Korean Table Tennis, Two Valuable Medals Amid Generational Change...I'm sorry, but I saw hope
Korean Table Tennis, Two Valuable Medals Amid Generational Change...I'm sorry, but I saw hope
Blog Article
Despite the generational change, Korean table tennis has made meaningful achievements with two bronze medals at the World Championship.
At the 2025 World Table Tennis Championships in Doha, Qatar, which ended on Saturday (Korea time), Lim Jong-hoon (Korea Exchange) and Shin Yoo-bin (copyright) won bronze medals in mixed doubles, and Shin Yoo-bin and Yoo Han-na (Posco International) won bronze medals in women's doubles. It is not a gold or silver medal, but it must be a valuable medal.
Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yoo-bin, the "brother-sister duo" who won the bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, continued their momentum and won a medal in the mixed doubles at the world championships.
The two won medals with different partners in men's and women's doubles at the World Championships, but the mixed doubles only reached the quarterfinals two years ago, and the bronze medal cleared away the disappointment. In addition, they proved once again that they are the most competitive duo among Korean doubles teams.
Lim Jong-hoon and Shin Yu-bin failed to advance to the final after being defeated by world's strongest Wang Chu-chin and Sun Ying-sa in the semifinal match, but they won two games, which is considered the only competition that made China nervous. As the teamwork and skills of the two athletes continue to evolve, a brighter medal can be expected in the future.
The bronze medal in women's doubles is also valuable.
In the meantime, women's doubles have been led by Shin Yoo-bin and Jeon Ji-hee's "Tidong Gap" duo, which was disbanded when Jeon Ji-hee returned the national flag this year. It was Yoo Han-na who won the national flag for the first time this year.
He had no international experience, and his predecessor's achievements were so spectacular that it was not easy to be compared from the beginning, but Yuhan erased these concerns in a beautiful way.
Yuhan led the game by banking on its bold attack, which is its own strength. When Shin Yu-bin shook the opponent with elaborate serve, it was Yuhan who scored a critical point. Even on the big stage, he did his part calmly without being intimidated.
Left-handed Yu-na also displayed harmony in movement and trajectory with right-handed Shin Yu-bin. Not many Korean female table tennis players have succeeded Jeon Ji-hee, and considered the combination of "right hand and right hand," this is the best match for the table tennis association.
As a result, the Korean women's doubles won medals for two consecutive competitions following the silver medal of Shin Yoo-bin and Jeon Ji-hee two years ago, maintaining the top rank in women's doubles without a break on the world stage.
However, it has been only two months since it was formed, so there are still many things to supplement. After losing to Bernadette Sütz of Romania and Sofia Polkanova of Austria, Shin said, "The fact that we did not spend much time together clearly shows up in front of the table. We still have a long way to go. We need to play more games together."
Some athletes have not won a medal but have made meaningful achievements.
In Korean table tennis, Jeon Ji-hee in the women's team and Lee Sang-soo in the men's team left the national team ahead of the World Championship. Young players including Park Ga-hyun, who was born in 2007, and Oh Jun-sung, who were born in 2006, filled the spots where the two players, who had been the main players of the national team for more than a decade, were absent at the same time.
They lacked some weight and experience, but instead confirmed their hopes with spirit and potential.
Park Ga-hyeon, who is the first Korean player to win the World Championship in her career, crushed Manika Batra of India 4-0 in the round of 64 singles, and presented her as a player that the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) should pay attention to. She lost to China in the round of 32, but was applauded for her close game even though it was her first time facing China on a big stage.
Oh said, "Oh Jun-sung, son of the national men's team coach, continued his strides to the round of 32 strongest teams in men's singles before meeting France's Felix LeBrugn (France) and winning three-and-four games in a row, but lost 2-4. In the mixed doubles with Kim Na-young (Posco International), Oh performed better than expected until the round of 16.
"This tournament was a new starting line for Korean women's table tennis, and it was a particularly good stage for (Park) Ga-hyun. She played her role well on the big stage and tried to finish what she ordered," Seok Eun-mi, the coach of the women's national team, said of Park Ga-hyun. "She will grow even faster in the future."
Coach Oh Joon-sung gave a harsh evaluation of his student and son Oh Jun-sung, saying, "There is still a lot to work on," but said, "The defense and connection ability have confirmed the possibility on the world stage." 온라인바카라
Kim Na-young, who was born in 2005, also did not have a medal, but she proved her competitiveness in the women's doubles with Lee Eun-hye (copyright) in the quarterfinals and Oh Jun-sung in the round of 16.
Meanwhile, Seo Hyo-won (Korea Racing Authority), the oldest member of the national team, will drop her weight after the World Championship. She only has one last match left for her team in June.