Turkey has a Korean player who is helping to turn one of its volleyball teams into a powerhouse.

Kim Yeon-koung, affiliated with Fenerbahçe, has earned recognition on the international scene, leading her team to a series of wins. The 25-year-old volleyball player is noted for her ability to freely switch from being an attacker, her main position, to being a defender.


Nowadays, the title "global star" is more befitting for the player. Fenerbahçe, the team that has had Kim as a center attacker since 2011, is one of the powerhouses in the country’s professional league. It won three consecutive season titles in 2008-2009, 2009-2010 and 2010-2011, and is gearing up for a great 2013-2014 season.

"We've watched Kim playing in many international competitions and have always wanted to have her in," said an official from the prestigious Turkish volleyball club at the time of Kim's joining the team. "We expect that she will be able to serve in a multiple number of roles on our team, since she is great at receiving and blocking, as well as at attacking."

The volleyball player's love for the sport started when she was in elementary school. She was not a prodigy from the outset, by any means. Rather, Kim was sort of a, “player sitting on the bench."

Since she was too short for the sport compared to her peers, she couldn't do more than just be a defense setter.

It was when she entered high school that she started to come to prominence. When she turned 18, she was as tall as 186 centimeters and at that height, the position of a strong center attacker naturally went to her. Her outstanding attacking and also blocking techniques, moreover, brought her to be a team leader.

In 2005, the still-young player started setting foot in the national professional league. In her debut year, Kim swept as many awards as she could, from Rookie of the Year and MVP of the 2005-2006 season to MVP of the championship.


Kim's incredible winning record didn't stop there. She went on to win consecutive MVP awards in both the next season and the championship. She also received the third MVP of the 2007-2008 season, and then the third MVP of the championship.

This time, her unusual ability for the sport brought attention from outside Korea, as Japanese team JT Marvelous signed her in 2009. Joining the Japanese team, Kim became the first Korean to make inroads onto the international scene. Since then, she made another miracle, as she turned the team from a once ninth-ranked team in a ten-team league into the cup-winner the very next season.

In 2012, Kim competed as a member of the national volleyball team at the London Olympic Games and helped her team advance to the semifinals. Although her team failed to earn a medal, Kim won an MVP award, a first in Korean volleyball history.

Now, her presence can be felt across the Turkish professional league. On March 2, her team Fenerbahçe beat the Azerbaijani women’s volleyball club Azerrail Baku 3-0 in the semifinals of the European Volleyball Confederation’s (CEV) Women’s Volleyball Cup. As center attacker, Kim led the way with a surprising 11 points, including two serve aces. Her team is now facing another finalist, the Russian team Uralochka, at the end of the month.

Korea.net sat down with Kim Yeon-koung to hear more about her successful career in Turkey and about her endless love for the sport.

* Interview with Kim Yeon-koung

- We’ve been watching you play in Turkey. How are you doing there?

First, I had a hard time getting accustomed to the new environment, but now I’m doing pretty well. As I’ve lived alone overseas for so long, my cooking has improved a lot. I got more used to living alone, away from my family.


- You’ve been with Fenerbahçe since 2011. Tell us how your bond with the team started.

I previously played for two years for the Japanese women’s volleyball club JT Marvelous. The two-year experience in Japan helped me learn a lot of things. At that time, I was dreaming of playing in a European league someday. In the nick of time, Fenerbahçe called me. I believed that the Turkish women’s volleyball league is one of the best in the world, and I decided to join it.

To be honest, at the time, I was negotiating with other European teams. I made a last-minute decision and chose the Turkish team.

- You played in Korea as a member of the national volleyball team, then in Japan as part of JP Marvelous, and now in Turkey. Do you ever notice any differences in playing in those three countries?

Playing as a member of the national team is a great honor for me. When I represent my country in any match, I have an entirely different mindset. It is quite different, indeed. I think the national team is armed with very skillful players and the people of my country have great expectations for me and my teammates. It’s really a great feeling.

Meanwhile, Japanese volleyball is very fast and strong. Players there traditionally master basic skills. It almost always takes many attacks and blocks before someone scores. It’s not easy to get a point with a single attack.

When I compete with top Turkish teams, a lot of thoughts cross my mind. Their blocking techniques are amazing and they have strong defenders, which at first I found unfamiliar.

Now, I am really happy to play here and I enjoy every single minute of being part of this great team.

- Do you have any special reason for turning down offers from other countries and choosing Turkey?
 
I knew that the Turkish volleyball league is second to none and that many world-class players are active in the country. That attracted me.

- Tell us how you got into volleyball. What is it about the sport that fascinated you the most?

My older sister used to play volleyball. Whenever she played, I used to be kind of like a ball girl for her, picking up the ball whenever it went astray. Ever since I was little, I wanted to become an athlete. Just in time, I got to know the sport and that’s when my passion kicked in.

- Have you ever thought about any different sport?

When I was in middle school, I was quite short. I was thinking about being a footballer. Then, one of my seniors who played on the school’s volleyball team, transferred to football and I was lucky enough to have the chance to fill in her shoes.

- Throughout your career, you’ve always been a brilliant player who stood out amongst the others. You’ve won so many awards, including the Top Scorer of Serve Aces and the Best Player of the Season. Despite being 192 centimeters in height, you are so agile and have amazing dexterity. Do you have a secret for keeping in such great shape?

I think I was born with a strong physique. However, without my tireless efforts and ‘get-up-and-go’ spirit, I would not be where I am now. Also, all the times I played as a defender in middle school, since I was too short then, are now a great benefit to me.

In order to stay in great shape, I make a point of taking various nutritional supplements and always get a good night’s sleep.

- What do you think you’re better at than any other player?

I think I’m good at defense as well as offense.

- You are 25 years old. You are still young. Until what age do you want to keep going? Do you ever think about what your life will be like after you retire?

I want to play as long as I can. I don’t set an exact ending moment for my career, not just yet. As long as I stay healthy and maintain my skills, I hope I will continue.

After retirement, I want to become a coach or to do something to contribute to the sport.

- If you were not a volleyball player, what would you be doing now?

Well, I think I would be playing a different sport.

- There must have been things that you weren’t able to do because you chose to be an athlete. If there are any, what are they?

Nothing. I love what I am doing now and I am so happy.

- You must have faced some difficulties while living in other countries. Tell us what you found to be most difficult and how you dealt with it.

The first time I arrived here, I had difficulty communicating with others due to the language barrier. It was also difficult when I was overwhelmed by a wave of loneliness.

At first, I tried to approach other players and to talk with them, even though I felt awkward. As time went by, I got closer to them. My English and Turkish have improved quite a lot over the past few years, and now I have no problem talking with them.

- What’s motivated you to keep going and to not give up?

I am not sure. I’ve just kept at it, thinking only about my dream. I just have to try harder to get closer to the dream.

- What does volleyball mean to you?

It is my whole life. Like life, there are happy and sad moments alike in this sport. I’ve learned a lot playing the sport, as I’ve done in life. Volleyball and life are what I continue to go along with.



By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
jiae5853@korea.kr