At the 2023-2024 Professional Volleyball V-League Women’s Media Day held at the Riviera Hotel in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 12th, Heungkuk Life Insurance Asia Quarter player Raina reveals the self-appeal keyword. yunhap news
“Hello, I’m Raina, who loves Korean!”
The 2023-24 season Dodram V-League women’s media day was held at the Cheongdam Rivera Hotel in Seoul on the 12th. Reina Tokoku, a Japanese Apogee spiker who joined the Heungkuk Life Insurance Pink Spiders in the Asian quarter, gave a clear greeting in Korean.
Even when she met with reporters before the event, Raina seemed cheerful throughout the interview. When asked about her usual personality, Raina said, “Basically, people around her tell me that she is bright,” and that she is “in a very good mood right now.”
Raina already knew a little bit of Korean. He often understood questions. He said that his Korean became a little more comfortable as he understood what his teammates, including Kim Yeon-kyung, were saying. Raina, who said, “I like kimbap the most,” seemed to have already adapted to life in Korea to some extent.
Heungkuk Life Insurance coach Marcello Abondanza reveals his candidacy. yunhap news
Reina, from Japan, started playing volleyball at the age of 9 and played in the Finnish league last season. Ahead of the new season, he was selected by Heungkuk Life Insurance through the V-League draft. His main position is apogee spiker. He is 177cm tall and his standing reach is 232cm.
What was Coach Marcello Abondanza’s volleyball experience like for Reina? Raina said, “The coach’s teaching style is similar to the coach I coached in high school,” and said there was no problem adapting. At the same time, he smiled and said, “It’s a bit of a difficult map, which is unlikely to be possible in this day and age, but it’s a great help to me.”
Coach Abondanza is famous for his detailed guidance within the league. Raina also greatly agreed with this. Raina said, “Even with my fellow players, there are times when I think, ‘Isn’t this okay?’, but the coach is wary of that, saying that there are times when that can have a big impact in the game.” He added, “That’s why I think it’s right for him not to compromise on the details.”
From left, Heungkuk Life Insurance’s Kim Chae-yeon and Lee Won-jeong. Provided by Korea Volleyball Federation / Yonhap News
As teammates who became familiar with the new country and team, Kim Chae-yeon and Lee Won-jeong, who were born in 1999 and are of the same age, were selected. Raina responded, “Chaeyeon and Wonwon are the same age, so we were able to become close friends quickly.” She also added, “(Kim) Nahee always pays attention to us, so we often go out together.”
The topic of Kim Yeon-kyung was also brought up. Raina said, “She pays a lot of attention to me, but she’s also very playful, so even though she’s my older sister, I feel like she’s my friend.” “There are a lot of little pranks like that, like touching her hair,” she said, laughing.
Reina from her days on the Denso volleyball team in Japan. Provided by Denso Volleyball Team
It is said that after being confirmed to join Heungkuk Life Insurance, he first encountered the team through a video. Raina said, “I watched last year’s season’s games on YouTube, but when I actually came and felt it, there didn’t seem to be much difference. Even back then, I thought they were a very bright and good team, and it was easy to adapt because they were just as I thought.”
He continued, “To be honest, I’m still nervous because it’s my first time playing in the Korean league,” but also strengthened my resolve, saying, “I want to leave a good impression because it’s my first time.”
Raina is welcomed immediately after entering the country. Provided by Heungkuk Life Insurance
He mentioned ‘overall victory’ as his goal for the new season with his new team. Raina, whose biggest goal is to win the overall championship, predicted, “This will only be possible if we cooperate with other players.” At the same time, he expressed his ambition, saying, “I will work hard to become a player who can play left and right.”
2023-10-13 15:11:02
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