It's the Kim and Bae Show
 Macau,
China, July 31, 2005 - With two wins against China and a
fifth-place finish at the FIVB Girls' U18 World Championship,
no wonder the Koreans were smiling. But they'd probably have
been smiling anyway - even if they'd lost a five-set
thriller to Croatia in Sunday's 5th/6th place classification
game.
Throughout this championship, the Koreans have made a
mockery of the accepted sporting stereotype of their nation:
grim and relentless, showing no emotion.
For evidence of this, look no further than the captain, Kim
Yeon-Koung, and her able assistant, Bae Yoo-Na. Kim, 17, has
led her team superbly, setting an example with some big
points at big moments. Bae, 15, has been a dynamo at the
net, appearing from nowhere to bury a succession of flashing
winners.
Pic: Bae Yoo-Na on the block in Korea's final game
against Croatia
The two are clearly the best of friends, and both
attended the official Press Conference after their 3-2
victory over Croatia on Sunday. When asked why they were
always smiling on court, even when they had just lost a
point, head coach Ahn Byung-Man intervened.
"They are naughty," he said. "They go to the same school and
are always like that.
"Sometimes I get angry with them and say, 'You've just lost
a point but you're smiling.'
"They always reply, 'We win or lose but we always enjoy
ourselves.' They are very naughty girls."
The head coach revealed that Kim, Bae and setter Han Soo-Ji
could soon be called up to the senior women's team to revamp
the squad in a bid to win a place at the Beijing Olympics in
2008.
"We want to play in the Olympic Games and win the gold medal,"
Kim and Bae said, together of course. But will they still be
smiling when the stakes are so high? Their answer was
muffled under all the giggling, but it didn't look like they
were feeling the pressure just yet. |
Competition Formula
