The “Great” first-choice 20-year-old outside hitter was the Iranian national team coach’s first pick.
Woori Card's first pick was a 20-year-old outside hitter from Iran.
Woori Card selected the lucky first pick in the 2024 KOVO Men's Asia Quarter Draft held at the Jeju Sun Hotel on the 3rd, and selected Iranian outside hitter Ali Hagparast. It must not be seen as a coincidence that coach Mauricio Paez was unable to come to this tryout because he is in charge of the Iranian men's national team, and that he nominated Hagparast, a member of the Iranian national team. He wasn't a player who really stood out in this tryout. However, it must be said that Coach Paes knows him well because he is a player he has seen on the national team.
Coach Kim Jae-heon of Woori Card, who personally nominated Hagparast, met with reporters after the draft and said, "Even before I came to Jeju, I had thought of him as the first choice internally."
Coach Kim said, "Because the coach is with the Iranian national team, we kept communicating and heard the player's strengths. That's why we were thinking of him as the first pick. After the draft, the coach said he was 'great' and said he did very well." He expressed satisfaction, saying, “He sent it.”