It’s a bittersweet.

Korean women’s volleyball legend Jung Dae-young ended her long journey as a volleyball player on the 3rd.

After graduating from the Yangbaek Girls’ Award in 1999, Jung took his first step on the adult volleyball stage at Hyundai Engineering & Construction, a then-business team. Having moved to GS Caltex in 2007, Jung was a star player of his team and led the team to two wins in the 2007-08 and 2013-14.

Jung Dae-young, who moved to the Korea Expressway Corporation in 2014, contributed to winning two titles in the 2017-18 and 2022-23 seasons with steady performances, albeit not spectacular. Jung Dae-young, who returned to GS Caltex ahead of the 2023-2024 season, showed his responsibility as the eldest sister by serving as a role model for young players both on and off the court.

Jung Dae-young has been named the top scorer, blocker, defense and MVP in the 2005 V-League season. He was named the MVP of the championship along with Back Attack Award, All-Star MVP in the 2005-06 season, and GS Caltex’s V1 in the 2007-08 season. He was also named the best middle blocker in the 2018-19 season.

He was not flashy but consistent. He stayed in the court without any major injuries. After the 2008-09 season, he left the court for a while to give birth and returned in 2010. He managed his body well and was sincere in volleyball. Chung will leave the court with 5653 points and 1,228 blocking records in 523 games.

Having a telephone conversation with MK Sports on Friday, Chung said, “I felt very down until I retired. I thought about myself whether I could quit, but once I made the decision, I trained myself. I thought to myself that I should let go of the volleyball game. Now I feel that I retired well.”

“Since I was in my late 30s, I thought about it every year. I think last season was a crisis for me. For the first time, I played 36 games with Pepper Savings Bank, and I encountered a lot of reality. I also felt limited physically. Now, I feel like I should let go of volleyball. From then on, I think I prepared myself little by little.”

His family, who had been waiting for his retirement for several years, gave him a warm hug, saying, “Good job. Congratulations.”

“My family wanted me to retire last year, too. Now that I’m over 40, why don’t we stop?” I think I kept playing volleyball because of my greed. When I told them I was quitting this time, they kept saying, ‘Okay. Now that we’ve lived apart for a long time, let’s have fun together.'”

In fact, he was in physical condition, but he felt sorry for his daughter Bo Min, who was on the path of an elite volleyball player. He is at an age when he needs his mother’s care. I felt sorry for my daughter, who I couldn’t take care of because of her career, and it was an opportunity to retire.

Jung Dae-young said, “When I signed as a free agent last year, I wanted to play volleyball, but I think I have puberty recently.” There was a reason why I decided to retire, which was last fall. Bo Min said, “Other friends have their mom when they go home, and I wish she was home, too.” After hearing that, I thought a lot, “I’m the one who Bo Min needs most now.” For the time being, I’m going to stay home and play volleyball with my friends and teach them how to play.”

When asked what life is like for Jeong Dae-young, a housewife, not an athlete, he said, “I really like this time. When I was a professional athlete, I had to move according to the schedule. But now I have the freedom of time. I feel comfortable because I don’t have to come back again.”

“I don’t want to be a leader for the time being. Then I have to separate myself from my family. Also, my daughter is playing volleyball. If she becomes a professional, she can only live for five years. For now, I don’t want to be separated from my family,” he said. “However, commentators and youth leaders can do it with their families, so I will think about it if I get an offer.”

I asked Chung when he had the most memorable moment. He talked about the “zero percent miracle” he wrote in the semifinals of the 2012 London Olympics and the championship match against Heungkuk Life Insurance in the 2022-23 season.

“I’m still very touched that I was there at the 0% miracle moment last season. The semifinals in London are the result of our players’ solidarity. I think volleyball has gained popularity since then. I hope that younger players will continue to work hard and increase their popularity,” he said.

He completed his career at GS Caltex after working at Hyundai Engineering & Construction, GS Caltex, and Korea Expressway Corporation. Jung Dae-young was brilliant at Hyundai Engineering & Construction, but he was also beautiful at GS Caltex and Korea Expressway Corporation.

Jeong Dae-young also said, “I received a lot of help when I came to GS Caltex in the last season. I think I took on a lot of new challenges at GS Caltex. When I was young, I was supposed to retire after getting married, but in this team, I got married and got maternity leave. They were so nice to me, and they treated me a lot when I decided to retire.”

“At the Korea Expressway Corporation, I was 34 to 43 years old. In particular, coach Kim Jong-min put a lot of effort into it. The biggest blessing in my volleyball career was to meet coach Kim Jong-min. Even though it was hard, he didn’t express himself. He whipped me when I was having a hard time and cheered me on a lot. The way he encompassed the players gave me a lot of strength. I want to thank him for playing for a long time thanks to him,” he said with a smile.

Finally, Jung said, “I decided to retire and thought a lot. I received much more love from fans than I thought. Also, I think I did it for a long time thanks to fans’ love. Sometimes when I went to the stadium and saw the placard saying, “Please do it until I turn 50,” it gave me a lot of strength. I really enjoyed volleyball thanks to fans, and I was able to do it for a long time. I am grateful. Thank you for all your love and I hope it stays in the fans’ memory for a long time.” He said his last greeting as a player.

Many volleyball fans will not forget Chung Dae-young, who led the life of a 43-year-old novice housewife, not a volleyball player. GS Caltex, Jung’s last team, will hold a retirement ceremony during the 2024-25 season. 스포츠토토