"Four years ago, I had an 'infant's heart'... now it has grown." Benchwarmer Oh Jun-seong now wants to be known as a key player for Korean table tennis [Interview]

*This content was translated by AI.

Oh Jun-seong (20, Korea Exchange), a rising star of Korean table tennis, declared his firm resolve to no longer remain merely a promising player for the next generation.

At an official press conference held on the 30th at the Oryun Hall in Jincheon Athletes' Village, Chungbuk, ahead of the 2026 Aichi·Nagoya Asian Games, Oh Jun-seong smiled when asked about his feelings leading up to the tournament: "In Hangzhou four years ago, I was a minor with an 'infant's heart,' but now that I am 21, I think my heart has grown a bit."

On this day, the Korean men's and women's Tak Gu (CEO) teams held public training sessions with all athletes scheduled to compete in the Asian Games in attendance. In this tournament, Oh Jun-seong will compete in the men's team event and the mixed doubles with Kim Na-young (21, POSCO International).

He also aims for a medal in men's doubles alongside senior player Im Jong-hoon (29, Korea Exchange). The two players first stood together on the podium at the 2026 World Table Tennis (WTT) Star Contender Ljubljana tournament. For Oh Jun-seong, this will be his second Asian Games. His position within the Ha Ji-man (CEO) team has completely changed. At the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games held in 2023, he mostly watched his seniors' matches from the bench.

He reflected, "There are things that players competing directly may not notice, but they become visible when watching from behind. I focused on observing the strengths and weaknesses of the players, what strategies top athletes use on big stages, and how players with styles similar to mine compete."

This time, he is not an observer but a participant. Oh Jun-seong explained, "Now I will play many matches myself. I want to see what strategies are difficult to counter when facing top players and which of my strengths work effectively."

The basis for his confidence is experience. At the Hangzhou tournament, he had almost no experience competing in international events including WTT, but now he has faced world-class players multiple times. He has also proven his international competitiveness by defeating Chinese players.

Oh Jun-seong said, "The Asian Games is a larger tournament than the World Championships, so there is a significant difference in experience compared to then. Recently, I have become much less nervous." He added, "I may find out once I get on site, but so far, I am not extremely nervous."

Match management and the power of the ball have also changed. Through international competitions, he realized that it is not just about competing with skills alone, but that match management using one's mind is important. He focused his training on learning necessary patterns depending on the opponent and situation and executing them in actual matches.

He also addressed his previously identified weakness: power. He did not simply devote himself to weight training. To fully transfer force to the ball, he meticulously adjusted his hitting stance, footwork, contact point, and rhythm.

Oh Jun-seong explained, "I originally don't take many steps, so I thought that moving just one step more might help." He added, "Recently, the ball seems to be stronger than before, allowing me to break through opponents' defense more often."

The goal for the entire national team is one. Oh Jun-seong said, "All players and coaches are focused on a single goal: winning the gold medal." He also stated, "I believe it is truly important that the players share the same mindset. The seniors have experienced this themselves, so they are leading the team well."

Personally, this tournament holds special significance for him. Until now, Oh Jun-seong has been followed by the labels of 'youngest' and 'next-generation ace.' While these expressions acknowledge his potential, he now wants to shed those tags.

Oh Jun-seong said firmly, "I have always been labeled as the youngest and next-generation player, but recently, after defeating Chinese players, terms like 'key player for Korean table tennis' and 'mainstay player' are starting to emerge." He added, "My personal goal is to be evaluated not as a next-generation player but as a fully established key player through this Asian Games."

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*This content was translated by AI.