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“To be honest, I think it’s still vacation time.”

Han Chae-jin (39), the “eldest sister” of Shinhan Bank in Incheon, a women’s professional basketball player, said that retirement doesn’t touch her very much yet.

Han Chae-jin, who played her court as the oldest active female basketball player, announced her retirement on the 13th of this month, her birthday, after the second leg of the Asan Woori Bank and Shinhan Bank SOL 2022-2023 Women’s Professional Basketball Playoffs (PO). did.

Shinhan Bank lost to Woori Bank in both the first and second games and was eliminated from the PO, and the team’s last game of the season became Han Chae-jin’s ‘last game of his career’.

In a phone call with Yonhap News on the 15th, Han Chae-jin said, “Actually, I didn’t have any thoughts when I was playing the game, but when I was on the bench, Kang Gye-ri and Yoo Seung-hee said, ‘Sister, I have to go in.’ He did it, but from the moment I heard the players tell me to enter, I cried.”

At the end of the game, the news of his retirement made both teams of one mind. Even Kim Dan-bi, who transferred from Shinhan Bank to Woori Bank this season, passed him a pass.

Han Chae-jin said, “It’s good to win and retire in style, but it’s not easy to retire on your birthday like me. It seems like an unforgettable day.”

Thinking back to that time, he cried again and said, “I’m grateful to be able to retire at Shinhan Bank, which was my first team. In addition, Woori Bank coach Seong-woo Seong-woo and coaches have known each other since childhood, and Dan-bi Kim, Hye-jin Park, and Kim Jong-un spent their childhood together. These are the players I sent. I was grateful to be able to play the last game against them. I think I retired happier than anyone else.”

Han Chae-jin, born in 1984, is a veteran who has been playing professionally since being nominated by Hyundai Hyperion (now Shinhan Bank) as the 5th overall pick in the 2002 rookie draft.

He first started playing basketball in the third grade of elementary school, so he spent 30 years on the court.

‘Consistency’ is his strength, and he has shown dedication without hesitation during the game even at the age of looking at the unholy.

On January 27 of this year, she set a new record for the oldest participation in women’s basketball (38 years, 319 days) in the match against BNK in Busan. It also exceeded the record of the oldest PO participation ever.

People around him said that he would be able to play for several more years, but Han Chae-jin secretly prepared his last season this season. After finishing the regular season, he expressed his will to the club.

Han Chae-jin laughed, saying, “There is no problem with physical strength.” I’m trying to find it. I have no regrets about my choice.”

Han Chae-jin, who looked back on his 30-year basketball life, cited the time when he retired as the moment he shined the most.

“I wasn’t the best player or an ace,” he said. “But I always ran hard and tried to help the team every game. It felt like it was telling everything,” he explained.

He added, “Even if he wasn’t flashy, I want to be remembered as a ‘must have on the court’.”

Han Chae-jin, who has stopped running for a long time, plans to open the next chapter of her life after taking enough rest. 메이저놀이터

Ahead of his marriage in May, he said, “I’m not retiring because of marriage, but even if I retire, the fact that I have a family to return to gives me peace of mind. As I’ve been running for too long, I’m going to take a break and be faithful to my family.” .

When asked about the leader’s plan, he said, “Of course, it’s a good experience. I’ll worry about it when the proposal comes, but I’m not thinking about it yet. I’m going to take a break and think about it later.”

Lastly, Han Chae-jin recalled the people he was grateful for, such as his family and colleagues, and said again, “As a player, I finished really happily.”

He added, “(Lee) Kyeong-eun and other players I’ve been with for a long time, but I feel grateful and sorry that my sister didn’t do everything she could. I am not satisfied with this and hope to go further.”