by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor (Interview by Iulia Necula)

Both being from the host association, the two players were most familiar, the backspin technique of Nam Yunjung not able to adjust to the attacking style of Shin Yubin.

“I have played in many ITTF Junior Circuit events which has given me the chance to play against opponents from other countries. It has helped me develop my skills and improve the level of my performance.” Shin Yubin

Coached by An Soyoung and Hwang Sunghun; including weekends, Shin Yubin practises five hours each day at her middle school table tennis in Suwon City, her hometown. During the summer and winter school holidays she attends Korean National Junior Team training sessions; a weekend off to relax is a rarity.

“My main challenge for this competition is to beat as many older and experienced players as possible from Korea and abroad. The final goal for 2017 is to win a gold medal at an ITTF World Junior circuit event; also I aim for a medal at Asian Youth Championships and finally qualify for World Junior Championships. In the long term I want to gain a place in the Korean National Team and then dream about one day becoming an Olympic Champion.” Shin Yubin

Present in Incheon following the action is her father Shin Soohyun; he is the Deputy Director of Suwan Table Tennis Association and a former table tennis player. He supports his daughter but admits to feeling nervous when she is playing. He tries to find other distractions.

“My idols are Liu Shiwen and Miu Hirano; I hope one day I can emulate them.” Shin Yubin.

A successful start for Shin Yubin who is dedicated to table tennis but does have other interests; she enjoys listening to music, especially pop songs as a way of relaxing after an intense training session.