‘Pakistan Bomber’ Murad “wants to keep playing in Korea”
Korean Air’s substitute foreign player in the men’s professional volleyball team, Murad Khan (23), has been making waves lately.
Murad hails from Pakistan, a country considered to be on the fringes of volleyball, but he’s been playing as well as any other foreigner on the team, and he’s been a big part of the team’s rise.
She exploded for 52 points in a 3-2 win over Hyundai Capital on Dec. 12, and was on fire at home against Samsung Fire at Gyeyang Gymnasium 토토사이트 in Incheon on Dec. 6 with a team-high 23 points, including three blocks.
Murad was an under-the-radar player.
He played for Pakistan’s age-group national team, but the team’s lack of success kept him off the radar of Korean volleyball fans.
The same was true in the professional leagues. Murad played mostly as a reserve in the Serbian and Bulgarian leagues.
It wasn’t until the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou last year that she appeared on the radar of a Korean club.
The South Korean volleyball team was shocked when they were swept by Pakistan, a team they hadn’t even considered a contender for a medal.
Murad led Pakistan’s offense at the time.
Korean Air remembered Murad’s performance and recruited him to replace Lincoln Williams after the former foreign player went down with an injury last month.
Since joining Korean Air, Murad has mostly been on the bench.
Korean Air head coach Tommi Tilikainen felt that Murad needed time to adjust to the Korean professional volleyball.
Korean Air also had plenty of quality wing attackers, including Lim Dong-hyuk.
Mourad fought hard for a starting spot and earned it with his skills.
He is now an indispensable player for Korean Air.
Against the Samsung Fire, Murad used her leaping power to break down blockers.
“I want to stay in Korea, I want to keep playing,” Murad said after the game, “and after this season, I’m going to prepare more technically.”
Volleyball experts believe that if Murad maintains his current form, he will be able to stay in the V-League under the general foreign player quota.
If Murad is not selected as a foreign player, there could be fierce competition for the Asian quota.