Korean sevens star Andre Jin has picked out two team-mates who could shine at next summer’s Olympic Games.
Jin was part of the Korea squad that upset favourites Hong Kong in Incheon to win the Asia Rugby Olympic qualifier and book their place at the Tokyo Games.
He described that match as the “happiest moment of my life” and although the Olympics have since been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 29-year-old remains excited for what awaits in Japan.
On a recent appearance on Between the Lines with Sean Maloney, Jin discussed the work that went into qualification and name checked two potential star team-mates.
“There’s two speedsters that are exciting and I might be biased but I think they could play themselves into a lot of core [HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series] teams,” he said.
“One is Chang Yongheung, he plays for NTT Communications in the Top League and he’s the one who did a bit of solo brilliance at the end of the Olympic qualification campaign to send us to the Olympics in golden point.
“And the other one is basically his twin, Jang Jeongmin, who is a winger and razzle-dazzled his way to a couple of tries in LA against Argentina and France."
Korea had been invited to take part in the HSBC LA Sevens following their Olympic qualification, giving Jin a second opportunity to play on the World Series.
‘I couldn’t believe it’
His first World Series appearance had come at the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2017, just two years after he had cheered on his university friend, and USA forward, Danny Barrett from the famous South Stand.
Jin revealed to Maloney that he had been overcome with emotion as he lined up to make his World Series debut against England at the same stadium.
“Come 2017, we’re an invitational team. I’m one of the younger guns on the Korean team, and the first game was against England on the Friday night,” he explained.
“I was standing next to [James] Rodwell there, and Dan Norton in the tunnel and I saw the lights, and I teared up to be honest with you. I couldn’t believe it, you know what I mean?
“Because as an Asian rugby player in Korea, you don’t play in front of more than 1,000, 2,000 people, if that and now you’re in Hong Kong Stadium in front of 40,000 on a Friday night. I think 54-0 was the result that night, but we won’t tell anyone about that.”
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