Director Kim Jong-kook expresses satisfaction
The KIA Tigers team, which had set up a closing camp in Okinawa, Japan, will return to Incheon International Airport on Asiana Airlines flight 171.
The closing camp, which began on the 1st, was aimed at upgrading the team's power through strengthening physical strength, skills, and depth.
In particular, five rookie players participated in this camp in 2024 and completed the hardening to debut on the professional stage. In addition, newly joined coaches Jung Jae-hoon and Lee Dong-geol worked together for the first time with the team.
The coaching staff and the team also put their heads together to prepare for the pitch clock rule, which will be introduced to the KBO league from the 2024 season.
Coach Kim Jong-guk, who led the camp, said, "It was the first overseas finishing camp in five years, and I'm satisfied that all the players were able to finish the camp well without major injuries in good weather. "It is expected that all the players who participated in this camp will be of great help to the team's strength next year with their upgraded skills," he said.
Head coach Kim Jong-guk said, "I think the training performance is great because all the players have been aware of what they lacked this season and what they need next season. Unlike last year, experienced players such as Lee Chang-jin, Lee Woo-sung, and Park Joon-pyo were also present in this camp, so the concentration of training was higher. It was also encouraging for young players to see and learn from senior players. "The amount of training was higher than ever with four days of training and one day of rest, but I'm satisfied to finish without a major injured player," he said.
He continued, "All the players, not any specific player, did well and showed their skills improvement. Lee Woo-sung adapted well in the first base defense training, and Park Joon-pyo, who has had a hard time due to injuries and sluggishness over the past two years, also took the lead as the oldest member of the pitching group and performed well in training, he said.
Coach Kim Jong-kook, who stressed that the most important part of this camp was strengthening the infield depth, said, "Jung Hae-won, who filled the Futures League regulations this year, has grown further through this camp, and rookie Kim Doo-hyun also showed enough potential in defense." Byun Woo-hyuk and Kim Kyu-sung are also compensating for their weaknesses in batting with simple swings, while Park Min, who is participating in the Australian League, is also showing stable plays. It is well prepared as planned so far, he said.