Perhaps the most unlucky player in the V-League in the 2022-2023 season is Jeon Kwang-in (32, Hyundai Capital). In the 6th round match against KEPCO on March 9th, he was separated from the line due to ankle ligament rupture. Ace’s colon was a fatal blow. When Hyundai Capital fell to Korean Air in the third game of the championship match, he expressed his apologies while shedding tears in the crowd. My heart hurt more because it was a claim.
Now the pain has subsided a lot. However, the swelling at the injured area is still there. In a phone call with Sports Donga, he said, “I have recovered a lot, but the swelling is not going well. He is resting enough for now, and will start training in earnest from June,” he revealed.
Hyundai Capital suffered difficulties during the recent years of rebuilding. It was difficult for each player as well. Jeon Kwang-in said, “As I changed generations during the season, my performance was inconsistent. The grades went down, and the team and the players had a lot of trouble.”
But last season was different. He maintained the lead all the time and emerged as a competitor to Korean Air. Although they lost in the championship match, it was a season that confirmed their chances of winning. Jeon Kwang-in said, “It was much better than the previous season. It was meaningful in that it got better as it progressed toward the second half,” he said. “My juniors have grown so much that they were selected for the national team. In particular, Heo Soo-bong played his role very well.”
Jeon Kwang-in is an outside hitter (left) with jumping and destructive power. He is good at defense as well as offense. Last season he was 4th in receiving and 6th in dig. But he couldn’t be satisfied. He hinted that next season he would focus more on offense. He said, “It is my position that I have to play more defensively than offensively. He entered the season abandoning his offensive greed, but that was not the case. I discussed a lot with the coach, but the team could run smoothly only when I supported them in offense. It was a season where I thought a lot about the distribution of offense,” he said, vowing to focus more on offense. 안전놀이터
Each club is spurring preparations for the 2023-2024 season. Hyundai Capital also reinforced its strength through the Asian Quarter and the draft of foreign players. Tall (203cm) middle blocker (center) Chai Peichang (Taiwan) and Apogee Spiker (light) Ikbairi (Libya), who played for Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance last season, were recruited. A change in position next season is inevitable. Jeon Kwang-in said, “I think I will build a receive line with (Huh) Subong. We worked together before, and it wasn’t bad. He can make good enough power,” he said confidently.
After joining KEPCO as the first overall pick in the 2013-2014 season rookie draft, after the 2017-2018 season, he wore a Hyundai Capital uniform as a free agent (FA). He took the lead in winning the 2018-2019 season, the first year of his transfer, and was also selected as the best player (MVP) in the championship match. However, they were far from winning after that. “Next season will definitely get better. We will train with that belief and produce results.” I will run towards the championship,” he said, showing a strong will.