On the 11th, in the Dodram 2022-23 V-League men’s round 4 match between Korean Air and Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance held at Chungmu Gymnasium in Daejeon, Cho Jae-young took the opportunity to start the season for the first time. Kim Kyu-min, who was the starting pitcher, was excluded from the entry due to back pain.
Jaeyoung Cho seized the opportunity that came to him. On April 9, 2022, 277 days after the 3rd round of the championship match with KB Insurance. He scored 10 points, including 3 blocks, and led the team to a 3-1 victory. He firmly dominated the center with Kim Min-jae.
After the game, Korean Air coach Tommy Tilikhainen also said, “Cho Jae-young prepared a lot. He made good use of his chances. It was nice to see him on the court,” he praised.
Cho Jae-young, who we met after the game, said, “As expected, players are best when they play. Perhaps this was his second appearance of the season as a middle blocker. Before that, they were all one-point blockers. Because he practiced hard, he had a great desire to show off. So, it is true that there was a lot of regret. However, there are many good players, so he is watching and practicing to follow them.”
Prior to this game, he had only played in 6 games. A different position compared to the last two seasons. In the 2020-21 season, he scored 170 points in 31 games and 157 points in 25 games in the 2021-22 season. However, as of the middle of the 4th round, Cho Jae-young’s record is only 17 points in 7 games.
He said, “I have a big desire to do well when I go out once. But his personal goals are more important than the team winning. I think about how to help the team,” he said. “Also, I am good at waiting (laughs). So he always prepares in the warm-up zone. He smiled, saying, “I try to show my appearance when I step on the coat even once.
He also always admires when he sees this player. It is Korean Air’s 20-year-old middle blocker Kim Min-jae. Kim Min-jae is Korean Air’s hit product this season. He currently ranks 3rd in fast break and 6th in block and is showing great growth in his second year as a pro.
Jo Jae-young said, “Min-jae has a good sense even though he has a short command. He is also good at hardware. He is very curious and has a great attitude to learn. She is a younger sister, but she seems to have something to learn,” she praised Kim Min-jae.
After being selected by Korean Air as the 2nd pick in the 3rd round in the 2013 rookie draft, Cho Jae-young has been with Korean Air all his time except for his military service days. In the 2017-18 season, when Korean Air won its first championship, and in the last two seasons, when Korean Air won the championship for two consecutive years, Jaeyoung Cho was always with the team.
Jaeyoung Cho said, “I am proud of Korean Air. The goal he wants to achieve continues to wear stars until his older brothers retire. Travel, and furthermore, I want to create a Korean Air dynasty. I want to show that ‘Korean Air is the best’.”
Finally, he said, “The championship has not yet been confirmed. I will always try to focus on the next game.” 바카라