Kim Na-young vs. Sun Yingsha: How a Close Match Highlights Korea’s Table Tennis Future

London — Reporter Jeong Se-young

South Korea’s women’s table tennis team saw its run at the World Championships end in the quarterfinals. Still, head coach Seok Eun-mi said the loss revealed both promise and clear areas to address. The standout from this tournament was Kim Na-young (POSCO International), who took world No. 1 Sun Yingsha (China) to a full five-set match.

The roster — Shin Yu-bin (Korean Air), Kim Na-young, Yang Ha-eun (Hwaseong City Corporation), Yoo Si-woo (Hwaseong City Corporation) and Park Ga-hyun (Korean Air) — fell 0–3 to China in the women’s team quarterfinal at the 2026 ITTF World Table Tennis Championships, held at London’s OVO Arena Wembley on the night of the 7th (Korean time).

Their bid for a team medal — the first since Halmstad 2018 — ended in the last eight. Kim, playing second singles, forced Sun into a deciding set and made China work for every point. Rookie Park Ga-hyun, making her World Championship team debut, also impressed by taking a game off world No. 8 Wang Yidi.

The team struggled in the seeding round but regrouped in the knockout stage, beating Canada and Singapore to reach the quarterfinals. Facing China at the semifinal hurdle proved too much, yet the overall takeaway from the tournament was more hopeful than regretful.

After the match, Seok said, “We had a difficult start to the tournament and felt a lot of pressure. Still, Shin Yu-bin and Kim Na-young did their jobs, and that’s why we were able to reach the China match.” She added, “I told the players that our weaknesses can also be opportunities — moments to challenge ourselves and to show our style of play. I said the same thing at our meeting the day before.”

On Kim Na-young, Seok praised her backhand and in-match decision-making. “Kim’s backhand is a real asset, and she used it effectively today. Her ability to read opponents and manage the match stood out. She played with confidence and, most importantly, she didn’t back down,” Seok said.

Seok called the match a starting point for Kim. “If she builds more consistency and physical strength, her technical skills and the areas she needs to improve will become even stronger weapons. Not just against Sun Yingsha, but against any opponent, Kim can show her unique strengths.”

For the third singles spot against China, Seok put the youngest player, Park Ga-hyun, on the table. “From the qualifiers, I wanted to develop our younger players, so I gave Park a lot of opportunities. In the main draw we adjusted based on the bracket, but fundamentally I believe young players need more chances,” she said. “We must cultivate more next-generation players. Today’s match was valuable experience for Park.”

Seok is already turning her attention to the Aichi–Nagoya Asian Games in September. “The Asian Games roster will be finalized in May. After that we must begin preparations immediately. Our job is to get the team into peak condition,” she said. “This tournament left us with a lot of homework and many questions about our direction. We need to pursue high-intensity training heading into the Asian Games and, ultimately, the Olympics.”

She set a bold target: “We must reach the final at the Asian Games. You have to set big goals to push the process to be more rigorous,” Seok said emphatically.