Eddy (24, 198cm) and Bayarsaihan (25, 197cm) from Mongolia, who came to Korea to study volleyball, stepped on the stage of the V-League that they dreamed of.
The Korean Volleyball Federation (KOVO) held the 2023 Men’s Asian Quarter Draft at the Jeju Sun Hotel on the 27th. Eddie will wear the uniform of Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance in first place, and Bayarsaihan will wear the OK Financial Group uniform in fourth place.
24 players from 7 countries applied for this tryout. On the 25th and 26th, at Halla Gymnasium in Jeju, he had two practice games, and his skills were checked by the coaches and coaching staff of the 7 men’s clubs.
The two Mongolian players received attention from each club for their skills and Korean language skills. Even before the tryout was held, he was mentioned as the first candidate early.
In 2017, he came to Korea with the dream of becoming a volleyball player and entered Suncheon Jeil High School, a prestigious volleyball school. After graduating, Bayarsaihan went to Inha University and Eddie went to Sungkyunkwan University.
He prepared for general naturalization to step on the V-League stage and even obtained a certificate for the Korean Proficiency Test. However, as the naturalization law was changed to require a history of paying taxes for more than 5 years, the two players with no income almost lost the opportunity to challenge the V-League. However, with the introduction of the Asian quota system for the first time, the dream of entering the V-League was recaptured.
The Asian quota is the first system introduced since the launch of the V-League in 2005. It aims to increase the team’s player management efficiency and to arouse interest in the league through the participation of players of various nationalities. In addition, it aims to generate new income through the sale of overseas broadcasting rights in the Asian market, and to provide opportunities for foreign players attending domestic schools to continue their careers as domestic players.
The two players were recognized for their skills through the first Asian quarter tryout and proudly stepped on the stage of the V-League. After coming to Korea to study volleyball in 2017, he achieved his dream of entering the V-League six years later. 스포츠토토
Eddy, who wore the Samsung Fire & Marine uniform as the first choice, smiled broadly, saying, “I feel so good. I’ve been waiting for this day for six years.” Regarding the reunion with coach Kim Sang-woo, who was coached at Sungkyunkwan University, he said, “He is the person who helped me to come to this position. I will learn more and show a better image in the future.”
Bayarsaihan was not named until the 3rd place, but was nominated by OK Financial Group in the 4th place. He smiled, “I thought, ‘I didn’t show enough skills during the practice game’, but my name was called in the 4th place, so my tension was relieved.”
Since the two are close friends, they sincerely congratulated each other on their nomination. Regarding Eddie’s first place nomination, Bayarsaihan said, “I am proud as a friend that I competed with many players and became the first place.” told Eddy said, “Bayar Saihan didn’t get the nomination until the third place, but he wasn’t too worried because he’s a player of skill.”
He entered the V-League with the Asian Quarter, but the will to naturalize remains. Eddy and Bayarsaihan said, “I heard that it is not impossible. First of all, it is important to play hard in the team, but if there is a possibility, I want to become a naturalized citizen.” If the two players are naturalized, they can continue to play in the V-League through the rookie draft.
Finally, the two players looked at each other’s uniforms and smiled heartily. Bayarsaihan touched the OK Financial Group uniform he was wearing, saying, “When I was in college, I thought I wanted to wear a professional team uniform too. It feels so good to be wearing a uniform now.” It seems to fit well,” making the surroundings laugh.