By Yoon Chul
Staff Reporter
Yoo Jae-hak of the Ulsan Mobis, the current champions of the Korean Basketball League (KBL), began managing the national team Wednesday with a modest goal for the upcoming Guangzhou Asian Games.
``Grabbing a medal is our goal,'' Yoo said.
On the previous day, the Korea Basketball Association (KBA) formed a special committee and it unanimously designated Yoo as the team boss for the Asian Games in November.
``I feel some pressure,'' Yoo said. ``Everyone knows that Korean basketball has to get through its present crisis.''
His responsibility is unprecedentedly hefty as the country is suffering a recent blip from its traditional status as one of Asia's traditional basketball powerhouses.
South Korea has grabbed 22 medals up to date at the biennial FIBA Asian Championship. Since finishing fourth in the inaugural event in 1960, the country continued to claim a top three spot until 2005.
However, it is now facing strong challenges from Middle Eastern countries. South Korea finished fourth in 2005, and even missed out on a berth at the World Championship last year by collapsing to seventh, with a stunning 68-65 quarterfinal loss to Lebanon.
Such a downfall has become apparent at the Asian Games, where South Korea has claimed 11 medals, including three golds. After winning a gold medal in 2002, the squad fell off the podium four years later, losing to China in the quarterfinals.
The former star guard was optimistic about the national team's chances in Guangzhou.
``Compared to my predecessors, I'm in better condition because I have more time to get my players prepared,'' Yoo said. ``It is important how I and other coaching staff help elevate the concentration and spirit of the squad."
The KBA and KBL also put some new regulations in place to make the national team stronger. Under the new rule, players who refuse the national team's call without giving a reasonable reason are subject to a 15-game league suspension.
Last year, then-head coach Hur Jae of the KCC Egis had trouble rounding up the players he wanted because many of them refused to play at the Asian Championship due to injuries.
With all the top-notch players called up, South Korea is expected to have a better chance this year with additions to the roster such as the 2.21-meter center Ha Seung-jin and ethnic Korean guard Jun Tae-poong.
Over the last five seasons, Yoo led his superstar-free Mobis squad to the regular season title four times and won the championship title twice. He has 335 league wins so far, the second most among KBL coaches following Shin Sun-woo of the SK Knights.