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Lee Ji-hyun aims for ‘a divine move’… “Preparing for the competition by imagining the Taegeukgi”

adminSeptember 19, 2023

“There can’t be no pressure. However, it has to be handled between me and the coaches. “I advised the players that the pressure on performance should not be negative.”

Baduk is a sport in which Korea is likely to win a medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games. There are also predictions that they will sweep gold medals in a total of three events: the men’s individual and team events, and the women’s team events. National team coach Mok Jin-seok even cautiously said, “In terms of objective power, aren’t we and China the strongest competitors?”

It is a reasonable expectation. At the 2010 Guangzhou Games, which were first adopted as an Asian Games event, the national team dominated three gold medals in the men’s and women’s team event and mixed pair event. It was an achievement that raised the status of Korean Baduk by defeating China, the ‘dominant nation of Baduk’, right in the middle of enemy territory.

Even though more than 10 years have passed, Korea is still not left out when discussing the strongest country in Baduk. 9th dan Shin Jin-seo, who is participating in the men’s individual event at this tournament, is currently ranked No. 1 in the world. He also won the Eungssi Cup, the most prestigious world championship held last month. 9th Dan Park Jeong-hwan, who is also participating in the individual competition, won two gold medals in the men’s team event and mixed pair event at the Guangzhou Games.

Among the female knights, 9th Dan Choi Jeong stands out. She has maintained the top spot in Korean women’s baduk for 118 months without a break, and is expected to play a ‘constant’ role for the national team in Hangzhou as well. It is said that Kim Eun-ji, Oh Yu-jin, and Kim Chae-young, ranked 2nd to 4th in the domestic women’s ranking, will also do their part.

However, pride is prohibited. This is because the top knights representing various Asian countries gather together. The most variable is the men’s team event. Kim Myung-hoon and Lee Ji-hyun are behind ‘Yangshin Park Byeon’ (Shin Jin-seo, Park Jung-hwan, Byun Sang-il, Shin Min-jun), who occupy the top of the domestic rankings. Although they have a strong power, their biggest rival, China, has also drawn a solid lineup, led by Ke Jie and Yang Dingxin. All of them are within the top 20 in the world rankings. Taiwan cannot be underestimated either. In the women’s team competition, Japan is no match for the team.온라인바카라

The key is physical strength. People often only focus on fierce battles of resourcefulness, but strength and endurance are essential if you want to focus on a match for several hours. Moreover, the schedule for this tournament is tighter than the usual schedule. This is why athletes are preparing their bodies through strength training and aerobic exercise ahead of their departure.

Shin Jin-seo and Park Jung-hwan, who have to compete in individual competitions, need to strategically allocate their physical strength. He must use the optimal card according to his opponent. Therefore, the performance of Ji-Hyeon Lee, 9th Dan, born in 1992 and the oldest player among the players, is needed. When we met at the Korea Foundation in Seongdong-gu, Seoul on the 15th, he said, “It would be anyone’s dream to wear the Taegeuk flag,” and emphasized, “I prepared by imagining the scene of looking at the Taegeukgi from the highest point on the podium.”

It is also important to adapt to an unfamiliar environment. The time limit per person for this competition is 1 hour. Three 30-second countdowns are given. Physically, the pressure is tight, but when combined with the pressure of an international competition, unexpected mistakes can occur. Director Mok did not let down his guard, saying, “Local food and sleeping are also important variables in managing one’s condition.”