In the first year of the Asian quarter, Myeong and Arm "hit and supplemented, but...”

In the first year of the Asian quarter, Myeong and Arm "hit and supplemented, but...”

Blog Article

"There were a lot of positives, but we need to improve further."

New fun has been introduced. The Asian quarter system, which was newly introduced by the Women's Professional Basketball Association (WKBL) from 2024 to 2025, has brought nine Japanese players to Korea. Moe Nagata, Saki Iijima of BNK, and Rika Tanimura of Shinhan Bank gave key players a boost to the Korean league. It is a good start. However, as it was the first season of the league, it clearly revealed points that need to be supplemented, including the inability to renew contract. This is a snapshot of the first year of the Asian quarter.

◆ Name
It was an opportunity to gain weight evenly in the team's capacity. A case in point is BNK, the champion team of the championship game. Critics pointed out that while many players with outstanding offensive capabilities such as Park Hye-jin and Kim Sonia are lined up, they lack the sense of stability in defense. They have filled in their weaknesses with players in the Asian quarter. Veteran Lee Ijima, born in 1992, has contributed to BNK's first win by not only scoring points but also by distinguishing himself in defense (ranked fourth in 1.63 league stills). "A-class players did not come, but since we selected them to fill in the positions that we lacked, they helped us greatly increase our capacity," KBSN commentator Kim Eun-hye said.

Not all of the nine players experienced success, but they actually contributed significantly to the team's advancement. Nagata (5th) and Tanimura (8th) were listed in the top 10 on average last season. For Shinhan Bank, Tanimura is the only player in the top 10. Although he failed to advance to the playoff, he benefited from the recruitment of players in the Asian quarter to complement his team's lack of offensive capabilities. "With the players' base getting thinner, we could see new and diverse styles of players," KBS soccer commentator Sohn Dae-beom said. "It is positive that we can supplement our performance."

It was a short five-month period, but it was enough to captivate fans. Notably, fans stopped Nagata, who boasted of being a troubleshooter in the basketball league between Iijima and Bom. In fact, many fans keep saying that they want to see these Asian quarter players in the next season on SNS. The club also expressed regret. "It would be great if we could spend another season together," a club official said.

◆ Arm (暗)
"I want to stay in the team too, but I can't come back to this team... "I'll think about it." This is what an Asian quarter player left for a teammate right before leaving the team after the end of the season. The Asian quarter system was urgently introduced six months before the opening of last season. It was difficult to fully reflect opinions among clubs with different interests. This is why he managed his first season under "no re-contract." As a result, players who set a good precedent and monopolized love as the first Asian quarter player of the team packed their bags at the end of the season. In response, the WKBL held a board meeting in February and changed the rules to allow the team to renew the contract from next season. 스포츠토토

Players in the Asian quarter also saw their wage complaints slightly improve. In the past, the bank paid 10 million won a month regardless of their ranking. Amid the difficulties of living in other countries and even paying taxes, critics say uniform wages regardless of ability is another form of reverse discrimination. In fact, the WKBL reportedly had a lot of complaints among Asian quarter players. In response, the WKBL decided to pay 12 million won per month for first-round players and 10 million won per month for second-round players from the new season. Victory allowance, playoff, and advancement allowance for championship game were newly established.

We need to continuously supplement the system. The name of the system is "Asia" quarter, but it is true that it is still limited to "Japan." Following last season, only Japanese can participate in the Asian Quarter Player Draft this season. Diversity can be enhanced further by expanding its presence in Asian countries such as China, the Philippines, and Indonesia. "It is regrettable that the Asian Quarter Player Draft is limited to Japan at the moment," Sohn said. "Various nationality players including Indonesia and the Philippines are playing in overseas leagues such as the U.S. and other countries. If the Asian Quarter Player Draft opens, we will be able to gain more outstanding and new resources."