Republic of Korea wins final match, fails to qualify for Olympics

(BEIJING, June 8) -- With a spot in the Olympic men's volleyball tournament out of reach, the teams from Thailand and the Republic of Korea were a contrast in mindset in their final match of the World Olympic Qualification Tournament, which concludes in Tokyo Japan on June 8.

"It was our last game, which was very tight mentally and physically," said Republic of Korea head coach Yoo Jung-Tak after his team won 25-18, 20-25, 25-18, 25-21, as reported by Fivb.org. "Although it was not our best play, by the end of the game it became better. Throughout the game the players gave their best efforts, which led to our victory."

The Thai team, which finished the tournament 0-7, took a looser approach. "Today was the last game, so we could play relaxed," said head coach Monchai Supajirakul. "The players played very well, so I was very satisfied. We could gain experience from this tournament and could find our own problems we have to resolve. When we go back to Thailand we must put all our efforts into making our own team and drive towards raising our level in Asia."

Despite failing in their bid to compete in Beijing this summer, the team from the Republic of Korea can find solace in their strong finish in the tournament. After starting 0-3, they rallied to win four in a row, beating Australia, Algeria, Iran and Thailand.