Kiwoom Heroes coach Hong Won-ki expressed his opinion that the match should be considered if the weather conditions are bad even at the dome stadium.안전놀이터
Kiwoom lost 8-12 in the match against the Lotte Giants in the ‘2023 Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League’ held at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul on the 10th.
On this day, due to the influence of Typhoon Kanun No. 6, Jamsil (Doosan-Samsung), Incheon (SSG-NC), Suwon (KT-Hanwha), and Gwangju (KIA-LG) games were all canceled. The only match between Kiwoom and Lotte held at Gocheok Dome, a dome stadium, was the only one that went normally.
Gocheok Dome, the only dome stadium in the KBO League, has the advantage of being able to play at any time regardless of the weather. However, coach Hong Won-ki said in an interview before the game that day, “We are also a dome stadium, but on the day of the game, general fans cannot even park at the stadium and use public transportation a lot. It is true that there are some concerns due to the influence of the typhoon. Baseball is fine because it is played indoors, but it is difficult when fans come and go to the stadium.”
In fact, in the case of Japanese professional baseball, on the 9th, Softbank Hawks canceled a game against Rakuten Golden Eagles, which was scheduled to be held at the PayPay Dome in Fukuoka, Japan. Japan, like Korea, suffered great damage from Typhoon Kanon, and Softbank decided to cancel the game in consideration of the safety of fans going to and from the stadium
Director Hong Won-ki, who emphasized that “the safety of the fans is the top priority,” said, “I’m worried because the fans have to use public transportation to get to Gocheok Dome and the end of the game is the most dangerous time because of the typhoon.”
Kiwoom presented 2,000 high-quality long umbrellas sponsored by Kiwoom Securities on a first-come, first-served basis to the fans who survived the typhoon and visited Gocheok Dome. On the 30th of last month, the Samsung game provided 2,000 long umbrellas to help the fans who were stranded due to sudden torrential rain at the end of the game.
Fortunately, the match ended without a major accident even though the typhoon passed through Seoul. However, when deciding to cancel a game, coach Hong Won-ki’s insistence that not only the possibility of starting the game but also the safety of fans going to and from the stadium should be considered left something to think about.