KOR - Yang determined to keep London hopes alive

CARACAS (FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament) - Inspirational Korean point guard Donggeun Yang will try to play in tomorrow’s crucial match against the Dominican Republic despite having a broken right hand.

“Two days ago we played against Venezuela and somebody’s elbow hit my hand and now it is broken,” he said.

“When I first got the injury I didn’t know it was serious, it just felt like someone hit my hand, but then I felt that I couldn’t squeeze it at all.”

After watching his team crash to a 35-point defeat to Russia today, Yang decided he would take the court to help keep his country’s Olympic hopes alive.

But the 30-year-old - who defied a serious ankle injury to score 17 points in the semi-final of last year’s FIBA Asia Championship - is fully aware an injured shooting hand is a different proposition.

“I won’t know until how I will feel tomorrow,” he said. “I will try to play, I want to play, but I’m not sure.”

While Yang will make a decision during the warm-up, he is confident the team can turn around its fortunes with or without him.

“If I can play I will try to help out, I want to give the team some of my heart. But either way my team is going to be ready for the Dominican Republic tomorrow.”

FIBA