Kim: “Was It On Purpose?”; Shin: “I Won’t Lose Again”

“Hey, didn’t you lose the volleyball game just to make it fun?” (Coach Kim ho-chul)

“What nonsense. I won’t let it happen again.” (Coach Shin Chi-yong)

Hyundai Capital coach Kim Ho-chul (50 years old) rallied to win the opening match of professional volleyball on Sunday against the “unbeatable” Samsung Fire. As soon as the final whistle blew, it was Samsung bench he ran to. When he said, “You lost the game on purpose to attract fans didn’t you,” to a blushing Shin Chi-yong (50 years old), Shin replied, “What do you mean? It was due to capability.”

The two are best friends, having been friends for 40 years, and sometimes drink together. However, they are enemies on the court. They have been “rivals forever,” since they were volleyball players, and are competing with their pride.

After the game, in response to the question, “How has Hyundai improved?” Shin only said, “There are no special changes in volleyball. We were just suppressed by Hyundai’s height. It won’t happen again,” courteously downsizing Kim. To this, Kim agreed, “Volleyball doesn’t have much variance.” However, he showed his pride by saying, “We beat Samsung once. It will happen again.” Words were soft and faces were smiling, but there were hidden knives in hearts.

The two directors trained their players hard all winter so that there was the burning smell of a desire to win from the players’ mouths before the game. The result was Kim’s victory this time.

However, it is only the beginning. The match between Shin, who won eight victories in a row in the winter league, and Kim, who overcame this great friend to throw the silver medal away, is just starting.

The endless rivalry between these two coaches has made KOVO (KOrean VOlleyball federation) happy. They have found the future of professional volleyball among fanatic fans. It is time for Shin’s counterattack. And whatever happens, this year’s professional volleyball will be exciting to watch.

Jong-Koo Yang yjongk@donga.com