Korea hosts first World Table Tennis Championships

The Korean women's table tennis team, led by "Ppiyagi" Shin Yu-bin (20) and "Passion Leader" Jeon Ji-hee (32), is set to reclaim the world's top spot after 33 years, leveraging the advantage of playing on their “home table.”

The 2024 International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Table Tennis Championships will take place for 10 days starting Friday at BEXCO in Busan. This marks the first time that the World Table Tennis Championships, which began in 1926, are being held in South Korea. The 2020 edition had also been scheduled to be held in Busan but was canceled due to the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequently, efforts to secure the hosting rights for this year's event, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of Korean table tennis, proved successful.

The World Table Tennis Championships have been held biennially since 1999, featuring individual events in odd-numbered years and team events in even-numbered years. The team event has attracted around 340 players from 47 countries worldwide to compete fiercely. In both the men's and women's divisions, players from each country engage in singles matches, with the team securing victory in three games first winning the game. After competing in eight groups divided into five teams each during the group stage, the tournament proceeds to the knockout stage to determine the champion. Teams that reach the quarterfinals in this tournament will also earn berths for the Paris Olympic team event.

The Korean women's table tennis team has won the world championship twice. They first claimed the world's top spot in the sport's history for South Korea at the 1973 Sarajevo Championships, and they won the gold medal in 1991 as a unified team representing both South and North Korea at the Chiba Championships. However, out of the 14 World Championships held subsequently, China has dominated the competition, winning 13 times. Singapore's victory in the 2010 Moscow Championships stands as the only exception. "I will face (Chinese players) without fear as an ace of our team with a sense of responsibility," Shin Yu-bin, ranked 8th in women's singles.

The Korean men's table tennis team, having recently secured three consecutive bronze medals in major tournaments, is also determined to excel. The Korean men's team has yet to claim the world championship title. "This tournament may be the most important moment in the table tennis careers of all our players,” said Jang Woo-jin, ranked 14th in the world, expressing his determination. “The significant pressure will serve as a driving force for us to work even harder." China continues to challenge for gold medals in the men's division, aiming for their 11th consecutive title since the 2011 Osaka Championships.


Hong-Gu Kang windup@donga.com