The excitement was greater than the tension ahead of the competition. Noh Si-hwan Hanwha, one of the hottest players in the KBO League this season, is the main character.

The 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games baseball team, led by head coach Ryu Joong-il, entered Hangzhou, China, after leaving Incheon International Airport’s first passenger terminal on the 28th. Players who joined hands and feet through convocation training at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul from the 23rd to the 27th will hold their first round match against Hong Kong on the 1st of next month after conducting local adaptation training on the 29th and 30th in China.

While the team went through the departure procedures in a calm atmosphere, a player surrounded by fans drew attention as they left the check-in place one by one. Noh Si-hwan, who responded to the request for autographs and autographs, was delaying the move for a while. After spending a short time with fans, he finished his work before leaving the country, including currency exchange.

Noh Si-hwan, who met reporters near Moon Dong-ju Hanwha, a “team junior” who is in the midst of fan service, said, “I’m not nervous yet and I don’t feel it, so I think I’ll have to go to China to realize it,” and added, “I’m not very popular and I think Moon Dong-ju plays a part.” He was so relaxed.

Noh Si-hwan, who was evaluated as the best in the league at least with power, did not blossom his potential until last year. In particular, in the 2022 season, which was the previous season, he lost his pride by hitting only six home runs. It fell far short of 12 home runs in 2020 and 18 in 2021.

Roh Si-hwan has changed significantly this season. Before joining the national team, he had 147 hits in 494 at-bats in 126 games, a batting average of 0.298 31 home runs and 99 RBIs, taking the lead in home runs and RBIs. Although it is too early, he is also mentioned as a candidate for the MVP of the regular season.

Expectations are high for Noh Si-hwan both inside and outside the national team in this tournament. “I don’t know, but I think I’ll have to be responsible once I’m in charge of the center hitter,” he said. “I checked the timing of hitting a lot during the training period because there are a lot of good pitchers, but I can see the ball well and it doesn’t seem bad.”

Noh Si-hwan, who faced pitchers through a practice game against Sangmu on the 26th, did not forget to mention not only himself but also pitchers. “When I hit the ball, everyone has a good ball. So I thought the pitchers were reliable and worth a try, he said. “I think I will do well with the fielders, and I think I will come back with good results if the pitchers endure well.”

Noh is trying to forget about the home run king competition for a while and focus only on the competition. With Choi Jung SSG, who currently has 26 home runs, closely trailing, Noh Si-hwan said, “I’m not paying attention now. I didn’t check the record because the national team is too important. “I only watched Hanwha games when I was at the dorm,” he said. “But if Choi Jung hits a home run, everyone around me will contact me anyway, so you don’t have to watch it.”

Noh Si-hwan’s story is that he received not only Choi Jung’s home run news but also many messages of support from people around him. The name of Son Ah-seop NC, who is in his “hometown senior-junior” relationship, was also not left out. Noh Si-hwan said, “We keep in touch often. For some reason, he suddenly said, “Go well, and do well and win a gold medal.” I was a little touched,” he said, expressing his gratitude to Son Ah-seop.

Roh Si-hwan, who is at the forefront of the national team’s four-game losing streak, is trying to follow the “Hanwha” players who have experienced Asian Games gold medals. Lee Tae-yang stood at the top of the podium at the 2014 Incheon Games, and “veteran” Jung Woo-ram won the gold medal at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Games.

Roh Si-hwan continued to make fun of me, saying, “Sun has to win a gold medal to be meaningful.” My seniors cheered me on a lot that I think I’ll win the championship because I’m in good spirits, but I’ll win the gold medal by losing four times in a row. “Of course, you should win gold medal by winning it all,” he said. “The fans’ support seems to cheer me up a lot.” I will make sure to make my fans happy by performing well,” he said before leaving the departure hall. 스포츠토토