"Experience put us ahead of Harim": Woori Financial wins Round 1, secures PS berth... Kang Min-goo crowned MVP with '12 wins, 3 losses' [PBA Team League]

*This content was translated by AI.

Woori Financial Capital WON WON Wevis defeated Harim Odd Grasper to claim the Round 1 championship of the PBA Team League.

On the final day of the "Welcome Savings Bank PBA Team League Gwangmyeong City Tour 2026-2027" held on the 13th at Gwangmyeong Citizens Gymnasium in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, Woori Financial Capital defeated Harim with a set score of 4-0 across three matches. Although both teams finished with identical records of 7 wins and 2 losses, Woori Financial Capital secured the Round 1 title by accumulating 20 points compared to Harim's 18 points.

Founded after acquiring Blue One Resort in the 2024-2025 season, Woori Financial Capital finished third overall in the regular league that season without a round championship but advanced to the playoffs and achieved runner-up status. Last season, they won Round 5 but were eliminated in the wildcard playoff match against Crown Haetae Laon.

With this round victory, Woori Financial Capital became the first team among the five regular round champions to secure a playoff berth. They also claimed the championship prize money of 10 million won awarded to round winners starting this season.

Since the match winner could claim the championship, the first set (men's singles) featured a tightly contested game. In the first set (men's doubles), Kang Min-goo and Eom Sang-pil trailed 4-9 in the fifth inning against Vietnam's Nguyen Phuong Linh and Tran Duc Minh but scored six runs to take a 10-9 lead. While Harim remained silent, Kang Min-goo secured the final point in the seventh inning for an 11-9 victory, gaining early momentum. In the second set (women's doubles), Woori Financial Capital's Srong Piyabi (Cambodia) and Jang Ga-yeon won 9-3 (11 innings), extending their lead to a 2-0 set score.

Woori Financial Capital's momentum continued. In the third set (men's singles), Spain's David Zapata defeated Kim Jun-tae with a decisive 15-2 victory (6 innings), leaving only one set remaining for the championship. In the fourth set (mixed doubles), Lee Sang-dae and Kim Min-young scored seven runs within two innings, bringing the title within reach. Harim fought back in the third inning when Jeong Bo-yoon hit a bank shot to narrow the gap to 2-7, but Woori Financial Capital, batting second, saw Lee Sang-dae score one point followed by Kim Min-young closing out with another bank shot for a 9-2 final. The match ended with a 4-0 set victory for Woori Financial Capital.

Kang Min-goo claimed the Round 1 Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, which includes a prize of 1 million won. In Round 1, Kang recorded 12 wins and 3 losses (7 wins and 1 loss in singles, 5 wins and 2 losses in doubles) with an average of 1.620. This marks the first time he has received a round MVP award in team league competition.

Woori Financial Capital team leader Eom Sang-pil commented after the victory: "I believe our experience gave us an edge over Harim. Harim consists of young players who likely faced significant pressure as this was probably their first time competing in such a high-stakes match, which may have prevented them from fully showcasing their skills. Our extensive experience proved highly beneficial. Winning Round 1 allows us to approach the rest of the season with peace of mind."

Kang Min-goo, who won the MVP with overwhelming performance, stated: "Winning the MVP was largely due to luck. In the first set (men's doubles), I knew exactly how Eom Sang-pil would play after years of partnering together, allowing me to hit the ball comfortably. The same applied to the fifth set (men's singles). When Srong Piyabi played in the sixth set (women's doubles), it gave me confidence to play freely in the fifth set as well, leading to favorable results. I felt strongly that even if I made mistakes, there would be enough opportunities to win later. Also, it seems the opposing players made many errors specifically to help us win (laughs)."

Jang Ga-yeon, who recorded 5 wins and 4 losses in doubles with Srong Piyabi and Lee Sang-dae despite not participating in last season's team league, remarked: "I definitely had ambition. Before joining Woori Financial Capital, I played for Hyumone and ES & WE, but I feel I didn't fully contribute 100% during those times. This time, my strong desire was to support the team. I increased my practice volume by receiving lessons from Eom Sang-pil since before the team league began. As a result, I believe my skills have improved significantly. I am very happy to feel that I contributed to the team."

With the Round 1 of the team league concluding with Woori Financial Capital's victory, Round 2 will be held in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, this August. Prior to that, PBA will host the third tour of the 2026-2027 season from the 26th until next month's 3rd at "Goyang KINTEX PBA Stadium" in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

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*This content was translated by AI.