"Only if you do a good job can you get the right to participate in the Olympics. South Korean women's table tennis ace Shin Yubin (Korean Air) is determined to unlock the first task of the 2024 World Table Tennis Championships in Busan - a ticket to the team finals of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The Busan World Table Tennis Championships has two events: men's team and women's team. The teams that reach the quarterfinals of the men's and women's teams will qualify for the team event at the Paris Olympics, which kicks off in July this year. Therefore, the first goal of the 40 participating teams is, of course, to reach the quarterfinals.
On the afternoon of the 15th, at the opening press conference held at the Haeundae District Convention and Exhibition Center in Busan, Shin Yubin, the first sister of Korean table tennis, showed a bright expression.
The Korean women's team is currently ranked fifth in the ITTF rankings, and it is not difficult to reach the quarterfinals. But in the team competition of the 2022 Chengdu World Table Tennis Championships, the South Korean women's team stopped in the round of 16. This is also the reason why Korean women's table tennis did not want to let down their guard from the beginning.
Shin Yubin said at the official press conference of the competition held at the Busan Convention and Exhibition Center on the 15th: "This World Championships is a team competition. It's not just me who plays the game, it's everyone who plays at their level to get good results. If you play well with your teammates, you can get good results. ”
The ultimate goal is, of course, "above the top eight". The goal of Oh Kwang-heon, the head coach of the Korean women's national team, is to "wave the Taiji flag to the podium". That is, at least to reach the semi-finals and win a medal. Korean media believe that if nothing else, China, the "strongest table tennis player", and Japan, which has recently shown a clear upward trend, as well as South Korea led by Shin Yubin and Tian Zhixi (Mirae Asset **), will compete fiercely for the medal color of the women's team.
On the afternoon of the 15th, at the opening press conference held at the Haeundae-gu Convention and Exhibition Center in Busan, Yoo Seung-min, chairman of the co-organizing committee, was answering questions.
If the battle between Korea and Japan is realized in the women's team knockout round, the enthusiasm for the tournament will be high. At the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup, which ended on the 10th of this month, the battle between South Korea and Japan almost came to fruition, but it eventually fell through, bringing regret to Korean sports fans. But when asked about his desire to win the Korea-Japan war, Shin Yubin said, "No matter who the other side is, I will do my best to do my own thing." The important thing is to create a good game. ”
This tournament is the first time that the Korean team has participated in the World Table Tennis Championships at home. Shin Yubin said with relief: "The stadium facilities are very good, the dormitory is also very good, and the restaurant is also very good. Competitors from other countries also said, 'The food is so delicious.'" She continued: "I often get lost in the gym, and the volunteers here will guide me very kindly, so I don't get lost, I just concentrate on the game." ”
On the afternoon of the 15th, at the opening press conference held at the Haeundae-gu Convention and Exhibition Center in Busan, ITTF President Petra Sorin was answering questions.
Yoo Seung-min, chairman of the Korea Table Tennis Association and co-organizer of the tournament, who attended the press conference together, emphasized: "Normally, the World Championships will take two to three years to prepare, but this time we have been preparing for six years (after the competition was cancelled due to the new crown epidemic). I can tell everyone more confidently than anyone else that it will be a success. ”
ITTF President Petra Sorin is looking forward to the box office of the tournament, saying, "I am looking forward to the tournament when Korean players do well on the international stage." The Busan World Table Tennis Championships will be held from the 16th to the 25th at the special stadium of the Convention and Exhibition Center.