"I never thought I'd come back from a player to a mother...." Goa, who said goodbye to the affectionate coat
"I never thought I'd come back from a player to a mother...." Goa, who said goodbye to the affectionate coat
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Ko A-ra, who led Woori Bank to win for two consecutive seasons, took off her uniform and appeared on the basketball court as a reliable mother.
Hana Bank 2024-2025 Women's professional basketball match between Asan Woori Bank and Bucheon Hana Bank at Yi Sun-shin Gymnasium in Asan on the 21st.
Woori Bank, which decided to win the regular league championship, held a meaningful event for the hero who devoted himself to the team before the game. It was the retirement ceremony of Go A-ra, who announced her retirement from active duty after the very last season.
Ko A-ra, who was named to Cheonan KB (currently Cheongju KB Stars) as the fourth-ranked player in the first round in the 2007 WKBL New Player Selection, played in 505 games, with 6.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists for an average of 23 minutes and 34 seconds. In particular, ahead of the 2022-2023 season, he wore the uniform of his former Woori Bank for the first time in 10 years, contributing greatly to Woori Bank's integrated victory and one championship title.
Since then, he announced his retirement from active duty on June 5 last year amid a continuous knee injury, and left the affectionate court and devoted himself to postpartum cooking and childcare.
Ko A-ra, whom I met at the stadium, smiled and said, "There were so many things I wanted to say when I caught the microphone," and said, "Isn't it really meaningful to be able to retire with the retirement ceremony?" In particular, two years ago, I almost left the court empty, let alone the retirement ceremony. I am really grateful to the Woori Bank team for calling me and hosting the retirement ceremony in such a situation. In particular, Coach Wi Sung-woo, Jeonju-won, and Coach Lim Young-hee are those who accepted me when I was on the verge of retirement. I want to say thank you so much."
Go A-ra's retirement ceremony was held on this day. A video clip of her performance opened the retirement ceremony, and a video letter from coach Wi Sung-woo and Woori Bank's friendly team, including Kim Dan-bi, greeted her. In addition, her family, including her husband Bae Byung-joon (Jeonggwanjang, Anyang), daughter Se-ah, and her parents and in-laws, shared her retirement ceremony and gave her an unforgettable one.
Go A-ra said, "What are you talking about? My husband is always a source of strength for me. I told him that he had a hard time ahead of his retirement ceremony. Now, I think I should take good care of him as the wife of a basketball player." I was especially worried that my parents would feel more empty today (21st). They must feel special because they have seen me at the closest distance when I had a hard time. I feel great to retire as a proud daughter in front of them."
In addition, Go A-ra expressed her pride in the team, saying she expected Woori Bank to win the regular league.
"When no one expected Woori to win, I was sure. That Woori would win the regular league title this season. I thought so, too. On the other hand, I thought it was amazing because I know better than anyone else what kind of efforts the coach, coach, and the team are making. Winning the regular league is not the end, but we need to wear the ring for the championship game. Even if it's hard for everyone, I hope they can focus a little more and finish the season well. Of course, it's really important not to get hurt," said Ara.
In her 17-year professional career, Goa cited her winning moment as her most memorable moment. In particular, Goa's combined victory in the 2022-2023 season was also her first since her professional debut.
Go A-ra said, "I don't think I can help but remember the moment when I won the championship. I tasted it late after my debut as a pro. To be honest, I thought, "I will retire without a championship ring." However, I came to retire after tasting the championship for two consecutive seasons at my hometown, Woori Bank. These are unforgettable moments. On the other hand, I have no regret about basketball because I retired after winning the championship. I have no regrets because I am retiring after having fun playing basketball."
He added, "Isn't there some players who are good at basketball, but retire without winning? Winning and retiring seems to have a unique meaning."
There was another person who watched Go Ara's retirement ceremony with a rather unusual emotion. It was Kim Jong Un, the captain of Hana Bank. Kim, who will become a free agent after this season, is agonizing over whether to extend his career status or retire. Notably, Kim shed tears while giving a bouquet of congratulatory flowers to Go Ara. Go Ara, who also won the combined title in the 2022-2023 season, must have felt a different way toward her.
"(Kim) Jeong-eun contacted me from the day before the retirement ceremony, saying that she is a powerful 'F' and that she would cry when she sees me (laughs). Before returning to Woori, she had to prevent Jeong-eun from playing a one-on-one role. As a result, I didn't have many good memories. However, since I came to Woori Bank, I have had many conversations with Jeong-eun and share deep feelings with her. Although the time I spent with her was short, I got close to her a lot as it was short. We had a lot of things in common because we were similar age. I told Jeong-eun to stay a little longer as an athlete, retire quickly and have a baby, and then move on to a life as a mother," Go A-ra said.
Go A-ra, who even had her retirement ceremony, is now completely back to her life as a "mother" and "wife." Even when this newspaper visited Go A-ra, she was firmly by her daughter Se-ah's side.
"For the time being, I want to focus on raising children unconditionally. My current role is to take care of my husband while raising children. Of course, I don't want my daughter to play basketball. However, if I choose, I will actively support her," Ko said, expressing her strong commitment to the role of a mother and wife.
Finally, Go A-ra thanked and said goodbye to her fans for supporting her in her professional career over the past 17 years. In particular, Go A-ra prepared a coffee truck for her fans before the game and had time to repay the love she had received. 메이저놀이터
Ko A-ra said, "Whenever fans prepare coffee for us, it's always the players who are loved, so I thought that the players should repay the fans whenever they get the chance. After today, we don't know when we will meet the fans again