In the thick of action: Malaysian R. Kogileswaran playing during the Korean FA Cup third round match. — Photo by Cheongbuk Cheognju
PETALING JAYA: The number 70 for the South Korean club Cheongbuk Cheongju was running all over the pitch.
He saw a shot parried away by the opposing goalkeeper and then fired a dipping shot that was just tipped over. And then, with a bit of trickery, he set up his teammate, wingback Park Jin-sung, to cross for striker Lee Sung-jae who headed home.
After the game, the fans waiting outside the stadium were singing his name “Kogi, Kogi” complete with drums.
The No 70 was playmaker R. Kogileswaran, the first Malaysian to play in South Korea.
He made his debut for Cheongbuk Cheongju, who play in the Korean Second Division known as the K2, in the 3-0 win over Seoul Jungnang in the Korean FA Cup third round last week.
Kogi has really been hard at work since arriving there two months ago.
He said that when he first joined the club, coach Choi Yun-kyum told him to lose his body fat percentage.
“The coach said I had to lose weight. All the players do that during pre-season. So, I trained on my own and did a lot of extra training. I also controlled my diet,” said the 24-year-old, who used to play for Pahang and Petaling Jaya City in the Malaysian league.
“I have lost six kilos since arriving. The coach appreciated my hard work. In Korea, you have to run like hell. They implement this in every training session. So I am used to this now. My teammates and coach have helped a lot too.
“Now it is time to get more minutes in my bag.”
Since joining the club in January, Kogileswaran has had to wait patiently for his debut and got his first start against Seoul Jungnang. He played for 60 minutes before being substituted.
“I have waited for this moment. It was tough for me to get used to Korean football, I needed at least about a month. Finally, I showed my talent during training sessions, and the coach allowed me to play in the FA Cup. I feel proud and I think I gave a good performance.
“The intensity is relatively high in football here. I am getting used to the game here and hope to get more matches.
“I have to prove to the coach and management via training sessions. I have to perform every day. I hope to improve and get better day by day.”
Asked if he could speak Korean now, Kogileswaran said it was work in progress.
“I am getting used to the language. I understand 5% to 10% of the words, like the common ones. So, it is easier for me to interact on the field.”
He is surely hoping that he can make the grade with Cheongbuk Cheongju and be an asset to the national team in the future.
