"We were supposed to meet, but just the phone call..." Director Kim Ho-chul's more painful story about the death of former coach Cho Hye-jeong (Daejeon comment)
Oct 31, 2024
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Former coach Cho was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in December last year and has been treated at Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, but stopped treatment on the 21st and returned home to Dongtan House in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi-do, and eventually passed away on the 30th.
Cho is a legendary star volleyball player who played the leading role in the bronze medal of the Korean women's volleyball team at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. He was selected to the national team from his third year of Soongui Girls' High School and played in the 1970 Bangkok Asian Games and 1972 Munich Olympics. He also won a silver medal at the 1974 Asian Games in Tehran.
Despite his small height of 1m65 when he was active, Cho flew high with tremendous jumping and quickness to fly a powerful spike, and was nicknamed 「Flying little bird」.
While playing through the National Tax Service and Daenong (Midopa), he retired from the domestic stage in 1977 and served as a coach at Hyundai E&C, before ending his career in 1981 after playing as a playing coach for two years in Ancona, Italy, in 1979.
After retirement, the deceased served as coach of Songwon Girls' High School's volleyball team, secretary-general of the Korea Beach Volleyball Federation, and the Korea Volleyball Federation's game supervisor, took the helm of GS Caltex in 2010 and became the first female coach in Korean professional sports history.
Former manager Cho Hye-jung married former acting manager Cho Chang-soo of the Samsung Lions in 1981 and has two daughters. Two daughters, Cho Yoon-hee and Cho Yoon-ji, are currently golfers and golf leaders.
Head coach Kim and former head coach Cho have something in common that they played in Italy. It was former coach Cho who helped coach Kim advance to Italy.
On the 30th, when Cho died, IBK Industrial Bank, led by head coach Kim, had to play with Jeong Kwan-jang in Daejeon, and head coach Kim led the team in Daejeon.
Coach Kim, who had an interview before the game, looked dark when he talked about former coach Cho. "He's the one who made a mark on women's volleyball" "I saw him leave a letter about volleyball at the end. Manager Kim said, `He is that passionate and interested in volleyball.' `I had a lot of relationships with him separately. It's heartbreaking and frustrating. I'm going to visit the mortuary tomorrow (31st)."
Head coach Kim also confessed that former coach Cho was supposed to meet after being discharged from the hospital. Director Kim said, `Actually, we were supposed to meet last Sunday, but something happened, so we couldn't meet and just talked on the phone"I said "I had to endure " at that time…". I feel heavy in my heart." Director Kim's eyes were moistened before he knew it, and director Kim, who had been making a bewildered expression for a while, was about to cry. I have to go play now"I got up.
Industrial Bank of Korea won the game again with a set score of 3-2 after a close race against the articles of association, winning two consecutive games.
indyk@sportschosun.com
