'Olympics 金 Gold Gold Gold Gold Gold Gold Gold' — Where did the insurmountable Great Wall of China begin? A Korean world champion reveals the answer [Gangneung World Masters]

*This content was translated by AI.

Fifty-four years after leading Korean table tennis to the world summit, Jeong Hyeon-sook of the Korean Women's Table Tennis Association identified the starting point of China's seemingly insurmountable wall in grassroots sports.

Jeong Hyeon-sook is recognized as a key figure in the women's team gold medal victory at the 1973 Sarajevo World Table Tennis Championships. After retiring, she continued diverse activities to advance Korean table tennis. She has consistently worked to expand the base of recreational table tennis and foster global exchanges, and this time, she joined 160 players from the Korean Women's Table Tennis Association, including her partner, to welcome the first World Masters stage held in Korea.

When Jeong Hyeon-sook was an active player, the Great Wall was by no means an insurmountable barrier. Before the 1970s, Europe and Japan also held strong positions on the world stage, but from the 1980s onward, China gradually monopolized the global arena. Chinese women's table tennis was the first to seize the paradigm shift. Although not to the same extent as the women's division, Chinese men's table tennis continues to see players emerging who carry on the legacy.

The terrifying aspect of Chinese table tennis lies in its consistency and depth. For example, in Olympic women's singles, China has never once failed to win a gold medal. With ten consecutive Olympic titles, the last five Olympic finals were all head-to-head matches between Chinese players. Both the women's doubles team and the men's doubles team have written a legend of eight consecutive gold medals.

The secret behind this legacy, according to Jeong Hyeon-sook, lies in grassroots sports. The moment Jeong Hyeon-sook fully realized the importance of recreational table tennis was at the 1990 Beijing Asian Games. Witnessing how table tennis had become embedded in daily life in China, she came to understand that elite-level performance is built upon a broad foundation of grassroots sports. Jeong Hyeon-sook reflected, "Watching Chinese people naturally enjoy table tennis, I felt that to build strong table tennis, a foundation where many people participate is crucial."

Following this, Jeong Hyeon-sook worked to activate women's sports and spread recreational table tennis, and with the Korean Women's Table Tennis Association established in 2009 as the center, she helped create a foundation for more people to enjoy table tennis.

Her connection with the World Masters Table Tennis Championships also extended from this line of thought. The Korean Women's Table Tennis Association first formed a delegation to participate in the World Veteran Table Tennis Championships (now the World Masters Table Tennis Championships) held in Stockholm, Sweden, in 2012. At that time, the World Veteran stage was still unfamiliar to Korean recreational table tennis.

Jeong Hyeon-sook said, "At first, because it was a world championship, some people worried whether we had the skill to compete. But I wanted to show that just as elite athletes have world championships, recreational athletes also have world championships." She added, "I still remember a participant saying, 'It feels like I'm at the Olympics.' The experience of competing and mingling with players from various countries around the world was itself highly meaningful."

Since then, Korean players have consistently participated on the world stage, and the dream of hosting the event in Korea has also grown. With the Korean Women's Table Tennis Association at the forefront, Jeong Hyeon-sook has experience in challenging to host the 2018 World Veteran Table Tennis Championships at the 2015 Suzhou World Table Tennis Championships venue. Although the bid did not succeed at the time, it was a meaningful process that introduced the potential of Korean recreational table tennis to the international stage. Jeong Hyeon-sook stated, "We failed in the bid, but we certainly gained something. It became an opportunity to show that Korean recreational table tennis can also prepare for major tournaments."

And now, after more than a decade, the World Masters Table Tennis Championships will finally be held in Gangneung, Korea. Jeong Hyeon-sook said, "The World Championships successfully held in Busan in 2024 also reflects the great contribution of table tennis enthusiasts who worked hard to create the environment. I believe this tournament, with its excellent venues, will leave a good impression on foreign players. As the first tournament held in Korea, it is a great opportunity to show our capabilities."

She also expressed hope that this tournament would become a new turning point for activating domestic recreational table tennis. Jeong Hyeon-sook emphasized, "Participants who attend world championships will share their experiences when they return. This will encourage more people to become interested and develop the desire to 'try it themselves.' I hope this tournament becomes such an opportunity."

The XIOM 2026 Gangneung World Masters Table Tennis Championships officially began with an opening ceremony held on the 6th afternoon at Gangneung Oval (Speed Skating Arena). Jeong Hyeon-sook joined the opening ceremony from the Legend Section. As she hoped, can this tournament become more than just an international event, serving as a new starting point for more people to connect with the world through table tennis?

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*This content was translated by AI.