Koreans
sweep table tennis tourney
(20-07-2009)
HCM CITY — Cho Eon-rae
of South Korea edged Japanese East Kobe team’s Chan Kazuhiko 4-3 (6-11,16-14,
11-9, 11-9, 6-11, 4-11, 11-9) yesterday in the men’s singles at the Golden
Paddle Open international table tennis tournament at HCM City’s Phan Dinh
Phung Gymnasium.
Cho overcame Chan, who had
just taken second place in the Japanese table tennis championship, in an
exciting final to win the gold medal and help the Korean team sweep the
tournament.
In an earlier match, Lee
Eun-hee, ranked 41st in the world, defeated Ichikawa Azusa of Japan in the women’s
singles final for the gold.
South Korea also bagged
golds in the men’s doubles, women’s doubles, mixed doubles, and men’s and
women’s team events.
"The achievement is
remarkable as there are some very strong players in the tournament, especially
Japanese players," said Choi Jai Seon, head coach of the Korean team.
"Vietnamese players
Nguyen Nam Hai and Doan Kien Quoc are very good and experienced, but Quoc is a
little bit old."
Vietnamese players
including Nguyen Nam Hai, Tran Tuan Quynh and Doan Kien Quoc won bronzes in the
men’s team and men’s doubles event. Hai and Mai Hoang My Trang also won a
bronze in the mixed doubles event.
"Vietnamese players
are still in form, but this year the Korean and Japanese teams sent many very
strong players to the tournament," said Nguyen Duc Long, head coach of the
Viet Nam team.
The tournament drew 93
players, including 41 women, from China, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea,
Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam, competing in the men’s and women’s
singles, doubles and mixed doubles. — VNS