KOR – Kim not content with unbeaten Korea

WUHAN (FIBA Asia Championship) – Veteran Korean leader Kim Joo-sung had to endure his country’s painful seventh placed finish at the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship, where they lost to Lebanon, Chinese Taipei and Iran by 16 points in a lop-sided contest.

Despite that, the 31-year-old isn’t hoping for a return to the form of 2007 when Korea claimed the bronze medal.

“No,” he said emphatically. “We want first place because I want to go to the Olympics!”

Once upon a time Korea were regulars, and feared opponents on the world stage.

From 1978 to 1998 they played in five FIBA World Championships, defeating a number of minnows and coming within two points of Australia in 1994 and three points of Brazil in 1998. Korea have also played in six Olympic Games, but haven’t returned to that stage since 1996 in Atlanta.

The past decade has been lean pickings for Korean fans, but with their team undefeated after five games in Wuhan they will be delighted with the turnaround. Not so Kim. “Not really,” he said when asked if he was happy with his team’s form.

“We are playing well, but there is a lot of potential and we haven’t lived up to that yet.”

A good time to start will be on Wednesday, the final day of the Second Round when they face defending champions Iran, a game that will decide first place in Group A and likely avoid host China on the path to the gold medal game.

“It is going to be a tough game, especially with (221cm centre) Ha’s injury and we have some other injuries,” Kim said. “So we are going to have to be focused for this game, we want to show our best tomorrow.”

Korea’s last appearance at a world tournament was the 2008 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where Kim was a star with 15.5 points per game. While their two-point loss to Canada was encouraging, a 12-point defeat from Slovenia gave Kim a good perspective of how far his young team has to develop to be truly competitive with the world’s best.

“It is true we have gotten better but we are still behind the world level,” he said honestly, but not without optimism the way his team has played so far in Wuhan. “I am sure we can get there, it will just take time.”

FIBA