Opinions differ over the Korea Volleyball Federation (KOVO) Cup, which has been delayed by about a month compared to last year.
Dubbed the prelude to the regular league, the KOVO Cup was originally held from July to August. This year, the men's team will be held from Sept. 21 to Sept. 28 and the women's team from Sept. 29 to Oct. 6 in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang Province. The decision was made at the 3rd board meeting of the 20th National Assembly last December.
KOVO said, "We are expecting a 'boom-up' effect as we hold the KOVO Cup, which coincides with the league," adding, "If we start the KOVO Cup early, players' conditions will deteriorate rapidly when they enter the regular league. This is to prevent such a situation. Most teams also want to play at full capacity including foreigners."
In order for players to play in overseas leagues, they need an ITC issued by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB). The reason why foreigners were not able to play in the KOVO Cup until last year was because the competition period was before the ITC issuance deadline designated by the FIVB. This year, the government has decided to approve the issuance of ITC from August 30, allowing foreigners to participate in the KOVO Cup to be held in September.
The teams have different reactions. "If a foreign player participates in the Cup championship before the opening of the league, he or she will be able to properly grasp the strength of each team. It will be an advantage for foreign players to join the team early on and enhance their sense of actual play," said an official from the A team.
There are also voices of concern. The V-League will kick off its six-month long journey from October 19. The V-League's stance is that if the team plays the KOVO Cup in advance despite tight schedule, the physical burden on the players could increase. "Since the regular league, which runs through the sixth round, and the KOVO Cup are short-lived, it will feel as if the team is playing seven rounds. Some say that the league itself is long, but it could be a difficult season to play as an extension of the league," said an official from Team B.
Due to the change in KOVO Cup schedule, the team has also changed its schedule to prepare for the next season. We need to improve our condition in time for the regular season, but we have more leeway this year. In the meantime, Korea Expressway Corporation of the women's team will participate in the VTV Cup International Volleyball Championship in Vietnam to enhance its sense of play. Other teams will participate in off-season training both domestically and internationally. In addition, Korea Electric Power Corp. of the men's team will participate in the 2024 Korean Industrial Volleyball Federation Danyang Championship, which will open in Danyang, North Chungcheong Province, from May 5, to determine who will stand tall. 실시간 바카라사이트
Meanwhile, the new season opened the Asian quarter to 65 countries from 10 countries. With many "new faces" from China, Australia, and Iran, they will enter Korea from July in turn to join the team. Foreign players can join the team from August when the contract goes into effect.