The DPRK’s Kim Kum Yong claimed the women’s singles title at the 2024 Asian table tennis championships held in Kazakhstan’s Astana from October 6 and 13.

In most cases, highly ranked women table tennis players at the Olympic Games and world championships come from Asia.

This is why experts liken the Asian championships to the world event.

Bonding with table tennis in childhood

Kim Kum Yong was born and grew up in Unjong District, Pyongyang.

She recalls that her father wanted her to become a paddler and bring honour to her country.

He took his young daughter to the table tennis group at the then juvenile sports school in the district.

“I still remember a little girl, who came to me with her father, was looking up at me expectantly with her sparkling eyes,” said instructor Kim Won Sil.

“I brought a racket and a ball to Kum Yong and asked her to hit the ball as many times as possible,” she added.

Surprisingly, she found Kum Yong trying hard all day long although others were dabbling with the ball while studying her face.

She and her husband, Jo Kyong Sok, also an instructor at the school’s table tennis group, discovered something unusual in the girl and fully expected through their long experience that she would grow up into a promising paddler.

So, the girl who was a little higher than the table came to be connected with table tennis.

The coaching couple worked hard to find training methods and playing tactics appropriate to her diminutive figure and left-handedness.

Under their guidance, Kum Yong began to improve her skills and proceeded to the Hwaeppul Sports Club.

Good mentor

Small and young as she was, Kum Yong had such strengths as left-handed shake-hand grip and perceptiveness. Her attack and defence capability appealed to Kim Yun Mi, People’s Athlete and coach at the Hwaeppul Sports Club.

Kim Yun Mi helped Kum Yong build up her capacity in attack, footwork and on-table defence.

Kum Yong always welcomed the coach’s demand and some years later she won national tournaments, getting herself certified as a promising paddler.

But she failed to enter the rankings at the 19th Asian Games last year. She was disappointed.

At that time Yun Mi guided her back to the training ground saying that though it is light, the ball carries the pride and honour of the country and the sweat shed by a player provides a shortcut to bringing glory to the country.

With the help of the coach and teammates, she bounced back with more vigour and switched her tactics from the defence style to the offensive one.

Looker with subtle technique

Kum Yong finished runner-up in the table tennis mixed doubles at the 2024 Olympic Games, grabbing the spotlight of the sport’s circles. And she went on to attend the 2024 Asian table tennis championships.

The championships, which would determine the champions of Asia and also qualify players for next year’s world championships, was unusually intense as it brought together almost all Asian participants in the 33rd Olympics.

By dint of her left-handed shake-hand grip, fancy footwork and remarkable on-table defence ability, Kum Yong applied an array of tactics and gave full play to her forte in her 3-0 semi-final crush against her Chinese Hong Kong opponent and the 3-1 final victory over the Japanese.

Seeing her thumping odds-on favourites in the tournament, fans and experts lavished praise on Kum Yong, who was described as a legendary player and a dark horse with a mysteriously subtle technique.

Thus, Kim Kum Yong has claimed the Asian title and opened a new chapter in the development of the world table tennis.

“She likes to sing Our National Flag . With the country in mind, she could win such a triumph,” said Kim Yun Mi.

Jong Hwa Sun