The basketball world was saddened by the death of Kim Young-hee, the silver medalist in women’s basketball at the 1984 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics.
Her deceased died on the 31st of last month at the age of 60 after a long struggle with illness.
She is a person who made a big mark on Korean basketball during her lifetime.
During her active career, the deceased, who made her name as the center for the longest height (2m) in women’s basketball, went through Dongju Girls’ Middle School and Soongui Girls’ High School, and she played unemployment basketball at Korea Cosmetics.
The rivalry between Hankook Cosmetics, to which Kim Young-hee belongs, and Pacific Chemicals, led by another legend, Park Chan-suk, unfolded with popularity equal to that of men’s basketball. 스포츠토토
The performance of her late husband also shone on her international stage. She took the lead in enhancing her national prestige by participating in the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi, the 1984 LA Olympics, and the 1986 Seoul Asian Games, wearing the Taegeuk mark. Her silver medal achievement at the LA Olympics, in particular, remains one of the brightest moments in Korean women’s basketball history.
In recognition of her merits on the international stage at the time of her death, she was subsequently awarded the Medal of Athletics, including the White Horse and Tiger Medal.
Unfortunately, her prime was too short. In November 1987 she was diagnosed with acromegaly, also referred to as ‘giant disease’, and had to quit her sport shortly thereafter.
Her symptoms worsened over time, and as a complication, she even received surgery for a brain tumor, and she continued to fight the disease for a long time. In the last 2021 years, she continued her struggle with her illness in a difficult living environment, which made her feel sorry for her on the radio.
After the circumstances of the deceased became known, various places, including the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and basketball stars, reached out to help. The deceased healed his heart by continuing to volunteer for the disabled despite difficult circumstances, but eventually closed his eyes at an early age because his condition worsened.
After news of the obituary spread, the basketball world started to pay tribute. Before the women’s basketball match between Cheongju KB Stars and Bucheon Hana 1Q held at Cheongju Gymnasium on the 1st, the players of both teams held a silent prayer in honor of the deceased.
It was decided not to leave a separate mortuary at the funeral hall, and the funeral is scheduled for the morning of the 4th.
