Coach Ramirez: "Players have prepared with blood and sweat; chances of Olympic qualification are sufficient" [Live from Bangi-dong]

*This content was translated by AI.

Isanaye Ramirez (Brazil), coach of the Nam Ja-bae-gu (CEO) team, expressed confidence in securing qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

At the press conference for the 2026 South Korean men's and women's national volleyball team coaches held on the 20th at the Olympic Hall in Songpa-gu, Seoul, Coach Ramirez responded to a question about the possibility of Olympic qualification by saying, "As the national team coach, I must consider all scenarios. There is a sufficient possibility of (securing Olympic qualification)."

The men's volleyball team has not appeared in the Olympic finals for six consecutive times since the 2000 Sydney Games. This year's Olympic qualification will be awarded to the winner of the 2026 Asian Men's Volleyball Championship, to be held in Fukuoka, Japan, in September. The Asian Championship winner will earn a spot in the LA Olympics, while teams finishing in the top three will receive qualification for next year's FIVB Volleyball World Cup.

Coach Ramirez stated, "As a coach, I am managing the players' preparation, training, and workload. What I want to say as a coach is that I want the team to compete without regrets, giving their all and delivering a match that leaves no regrets." He added, "I always believe in the players. I also believe in the training process. The most important thing will be the support from the fans."

Continuing, Coach Ramirez said, "Although there are strong teams like Japan, Iran, and China, I believe South Korea is technically close to them. The players are preparing diligently with blood and sweat. I promise to fight hard."

Beyond the Asian Championship, Coach Ramirez also said, "We will strive to qualify for the next tournament by winning the East Asian Men's Volleyball Championship to be held in Mongolia. Our goal is to return to the podium at the upcoming Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games."

Coach Ramirez also expressed his intention to continue efforts not only for the team's performance in the tournament but also for the future of South Korean men's volleyball as the national team coach.

Coach Ramirez said, "As the national team coach, I believe I have two responsibilities. The first is to elevate this team to an international level. The second is to support Korean volleyball, which means discovering and nurturing young players."

He continued, "There are many young players on the Ji Geum (CEO) team, and I hope they can come to this Seon Su-deul-i (CEO) team without pressure and show good performances. Age does not matter. The national team is a group of players who have gathered solely based on their volleyball skills, not their age. Quality is what matters. As long as they show good performances without pressure, that is all that is needed."

Coach Ramirez further added, "I am grateful that you trusted me again this year. I know there was high expectation when I was first appointed. The second season was difficult because frequent changes occurred in the team due to injured players. This year, we focused on managing player injuries. We are making sufficient efforts for results in events such as the Asian Games."

Meanwhile, Hwang Taek-ui (KB Insurance), who also attended the press conference as captain, expressed confidence in securing Olympic qualification.

Hwang Taek-ui said, "It may be difficult to express this in numbers, but I believe there is a sufficient possibility depending on how determined all the players, coaches, and the head coach are in preparing for this tournament."

He added, "I remember returning home with my head bowed every time after participating in international tournaments. This time, we will prepare diligently so that we can return home with pride in front of the players, fans, and everyone."

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*This content was translated by AI.