“I won’t make history or win a medal, but I’m happy to help the team”
Even if the team wins a medal in Paris, they won’t be part of the history books. Male athletes cannot be exempted from military service. It’s hard to stay motivated when you can’t play unless you’re a substitute in case of injury.
However, he has always been very supportive of his teammates, helping them train and cheering them on. This is the story of Ahn Jae-hyun (25-Korea Exchange-World No. 22) and Kim Na-young (19-Fosco International-World No. 39), the men’s and women’s P-card (reserve) members of the national table tennis team.
The men’s team, coached by Joo Se-hyuk (44), consists of Jang Woo-jin (29-SEA Sponsorship-13th), Lim Jong-hoon (27-Korea Exchange-29th) and Cho Dae-sung (22-Samsung Life Insurance-21st), while the women’s team, coached by Oh Kwang-heon (54), consists of Shin Yoo-bin (20-Korea Airlines-7th), Jeon Jeon-hee (32-Mirae Asset Securities-15th) and Lee Eun-hye (29-Korea Airlines-44th). P-card players Ahn Jae-hyun and Kim Na-young narrowly missed out on the roster after being selected by Cho Dae-sung and Lee Eun-hye, respectively.
Ahn and Kim had to stay in a neighbouring hostel instead of the athletes’ village because they were not issued official AD cards. They finally got their AD cards on the fourth day of the team competition and were able to move into the athletes’ village. It’s easy to feel disappointed and annoyed, but fortunately, it’s not. On the contrary, I came to Paris in a good mood, thinking that my experience as a P member will be the foundation for my future table tennis career.
Ahn’s ambitions are particularly impressive as he will be joining the P-card for the second consecutive Games after the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2021. He has competed at the World Championships three times, starting with the 2019 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, and also competed at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in 2023, but never at the Olympic Games.
However, Ahn said: “I came with pride and patriotism to be with Korean table tennis at the Olympics. My coach, Yoo Nam-gyu, told me, ‘Let’s admit it, let’s 파워볼게임 admit it,’ so I just focused on helping my teammates,” he said. “It didn’t matter if it was the Olympics, the World Championships or the Asian Games. I just kept quiet and helped my teammates.”
Kim Na-young was also disappointed and helped her sisters. While ‘Ace’ Shin Yoo-bin was struggling with a right wrist injury, she topped the 2022 national selection trials to qualify for the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games, but has since run out of luck.
As the games were postponed by a year, she was unable to punch her ticket to Hangzhou when the selection trials were held again the following year. She also narrowly missed out on qualification for the Paris Olympics. “The Asian Games and the Olympic Games were beyond my control,” Kim says. I am learning a lot from the fierceness of the Olympic Games, even if indirectly,” Kim said, adding, “I think I am also growing in the process of helping my teammates train.”
Although they didn’t make the squad, Ahn and Kim played a vital role in the team. Ahn’s dexterity helped make training sessions feel more like practice, as she hit a variety of pitches to her teammates. Kim Na-young, a right-handed all-rounder, also played the role of an ‘imaginary enemy’ as she was similar to the players the women’s team faced at the Olympics.
For the 2028 LA Olympics, Ahn dreams of starring, not supporting roles. “I want to qualify for the 2028 Olympic Games without making any mistakes,” said Ahn Jae-hyun. Kim Na-young added: “I felt immature in both technique and mental strength during international competitions so far. The more I competed with athletes my age, such as Kwai Man (China-42nd) and Miwa Harimoto (Japan-8th), the stronger that feeling became.” “I will absorb the tips and tricks of my older sisters’ conditioning and strengths. I will fight tooth and nail to qualify for the 2028 LA Olympics,” she vowed.