Chungnam Provincial Office Ends Losing Streak, Claims First Win of Handball Season
INCHEON, South Korea – The Chungcheongnam-do Provincial Office handball team secured their first victory of the season today, defeating the Sangmu Phoenix 26-22 and breaking a four-game losing streak. The win also lifts Chungnam out of last place in the league standings.
The match was a back-and-forth affair early on, with Sangmu initially holding a lead and tying the score at 3-3 with goals from Shin Jae-seop and Cha Hye-seong. A late first-half surge, capped by a buzzer-beater from Lee Se-bin following a save by goalkeeper Kim Hee-soo, gave Chungnam a narrow 11-10 lead at halftime.
The second half saw Chungnam take control, fueled by Kim Dong-jun’s mid-range throw and further bolstered by Kim Soo-hwan’s 7-meter throw save and park Seong-han’s breakthrough shot – his 400th career goal. Chungnam extended their advantage to 17-12 before facing a temporary setback with two-minute suspensions for Shin Dong-hyuk and Kim Dong-jun. Sangmu capitalized to close the gap to 21-16,but Chungnam responded with key scores from Yuk Tae-kyung and decisive saves from goalkeeper Kim Soo-hwan,ultimately maintaining a 4-5 goal lead to finish the game 26-22.
Despite Shin Jae-seop and Cha Hye-seong each scoring 5 goals for Sangmu, they were unable to overcome Chungnam’s strong goalkeeping and offensive performance.
Kim Hee-soo, named MVP of the match, expressed his relief and confidence after the win. “I was in a bad mood as we lost in a row, but I am happy to get my first win. I gained confidence as I played a lot, and the coach and teammates trusted me and gave me strength, so I was able to make a lot of stops,” he said. He also appealed to fans, stating, “I am trying to have a fun game with fast handball, so please support me.”
(Photo provided by Korea Handball Federation)
[인천=김용필 MK스포츠 기자]
