Korean table tennis will challenge for the first Asian Games gold medal in 21 years with Shin Yu-bin (Korean Air) and Jeon Ji-hee (Mirae Asset Securities), who are on the rise in the women’s doubles category.

In this year’s Hangzhou Asian Games, table tennis will be played as a detailed event in men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles, men’s team event, and women’s team event. The team consisted of five men (Lim Jong-hoon, Jang Woo-jin, Ahn Jae-hyun, Park Kang-hyeon, Oh Jun-seong) and five women (Seo Hyo-won, Jeon Ji-hee, Shin Yu-bin, Yang Ha-eun, and Lee Eun-hye).

Until the 1990s, Korean table tennis was classified as a traditional Asian powerhouse. However, it has gone downhill since then, and since the 2002 Busan Games, its pride has been crushed as it has not been able to add a single gold medal for 21 years.

Korean table tennis, led by the Korea Table Tennis Association, declared a desperate leap forward and worked hard to regain the golden age of table tennis. Thanks to this, it has been on a clear upward trend recently.

At the center is Shin Yu-bin, who has grown into an ace, and her partner Jeon Ji-hee, who is the same age as her.

Shin Yu-bin is receiving during the match between Jeon Ji-hee and Shin Yu-bin (Korea) and Sun Yingxia and Wang Yidi (China) in the women’s doubles semifinal of the ‘2023 Pyeongchang Asian Table Tennis Championships – Butterfly’ held at Pyeongchang Dome Gymnasium in Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do on the morning of the 10th. 2023.9.10/News1 ⓒ News1 Reporter Min Kyung-seok

The duo, ranked first in the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) women’s doubles ranking, became the first Korean player in 36 years to advance to the women’s doubles final at the Durban World Championships in May this year and won a silver medal. In addition, this year alone, they swept international competitions, including winning consecutive wins at WTT Contender Lagos and Contender Zagreb.

Shin Yu-bin suffered the pain of giving up on the Asian Games national team selection competition last year due to a wrist injury, but she was dramatically given the opportunity to participate as the competition was postponed for a year in the aftermath of the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19).

Shin Yu-bin worked hard on her strength training during her difficult rehabilitation and came back stronger than before her injury. Shin Yu-bin, who has already surpassed her promise and become the ace of Korean table tennis, is ready to write her new history.

Her veteran Jeon Ji-hee is also showing off her game skills as she gains more experience. The evaluation is that her skillful game management matches Shin Yu-bin’s spirit and creates the best synergy.

Jeon Ji-hee explained the secret to her successful performance, saying, “(Shin) Yu-bin and I were cool from the first time we worked together in 2019. From then on, we already got along well with each other and got along well.” She went on to praise her partner, saying, “(Shin) Yubin gives me a lot of strength. In singles, I am pushed back by Chinese players, but in doubles, (because of Yubin), I play well.”

Now, the two are on the rise and preparing for their first gold medal at the Asian Games.

The Korean national team players who won medals are taking a commemorative photo after completing the 2023 International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Individual World Championships held in Durban, South Africa on the 28th (Korean time). (Provided by Korea Table Tennis Association) 2023.5.28/News 1온라인바카라

The duo of Shin Yu-bin and Lim Jong-hoon are receiving strategically intensive care with the ultimate goal of winning a medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. The Asian Games are an opportunity to increase confidence in an Olympic medal.

The men’s team event, which won silver medals seven times in a row until the 2018 Jakarta Palembang Games, is also aiming for a gold medal.

It is evaluated that it is the right time to achieve results as Jang Woo-jin (Mirae Asset Securities), Lim Jong-hoon, and Ahn Jae-hyun (Korea Exchange) have reached their prime.

Korea won two silver medals and one bronze medal at the 2023 Durban World Championships, winning three medals for the first time in 20 years since the 2023 Paris Games. As the national team’s overall skills have improved, it looks like anyone in the entry group can expect a medal.

Of course, the competitors are formidable. The biggest threat is of course the home team and the world’s top table tennis power, ‘Great Wall’ China.

In particular, China’s women’s national team consists of five players, including Sun Yingsha, Chen Ming, and Wang Manyu, all ranked from 1st to 5th in the world rankings.

At the Asian Table Tennis Championships held in Pyeongchang two weeks before the Asian Games, China swept a whopping seven gold medals, showing off its status as the strongest player. At the Asian Games, Wang Man-wi won three gold medals in the women’s division, and Ma Rung won two gold medals in the men’s division.

For Korea, which is aiming for its first gold medal in 21 years, it will ultimately have to win a head-to-head match with China to achieve results. The players are not afraid of the competition.

Shin Yu-bin, who has played difficult games against China, said, “I have been playing against Chinese players very often recently. The more I play, the more I learn. If I do that, I can find out what my shortcomings are. If I work hard, I will soon get better results.” “I believe it will happen and I am practicing more,” he said.

Jang Woo-jin, the spiritual leader of the men’s national team, also said, “It is a clear fact that Korean table tennis has grown steadily recently,” and added, “I will do my best to turn that expectation into results at the Asian Games. I will challenge for the gold medal with the determination not to live or die, but to just die.” He announced a ambitious goal.