KOR - Korea regroup with their eyes firmly on London

OMURA (FIBA Asia Championship for Women) - The scenes at the Sea Hat Entertainment Centre in Omura could not have been more contrasting.
 
At one end the Chinese players were elated, celebrating their 65-62 victory over Korea in the final of the FIBA Asia Championship for Women. At the other end, Korean point guard Choi Youn Ah was perched on her haunches, her body throbbing with emotion and tears streaming from her face.
 
While some members of the media could not understand this raw display of emotion, Korean power forward Sin Jung Ja knew exactly how her team's on-court leader was feeling. "At the end of the game (Choi) was crying because she knew we weren't going to London, even though all the members of our team had put so much effort into making it," she said.

Quickly though, Sin changed her focus to the job ahead, a second chance to make it to the 2012 Olympic Games. "We don't regret how we played, we think this was a great experience for us, and we will be even better for the next championship (Olympic qualifiers).

"Our team has worked hard on the strategies from our coach, and I think if we continue to play hard and work well according to these strategies, I think we will make it to London."

Korea finished a most respectable eighth at the 2010 FIBA World Championship for Women, and no one who watched them defeat China in double overtime in the preliminary rounds in Omura, and fall by just three points in a classic final would doubt Sin's confidence.
 
If Sin can repeat her 15-point, 16-rebound, 5-assist, 2-block masterpiece from Sunday's final in next year's tournament, teams will have to play very well to conquer the Koreans.

Kim Danbi is the youngest member of the side at just 21, but she showed no fear in the final, taking the game up to Chinese superstar Miao Lijie to finish with 11 points and 6 rebounds, mostly in the first half to keep her team within striking distance.
 
Kim showed similar confidence as she predicted her team would go one better in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament. "Playing against teams from around the world is a different level, the level of the players is very high, but if we keep the strong organisation we have in this team I think we can win that tournament and go to London," she said.

History tells the Koreans they have every right to be confident next year. They have played in the last four Olympic Games, and six of the last seven. Their efforts on sport's biggest stage include silver in 1984, fourth in 2000 and eighth in Beijing in 2008.

Despite the heartbreak of another final loss to China, coach Lim Dal Shik said that he is proud of his developing team's efforts in Omura. "Overall I thought my players played to the strategies quite well," he said.

"But towards the end I think the players dropped their concentration and I think that was the key to the result because we have about eight centimetres (difference) in height (with China). I thought the players performed very well and I am satisfied with how they played."

Like Sin and Kim, coach Lim immediately turned his thoughts to the next challenge, and believes his team is on the right track. "A number of our players in this championship were young players, and I think they will have a good learning experience from this game.

"I think they will be better for it, and I think we will be a better team for our next games at the next championship (Olympic qualifiers)."
 


FIBA