Women’s curling Gyeonggi Provincial Office’Team Eunji’, who recorded good results on the overseas tour this season, won the National Winter Sports Festival again in 4 years. Gyeonggi Provincial Office, which showed good results in grand slam and tour events after the recruitment of ‘youngest’ Kim Min-ji, recorded its first domestic championship victory after the team reorganization.
It was like a tournament that all curling teams set as their first goal of the year. In particular, in the women’s division, players from Seoul City Hall, which was founded last year, and Uiseong-gun Office, which is about to be officially founded in March, made their debut on the stage of the Winter Sports Festival. It was a competition that announced that Korean curling had finally started a ‘6-team system’ that was as good as a professional event.
However, it was not possible to overcome Gyeonggi Provincial Office, which was overflowing with experience, skills, and ‘positive energy’ not only in games but also in everyday life. Leading by veteran skip Kim Eun-ji, “Maknae Third” Min-ji Kim took center stage, and Kim Su-ji, who played an active role in the second, and Seol Ye-eun and Seol Ye-ji, “Sister Sisters”, all worked together to win the gold medal.
‘Team Kim’ and Myeong-bu, ‘New Team’ and cliff-edge confrontation… Victory at the end of Myeong-jeom The
Gyeonggi Provincial Office, which met the Incheon Curling Federation in the preliminaries held at the Uijeongbu Curling Stadium from the morning of the 10th, defeated the Incheon Federation 13-3 lightly and won 8. climbed the river On the same afternoon, the opponent for the quarterfinals was Gangneung City Hall ‘Team Kim’ (Skip Kim Eun-jung). ‘Team Kim’ players also had no record of winning the Winter Games for nearly six years after winning in 2017, so they desperately needed to advance to the next round more than anyone else.
However, the game went in an advantageous direction for the Gyeonggi Provincial Office. After scoring two points in the first end, the Gyeonggi Provincial Office also stole two points in the second end. In the face of Gangneung City Hall’s offensive, Gyeonggi Provincial Office, rather than winning two steals in the first half, secured a medal by defeating Gangneung City Hall with a complete victory, 10-4.
It was not the Gyeonggi Provincial Office that would stop at securing medals. In the semi-finals, the Gyeonggi Provincial Office met the players from the Seoul City Hall (Skip Park Yu-bin), who had been working together since last year. There was also a response from the field that the game could flow as a one-side game because it was a confrontation between a team that had gone through all of the preseason battles and a new team, but a great match unfolded in which each other interlocked with each other.
A fierce battle unfolded from the first end to the fourth end. After exchanging one point from each end, the 5th end Gyeonggi Provincial Office took two points to one end, breaking the tight balance at the end of the first half. Seoul City Hall did not stand still. In the 6th end, he hit the big end with three points and tried to bring the weight closer to himself.
However, the Gyeonggi Provincial Government did not stand still. Gyeonggi Provincial Office scored in the 7th end, and in the 8th end, they took a steal and scored consecutively.
The final opponent held late at night on the 12th was the Gyeongbuk Curling Association (Skip Kim Soo-hyun), who defeated Jeonbuk Provincial Office, an unemployed club, in the semi-finals. The players of the Gyeongbuk Association were more motivated for the Winter Sports Festival because they are scheduled to officially establish it in the name of Uiseong-gun Office in March, after this tournament.
“The first Grand Slam title, we have to do it in April
. ” After giving one point to Gyeongbuk in the first end, the Gyeonggi Provincial Office began to score from the next end. Gyeonggi Provincial Office, who finished the first half with a score of 4 to 3, performed well by winning consecutive steals in the 6th, 7th, and 8th ends and scoring a total of 6 points.
Eventually, the Gyeongbuk Curling Association players shook hands with the Gyeonggi Provincial Office players before the start of the 9th end, and the Gyeonggi Provincial Office confirmed the championship for the first time in four years. After shaking hands, the Gyeonggi Provincial Office players hugged each other and congratulated each other on winning the winter sports event after a long time.
In response to congratulations on winning the first domestic competition after the team reorganization, Kim Eun-ji joked with a bone, saying, “There are only three domestic competitions…” I stopped the players because I was in the process of doing it,” revealing his excitement at the time of winning the championship.
In particular, he laughed, saying, “I thought it hadn’t been long since I won the Winter Sports Festival, but I haven’t been able to for four years. I think that’s why I felt better.” In addition, Kim Eun-ji said, “We like domestic competitions, but we are a team that is taking steps to advance to the Olympics.”
Although it has not been a year since he joined the team, Kim Min-ji also seemed to have perfectly adapted to the new team. Player Kim Min-ji said, “After moving the team, I feel much more stable now than in the beginning.” She laughed, “I seem to have adapted quickly after going on tour for a year. I feel a little more comfortable and brighter after spending time with my sisters.” 안전놀이터
In particular, Kim Min-ji dreams of winning the national team beyond the Winter Games. The Gyeonggi Provincial Office played the national team in the 2019-2020 season, but the 2018-2019 season was the last of Kim Min-ji’s national team experience. Kim Min-ji said, “I want to win the Korean Championship and become the national team,” and “I want to work with the mindset that I can’t miss this time.”
Kim Eun-ji is aiming for the Grand Slam tournament. “My goal is to win,” said Eunji Kim. “I’ve always had good results at Grand Slams, but I couldn’t win. If I won this time, I could become No. 1 in the Grand Slam. I want to be number 1 in all rankings,” he expressed his wish.
The Gyeonggi Provincial Office players who won the Winter Sports Festival will participate in the ‘Players Championship’, a grand slam event to be held in Toronto in April. Next, in June, they plan to go to the Korean Championships to select national players and try to regain the national team after 3 years. Attention is focusing on what kind of sensation ‘Team Eunji’ will create at the end of the season with more positive ‘team chemistry’ than anyone else.