National Table Tennis Class, Warm Hands of Compassion Even in the Post-Corona Era...

From the beginning of the new year, the "With Corona" policy that started in Wuhan, China, has lasted over 10 months, threatening the survival of relatively vulnerable people. In response, a unique event to help these individuals has warmed the hearts of many.

The Korea Convergence Technology Management Association (Chairman Ju Seong-jong), under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, operates a nonprofit national representative table tennis school (Director Chae Won-geun, Deputy Director Yoo Yeon-sun) in Daejo-dong, Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul. They had planned the “Yang Young-ja National Christian Table Tennis Tournament” last April, but it was indefinitely postponed due to COVID-19.

The tournament was scaled down and rescheduled for the 5th as the “88 Olympic Legend Yang Young-ja Charity Table Tennis Tournament,” but the event faced another obstacle due to a ban on gatherings of more than 10 people, equivalent to level 3 quarantine measures. Director Chae gathered the consensus of all members and divided the participants into the Cheongryong (Blue Dragon) and Baekho (White Tiger) groups, holding the tournament over the past week in a dispersed manner while complying with indoor sports quarantine guidelines limiting 9 people.

The results of the tournament were as follows: In the Cheongryong group, winners were Jeong Seon-sook and Park Young-sook; runners-up were Kim Yoo-soon and Choi Ok-seon; third place went to Lee Kyung-hee and Yoo Yeon-sun. In the Baekho group, winners were Lee Young-hwa and Seo Sang-eun; runners-up were Lee Jung-soo and Jo Hee-yeol; third place was taken by Kim Kyung-jung and Kang Tae-shin. The Progress Award for improved skills and excellent manners went to member Lee Chung-shin, and the Rookie Award was given to member Baek Nam-pyo, who joined six months ago. All awardees received certificates and generous prizes, and all participants were given raffle prizes. In his acceptance speech, Rookie Award winner Baek Nam-pyo said, “The past six months of learning and exercising with members who have beautiful hearts and appearances have been refreshing and grateful. Though I am still lacking, I will strive harder within our community by emulating these beautiful qualities and practicing love.”

Although the Korea Convergence Technology Management Association covered all expenses for this tournament, the members of the national representative table tennis school further united in the original spirit of the event to expand donations to help five families in Eunpyeong-gu. In addition to the participants’ contributions, members Chae Won-geun, Yoo Yeon-sun, Lee Mi-kyung, Lee Kyung-hee, Kim Yeon-sook, Lee Young-hwa, Jeong Seon-sook, Song Young-hyang, Yoon Yeo-cheol, and Lee Jung-soo added donations, increasing the support from three to five families.

Meanwhile, Deputy Director Yoo Yeon-sun, who quietly managed the tournament, expressed, “Despite these difficult times for everyone, I am pleased that all members united to share warm affection through this event to help neighbors in greater need. I hope the whole nation will come together to overcome this crisis quickly and bring a world without COVID-19.” The collected donations will be delivered to the five families in cooperation with the Eunpyeong-gu Community Service Center.