Courtesy of official instagram of ITTF world team table tennis championships finals Busan 2024
In the quarterfinals of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Team Table Tennis Championships in Busan, South Korea secured a spot in the semifinals by defeating Denmark 3-1. This victory ensures at least a bronze medal for Korea in the men's tournament, as there is no third-place match.
The team world championships, held in even-numbered years, witnessed Korea winning men's bronze medals in the past three editions. The upcoming semifinals will see Korea facing the top-ranked team, China, aiming for its 11th consecutive world title.
 |
| ▲ Courtesy of official instagram of ITTF world team table tennis championships finals Busan 2024 |
Korea's head coach, Joo Sae-hyuk, acknowledges the challenge of overcoming China but expresses determination to give a strong performance in front of the home fans. Each team match consists of up to five singles matches in a best-of-five format, with only three players participating in each match.
Lim Jong-hoon, ranked 18th globally, led Korea to victory in the opening match by defeating Denmark's Anders Lind 3-1 (11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 14-12). Following this, Denmark's Jonathan Groth secured a point for his team by defeating Jang Woo-jin, Korea's top-ranked player at No. 14, with a score of 3-1 (11-9, 11-9, 5-11, 11-3).
 |
| ▲ Courtesy of official instagram of ITTF world team table tennis championships finals Busan 2024 |
Lim credited the overwhelming support from homegrown fans at the Busan Exhibition and Convention Center for the team's victory. Thousands of cheering fans played a significant role in boosting the morale of the Korean players.
Jang Woo-jin expressed gratitude to Lim for securing the win, acknowledging the pivotal moment when Lim came back to win the second game in the fourth match against Denmark.
The semifinals against China pose a formidable challenge for Korea, but with their players in great form and strong fan support, the team remains optimistic about putting up a good fight in pursuit of the coveted world title.
Sayart
Blue YIM, yimyoungseo1010@naver.com
