‘Goodbye Legend’ Kang Hee-jun, Coway Blue Wheels Playing Coach, Ends 27 Years of Active Service with Warm Support
The juniors of the Coway Blue Wheels Wheelchair Basketball Team, as well as juniors from other teams, chanted his name. The voices echoed around the basketball court, expressing their respect for the ‘wheelchair basketball legend’ as he said goodbye to the basketball court where he had been active for the past 27 years. In this way, Coway Playing Coach Kang Hee-joon had a blessed retirement ceremony amidst the hospitality of his colleagues and family.
Coway organized a retirement ceremony for Coach Kang Hee-jun during the team’s game against Suwon Mugunghwa in the third round of the 2023 Korea Wheelchair Basketball League (KWBL) regular season at Holt Ilsan Welfare Town Gymnasium in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, on March 7. The retirement ceremony, held at halftime after the first and second quarters, commemorated and honored Coach Kang’s contributions to the development of wheelchair basketball in Korea for more than 20 years. Moreover, the opponent, Mugunghwa Electronics, was the first team that Coach Kang played for.
He made his debut as a wheelchair basketball player in 1996 with the Mugunghwa Electronics Wheelchair Basketball Team. He went on to play for the national team from 1997-2006 and made a significant contribution to the country’s wheelchair basketball program, winning gold at the 1998 Bangkok Para-Asian Games, silver at the 2002 Busan Games, and bronze at the 2006 Malaysia Games.
In 2003, Kang took on the role of playing coach for the Ansan Plus Wheelchair Basketball Team, combining his coaching and playing career. Since then, he has been the playing coach of Asan Power, the playing coach of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and the founding member and playing coach of Coway Blues Wheelchair Basketball Team.
Kang, who has always set an example for others in both his playing and coaching career, has been at the forefront of laying the foundation for the future of wheelchair basketball in Korea. He has always inspired younger players with his positive attitude, 카지노사이트킴 while also being a model family man who takes good care of his family.
KWBL President Choi Wook-chul, who attended the retirement ceremony, said, “Coach Kang Hee-jun has been on the court for a long time with a spirit of hope, passion, and challenge. I hope you will continue to strive for wheelchair basketball and the juniors in the future.” “Thank you for your hard work,” he said.
“I would like to thank all the people who supported me to finish my career well,” said Coach Kang. I wish everyone who loves wheelchair basketball to be healthy and happy,” he said. In response, his juniors and teammates who attended the retirement ceremony shouted his name in unison and said goodbye.
Yang Dong-gil, who took the microphone on behalf of the Coway Blue Wheels players, said, “We will definitely win today for Coach Kang. The team will continue to believe in Coach Kang and work hard to follow him.” For the rookies who are just starting out in wheelchair basketball, Coach Kang said, “There are many difficulties when you first start, but if you keep working hard, you can definitely grow into a good player. I hope you will believe in me and follow me hard even if it is difficult.”
The final part of the program was a family photo with his wife, Lee Bo-yoon, and son, Kang Eun-taek. Eun-taek proudly held up his father’s No. 77 jersey. With tears in her eyes as she watched her husband retire, Mrs. Lee gave a beautiful congratulatory speech, saying, “I hope you will continue to do well as you have done so far, and I hope that wheelchair basketball will become a sport where there are more shining stars than fading ones.”