Lee Kyung-eun (36, 173cm) wore the Taegeuk mark for the first time in 8 years.
On the 28th, the Korea Basketball Association announced the 12-member roster of the Korean women’s basketball team to participate in the 2023 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup, which opens in June. Key members such as Kim Dan-bi (Woori Bank) and Kang I-seul (KB Stars) were named, and young blood such as Lee So-hee (BNK) and Lee Hae-ran (Samsung Life Insurance) were also included.
Her most eye-catching name is Lee Kyung-eun (Shinhan Bank). Lee Kyung-eun wore her Taegeuk mark after 8 years since the 2015 FIBA Women’s Asian Championship.
In a phone call with this magazine, Lee Kyung-eun said, “When she first heard that she had been selected for the national team, she thought, ‘Can I go?’ She still thinks she is a great honor as a player. Aren’t there many players who want to go but don’t want to go? I am grateful for being chosen because I am old, but on the other hand, it is a burden. She is half worried and half excited because the members of the national team have all changed when I was there,” she said, explaining her feelings about being selected for the national team.
The reason she has been estranged from her national team since 2015 is injury. She suffers from big and small injuries, and she missed many games, but she succeeded in reviving her career after transferring to Shinhan Bank in Incheon. Last season, she played all 30 regular league games, playing an average of 23 minutes and 32 seconds, and she showed off her strength with 7.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
“It was very difficult because of the injury. And since it was a time when the national team needed a generational change, I thought there would be no more opportunities for me. However, it is a special feeling to be selected suddenly. I think it’s proof that I can play healthy on the court again. It seems that I have mixed emotions after being named to the national team for the first time in eight years.” Kyungeun Lee says:카지노사이트
Lee Kyung-eun, who has become the national team’s oldest player, is expected to lead the team by playing a leadership role both on and off the court. Coach Jeong Seon-min said of Lee Kyung-eun, “Although he struggled with injuries, he showed a lot of improvement last season, so I was selected. He thinks it will be useful enough if he uses it while managing. He is expecting that the 2-on-2 play sum with Ji-soo will match well.”
Regarding this, Lee Kyung-eun said, “I once lived at Shinhan Bank with coach Jeong Seon-min and coach Choi Yoon-ah. He called me on the phone, and he told me to make a good body. He asked the director, ‘Are you okay with me?’ It’s because I’m older and the role of a guard on the court is important. Then, the director said, ‘Don’t be burdened, let’s build a good body and do well together’.”
The national team will convene at the Jincheon National Training Center on May 15th. Afterwards, they will work together and leave for Latvia on June 4 for field training. The 2023 FIBA Women’s Asia Cup will be held in Sydney, Australia, from 26 June.
Lee Kyung-eun said, “I have been on the national team list for the first time in 10 years, and I think women’s basketball should show a good performance in international competitions. It’s easier said than done, but as her eldest sister, she has to fulfill the role the director wants. She expressed her determination, saying, “I will do my best to run with pride as long as my body is capable of running with the national flag.”