Veteran drag-flicker Jang looks to revive Korean fortunes

CHENNAI: Korea have landed here for the Asian Champions Trophy with a squad that blends youth and experience — the juniormost member of the side is the uncapped 18-year-old Kim Daehyun. But the fortunes of the side lie squarely with a 39-year-old veteran who has been plying his trade for over two decades internationally. In a game with disproportionate emphasis on set pieces, Jang Jonghyun has consistently been the make-or-break difference for the team with his powerful and incisive drag flicks.

While Korea are no longer the powerhouse in men’s hockey like they used to be in the 1990s, the last 12 months have signalled the possibility of a revival, exemplified at the 2023 World Cup in Odisha where they were the only Asian outfit to reach the quarterfinals. As the continent’s top teams set their sights on Asian Games with dreams to make the Olympics leap, the Asian Champions trophy will be a suitable indicator of where they stand. And Jang must take the mantle of leading the goal rush again.

It is hard to tell whether the years of toil have taken a toll on his body. Asked how he sustains the stamina and power that made him an accomplished drag-flicker in the first place, Jang jovially tells TOI that he “eats and sleeps well after matches”, and that keeps him going. He adds: “As a young kid, I observed the gameplay of many other excellent drag-flickers. I practised and learnt the ropes myself over the years, and still have the skills to trouble the best.”

The game has evolved tremendously over the years, and so has penalty corner defending. What worked in Jang’s early days does not necessarily work now, and hence he employs his variations to bamboozle opponents. “I focus on the placement. I observe how the rushers sprint out of the goalpost and target the open areas,” he says.

Jang enjoys the backing of Korea’s coach Shin Seok-kyo, who was Jang’s predecessor to the penalty corner specialist throne. Shin was hugely successful and thrived in the prime years of Korean hockey, capping off his international career with an Asian Games gold in Busan in 2002. Jang took over from there, and 21 years later, is still going strong. “In fact he has grown stronger, both in terms of the power of his strokes and his deceptive skills. Sometimes he hits them unstoppably hard, and other times he finds the narrow gap to the left or right of the rushing defenders’ shoes,” Shin says.

The coach adds that last year, Jang and captain Lee Nam Yong — also 39 years old — had both decided to hang up their boots after the Asian Games and turn to coaching. But as the Games got delayed, they too delayed their retirement by a year and are fit enough to compete. They are eager to take their team to the Paris Olympics and want to leave no stone unturned in the run-up to that.

As senior players, it is Jang and Lee’s responsibility to mentor the newcomers, and they do that by pushing them towards excellence. “I try to egg on and motivate the young players during training, and thankfully my words are accorded appropriate attention.”

While Jang believes all teams that have come here possess a strong defence, he feels India will pose the strongest challenge to his side. He will need to bank on all the wealth of longevity that he has accumulated to prevail over the fancied Indian side and a vigorous home crowd.