Establishment of Gangdong-gu Women's Table Tennis Team

On the 29th, 'Founding Ceremony' at the District Office 5th Floor Auditorium, Attended by Legend Table Tennis Players and Sports Council... Aiming for Coexistence of Recreational and Elite Sports... Expecting a New Breeze for Healthy City Gangdong

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Gangdong-gu (District Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon) is launching a women's table tennis team for the workplace sports club and will hold the inauguration ceremony at 4 p.m. on the 29th in the large auditorium on the 5th floor of the district office.

The inauguration ceremony will be attended by legendary table tennis players such as Hyun Jung-hwa, Vice President of the Korea Table Tennis Association, and Jung Hyun-sook, President of the Korea Women's Table Tennis Federation, as well as about 50 people including members of the Seoul and Gangdong-gu Sports Councils and table tennis enthusiasts, to celebrate the first step of the Gangdong-gu Office women's table tennis team.

There will also be a sand animation video reenacting prehistoric table tennis matches and table tennis performances.

Regarding the "strengthened quarantine measures," the district plans to hold the event with a minimum number of participants, send online invitations in a non-face-to-face manner, and strictly comply with social distancing guidelines such as thorough pre-disinfection and quarantine measures and maintaining distance between attendees.

Table tennis is a healthy sport that involves a lot of exercise without putting strain on the body. About 2,750 club members enjoy table tennis in Gangdong-gu, and it is gaining popularity among residents seeking health in the era of longevity.

Based on this support, Gangdong-gu has established a women's table tennis team composed of head coach Shim Jeom-ju, coach Lee Hee-san, and five players to promote the coexistence and development of recreational and elite sports.

The team members include Park Ji-eun, who was active at Daejeon Facilities Management Corporation; Yoo Jeong-eun, Hwang Seo-young, and Son Yoo-won, who have won awards at national university table tennis competitions; and veteran Yoo Hye-jung, who has won awards at the National Sports Festival and the World Junior Championships.

They are currently training hard with the goal of placing in the top ranks of major domestic and international competitions. In the future, they plan to establish youth table tennis teams and outreach table tennis programs to create a virtuous cycle between elite and recreational sports and serve as ambassadors to enhance the brand image of Gangdong-gu as a healthy city.

Lee Jeong-hoon, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, said, "The Gangdong-gu Office women's table tennis team will contribute to communication among residents and health promotion through table tennis and become a foundation for the future of sports in Gangdong-gu. We will actively support this," adding, "We will strive to build various sports infrastructures suitable for the era of Gangdong with a population of 550,000 in 2023."