Leo, who switched to Hyundai Capital, debuts in a cup competition against his former team

Professional Volleyball ‘Tongyeong-Dodram Cup’ Opens Today
Unlike previous years, foreign players also participated

Hyundai Capital Leo (second from the right) is training with his teammates at the Gyeongnam Tongyeong Gymnasium, the venue for the 2024 Tongyeong Dodram Cup professional volleyball tournament, on the 20th, a day before the opening ceremony. Courtesy of Hyundai Capital

Leo (34, Cuba), who is now affiliated with Hyundai Capital, will make his debut in the cup competition against his former team OK Savings Bank. The 2024 Tongyeong-Dodram Cup professional volleyball competition will begin with the match between Hyundai Capital and OK Savings Bank at 1:30 PM on the 21st at Tongyeong Gymnasium in Gyeongnam Province, and will last for two weeks. The men’s division, including the Armed Forces Athletic Corps (Sangmu), will compete first until the 28th, and the women’s division will be held from the 29th to the 6th of next month. The women’s division will also invite Aranmare from Japan, and eight teams will compete for the championship trophy.

The biggest difference between this year’s competition and previous years is that foreign players will be participating. In order for a foreign player to play in the domestic league, he or she must obtain an International Transfer Certificate (ITC) from the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB). Previously, cup competitions were mainly held in July and August before the FIVB began issuing ITCs for the next season, making it difficult for foreign players to participate. This year, the schedule was set for late September, eliminating institutional obstacles.

For this reason, Leo, the longest-serving foreign player in professional volleyball, has only made his first appearance in a cup competition in his 7th season on the Korean stage. Leo has scored a total of 5,979 points in the regular league (V-League) up until last season. If he adds 645 points after the opening of the V-League (next month on the 19th), he will surpass Park Cheol-woo (6,623 points), who retired at the end of last season, and become the player with the most points in the entire career. However, in the cup competition, he starts with a total of 0 points.

In the men’s division, three new foreign coaches, including Hyundai Capital manager Philippe Blanc (France), are challenging for their first win on the Korean stage through this cup competition. Ogino Masaji, a Japanese OK Savings Bank manager, led the team to the championship trophy in last year’s cup competition, which was his first schedule after taking office.

Reporter Kim Jeong-hun [email protected]

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2024-09-22 01:11:17