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Table tennis legend Hyun Jung-hwa competes, advances at World Masters

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Hyun Jung-hwa, head of the Gangneung World Masters Table Tennis Championships, competed and advanced to the main tournament in the women's singles.
  • Despite her past success, Hyun found the play of amateur athletes challenging due to variations in spin and pace.
  • The event aims to foster camaraderie and showcase the power of table tennis across different ages and nationalities.

Hyun Jung-hwa, the executive chairperson of the Gangneung World Masters Table Tennis Championships, demonstrated her enduring skill by competing and advancing to the main tournament in the women's 55-59 singles preliminary rounds. The event, held at the Gangneung Speed Skating Arena, is a gathering for amateur players and will continue until June 12.

Hyun, a Seoul Olympics gold medalist, won all three of her preliminary matches in Group 4. She competed against Pia Tolhøj of Denmark, Im Hye-sook of South Korea, and Kwok Chui Lin of Ireland, winning against each.

I was surprised by how much the ball was sliced and pushed, and the rhythm was different. It's quite different from playing against professionals.

— Hyun Jung-hwaHyun Jung-hwa reflecting on the challenges of playing against amateur table tennis players at the World Masters tournament.

During the matches, Hyun showcased her prowess with sharp, attacking shots that caught opponents off guard, reminiscent of her professional career. However, she admitted to experiencing difficulties adapting to the varied spins and paces of the amateur players. She noted that the game felt different from playing against professional athletes, particularly struggling with the timing and unpredictable nature of the balls.

This Masters tournament shows the power of table tennis through people of different ages and nationalities coming together and communicating.

— Lee Tae-seongLee Tae-seong, president of the Korea Table Tennis Association, describing the spirit of the Gangneung World Masters.

"I was surprised by how much the ball was sliced and pushed, and the rhythm was different," Hyun said with a laugh after her matches. "It's quite different from playing against professionals."

Petra Söring, president of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), is also participating as a player in the Masters tournament. Lee Tae-seong, president of the Korea Table Tennis Association and co-chairman of the organizing committee, expressed his pleasure in hosting the event in Gangneung. He highlighted the tournament's role in bringing people together across ages and nationalities, showcasing the unifying power of table tennis. "Seeing participants of various ages from different countries enjoy table tennis and harmonize fills me with pride and emotion," he stated.

Seeing participants of various ages from different countries enjoy table tennis and harmonize fills me with pride and emotion.

— Lee Tae-seongLee Tae-seong expressing his feelings about the camaraderie at the Masters tournament.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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