'Shin Yu-bin's debut leads to a 3-0 sweep'! Korean men's and women's table tennis teams both reach the quarterfinals, ending waits of '36 years' and '40 years' [Aichi Nagoya AG]

*This content was translated by AI.

Korean table tennis teams secured back-to-back group stage victories in both the men's and women's team events at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, advancing directly to the quarterfinals. The men's team began their campaign with a fresh start toward reclaiming the team title for the first time in 36 years, while the women's team aimed for their first team gold in 40 years.

On the 20th, both the Korean men's and women's Tak Gu (CEO) teams finished their group stage matches at Toyota Sky Hall in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, with perfect records of two wins each, securing first place in their respective groups.

The Nam Ja (CEO) team defeated Yemen and Mongolia in Group D with dominant 3-0 team match scores. The match against Yemen lasted just 35 minutes, while the game against Mongolia concluded within 43 minutes. In all six matches across both games, they did not lose a single set, showcasing overwhelming superiority.

The men's Nam Ja (CEO) team is composed of ace Jang Woo-jin (31, Se-A), Lim Jong-hoon (29), Ahn Jae-hyun (27), Oh Jun-seong (20, Korea Exchange), and Park Gyu-hyeon (21, Mirae Asset Securities). By utilizing players evenly without any wavering, they secured first place in Group D, skipped the round of 16, and advanced directly to the quarterfinals.

A total of 23 nations participated in the men's team event at this tournament. After the group stage, top teams from each group advanced to the knockout rounds, with Korea earning a direct ticket to the quarterfinals by finishing first in their group.

The goal is to reclaim the title for the first time in 36 years. The Korean men's table tennis team won the team gold medal at the 1990 Beijing Asian Games but has since settled for silver medals in eight consecutive tournaments. Jang Woo-jin, Lim Jong-hoon, Ahn Jae-hyun, and Oh Jun-seong were also members of the silver medal-winning squad at the 2022 Hangzhou Games.

The women's Yeo Ja (CEO) team similarly defeated Maldives and Kazakhstan in Group C with consecutive 3-0 team match scores. In the match against Maldives, ace Shin Yu-bin (22, Korean Air) rested. Joo Cheon-hee (24, Samsung Life) defeated Aishat Nazim, Kim Na-young (21, POSCO International) beat Fatimat Ali, and Lee Eun-hye (31, Korean Air) overcame Miska Ibrahim, each winning 3-0.

In the match against Kazakhstan, Shin Yu-bin made her debut in this tournament as the first player, defeating Zaurish Akasheva 3-0 (11-6, 11-2, 11-6) to ease into the competition. Joo Cheon-hee then defeated Sarbinoz Mirqadirova 3-0, and Kim Na-young lost the first set against Zainarke Koshykumbayeva before winning the next three sets to secure a 3-1 victory and confirm their spot in the quarterfinals. Park Ga-hyun (19, Korean Air) is also part of the national team.

The women's Yeo Ja (CEO) team will also skip the round of 16 by finishing first in Group C. The Korean women's table tennis team won its only team gold medal at the 1986 Seoul Asian Games. At the previous Hangzhou tournament, they lost to Japan in the semifinals and claimed a bronze medal.

Another milestone awaits. To date, Korean table tennis has earned a total of 96 medals at the Asian Games: 11 gold, 31 silver, and 54 bronze. With both the men's and women's Nam Nyeo (CEO) teams now safely in the quarterfinals, the countdown toward Korea's 100th overall medal at the Asian Games has officially begun.

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*This content was translated by AI.