One of the most decorated players in South Korean volleyball history is leaving the court. Park Chul-woo (38) announced his retirement, saying, “This is the end of my career as a volleyball player.”
Park Chul-woo announced his retirement on his personal social networking service (SNS) on October 16, saying, “I once said, ‘I want to retire when I’m done playing. “I came to the unemployed team in October 2003 and played professionally for 20 years. 스포츠토토사이트 This is my last day as a player that seemed like it would never come.”
Park Chul-woo has been a part of V-League history. He joined Hyundai Capital in 2005, the inaugural year of the Korean Professional Volleyball League, and became a legend after playing for Samsung Fire and KEPCO. He played in 564 games and became the league’s all-time leading scorer (6623 points). He is the only player in the history of the V-League to score more than 6,000 career points.
“When I turned pro, the first interview question was, ‘What kind of player do you want to be? But I was so cocky that I said, ‘I want to be the first Park Chul-woo, not the second. I’ve been working hard for that dream. I didn’t become the best, but I think I was building my dream of becoming the first Park Chul-woo.”
Park Chul-woo remained humble until the end, even as he made Korean professional volleyball history. “I’m grateful to my father-in-law, coach, and teacher, CEO Shin Chi-yong-hyun, who taught me everything as a player and a person and guided me in the right direction,” he said. “I’m also sincerely grateful to coaches Lim Do-hyun, Shin Shin-sik, Jang Byung-cheol, and Kwon Min. My teammates and coaching staff were also honored to be with me,” he said.
“I would like to thank the fans who have supported me on the court. It’s time to start the next chapter of my life. I think retirement is not the end, but an opportunity to become a better person. I want to promise that I will study and learn more and meet you again on the volleyball court,” he said.