plan, which will take a break until June 26 and start training again.
Director Tommy started his vacation on the 22nd by moving from Manama, Bahrain to Helsinki, Finland.