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Morales' challenge, born in 1982, who came to save Korean women's volleyball, said, "We need to foster talented people like Kim Yeon-kyung...If you invest in effort and time, you can go back to your original position."

"If you invest effort and time, you can go back to where you were." The Korea Volleyball Association announced in March a new captain to lead the Korean women's volleyball team after Cesar Hernandez Gonzalez. It is Fernando Morales, 42, who once led the Puerto Rican team. Born in 1982, Morales played as a setter. He played in Puerto Rico, Spain, Austria, France, Cyprus, Russia, Lebanon, and Greece.

After retirement, she started coaching the women's team in the Puerto Rican League, and recently served as the head coach of the Puerto Rican national team and the women's volleyball coach at Evansville University in the United States.

Morales was promoted from coach to coach soon after the Puerto Rican women's team failed to participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Like Korea, he elevated the Puerto Rican national team, whose power has weakened due to a generational change, to 16th place in the world rankings.

Notably, she did well in the qualifying match for the 2024 Paris Olympics last year, recording four wins and three losses. Jesus Echeverria (39), who coached the Puerto Rican women's team along with Morales, will also join the Korean women's volleyball team. Morales recently had an interview with Ballistic World, run by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB).

"Leaving the Puerto Rican national team was a real challenge. But I think I have a great opportunity. Of course, there will be many difficulties, including language and culture. However, I have learned it from walking around a lot, so I am always ready to challenge myself," Morales said. "Also, the Puektoriko Volleyball Association for giving me the opportunity. Thank you to the president," he added. South Korea has had a rough time since the semifinals of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which took place in 2021. It suffered two consecutive defeats in the 2022 VNL and 2023 VNL.

"I think Korean players are similar to Puerto Rican players in many aspects. They have a smaller physique than other players, but they excel in ball control. In the end, we must show our strengths and hide our weaknesses. We know we are behind. However, I believe that if we put in effort and time, we will be able to fill in the lost parts and return to our original position," Morales said.

After the retirement of Kim Yeon-kyung (Heungkuk Life Insurance) and Yang Hyo-jin (Hyundai Engineering & Construction), they are going to form a national team with young players as the center. "It is part of my plan to include young players who play for the U23, U21 and U19 teams in the future," he said. "Last summer, Puertrico succeeded by banking on its strong defense and fast attack. I believe adding such a scene to the Korean national team's past play will raise the level of its performance. In other words, we need to adapt to international competitiveness by mixing what Korea did in the past and what I have done in Puerto Rico."

She also added a word about Kim. She has been wearing the national team uniform for 16 years since the 2004 Asian Youth Championships. She has participated in numerous international competitions, including three Olympics (2012 London, 2016 Rio, 2020 Tokyo), four Asian Games (2006 Doha, 2010 Guangzhou, 2014 Incheon, 2018 Jakarta-Palembang), and three World Championships.

At the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, Korea won the gold medal for the first time in 20 years, and at the 2012 London Olympics, Korea was named the top scorer and MVP. At the Tokyo Olympics, Korea ranked second in score (136 points), second in attack success rate (44.85 percent), and second in Digg.

"When the world's best player retires, the level of the national team naturally declines," Morales said. "Kim has done too much for the national team," adding, "Our plan is to create a system to have a balanced squad. At the same time, we need to nurture players and develop another generation of talent like Kim." After his retirement, he served as a national team advisor last year, but has no plans this year. "I want to meet Kim in Korea. If there is a player like Kim, I will gain confidence and improve our level," Morales said.

Lastly, Morales said, "The long-term goal is to do well in the 2026 World Championship and to reach the top of the qualification list for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Of course, there is still a long way to go. But if you try and invest your time, it will be possible," adding, "I know that the past two years have not been good. From April 15, I will improve every day at the gym. That is my goal for 2024. Of course, it would be nice to win in the VNL, but the first goal of this year is to get better and better. I also think it is important to build a good relationship based on trust."