"You have to go into the tiger cave to catch a tiger."
Shin Yu-bin (21, Korean Air, world No. 10) has made his first bid for the Chinese professional table tennis Super League. Shin Yu-bin, who returned to gold with two bronze medals in the women's doubles and mixed doubles at the Doha World Table Tennis Championships last month, boarded a flight to China on the 7th.For the first time this season, he will try to play in the Chinese professional league as a foreign player in the 'Chinese Huang base incarnation'.
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| Photo by Ahn Sung-ho, a late reporter at the monthly tabletop |
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Shin Yu-bin reported his thrilling first win with a 3-1 come-from-behind victory over Chengdu's Xiang Jun-lin in the first game held at Xion An Sports Center in Hebei, China on the 9th. He gave up one game 7-11, but he cheered by lightly catching three games 11-3, 11-4, and 11-5. Thanks to Shin Yu-bin's ace performance, Hwang-si won the game score 3-0. After the game, local reporters, including Chinese broadcasters, were also interested in the mixed zone (joint coverage area). Shin Yu-bin also played as the main player for two consecutive days in a showdown with Shanghai Rong Teng on the 10th. However, they lost 0-3 (9-11, 5-11, 7-11) to Hezhou Xi in the second game, and the team also lost 0-3.
The Chinese table tennis Super League is the best professional league in the world. This season, more than 80 players, including Wang Chu-chin, Pan Jian-dong, Xu Xin, Lingaoyuan, Sun Yingsha, Wang Man-yu, and Kwaiman, who are proud of the Great Wall of China, will compete for the championship under the names of 15 local and corporate-related clubs. They are also actively recruiting top rankers for foreigners. Along with Shin, top-ranked players from Japan including Hirano Miu were also listed, while Oh Jun-seong was also listed in the men's category. Kiara Miu will share a meal with Shin at Hwangs.
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| Korean table tennis national team Shin Yoo-bin, who won the bronze medal in the mixed doubles and women's doubles at the 2025 International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Championships, is holding a medal after returning home to Incheon International Airport on the 26th. Courtesy = Korea Table Tennis Association |
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Shin Yu-bin has experience in the Japanese professional T-League, but this is his first time in China. He decided to go to China ahead of the Aichi and Nagoya Asian Games next year and the 2028 LA Olympics. Although he had Korea's top ranker, multiple Olympic medals, and multiple world championships medals, he has a regret in singles and, above all, a regret that he failed to beat the top Chinese ranker. In interviews, he often said, "You have to beat the Chinese and Japanese ace in the world class." In the round of 16 at the Doha World Table Tennis Championships, he also met Sun Ying-sha, the 'world's strongest', and fought hard in a close game of deuce, but the wall was still high.
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| Korean Air Women's Table Tennis Team led by legendary director Joo Se-hyuk. From left, Shin Yoo-bin, Park Ga-hyun, Lee Eun-hye, Joo Se-hyuk, Korean Air coach. |
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After the World Championship, Shin Yu-bin immediately stood in front of the table again after enjoying a short family trip. Korean Air coach Joo Se-hyuk laughed, saying, `Yubin has to go to the tiger cave to catch a tiger.' Coach Joo is the representative ace of South Korea, who played the longest in the Chinese professional league when he was active and boasted a high winning rate by eating with Marong and others, and was hotly loved by Chinese fans. Not only coach Joo, but also Jung Young-sik, Seo Hyo-won, and Ahn Jae-hyun have experienced the Chinese league.
Regarding Shin Yu-bin's challenge in the Chinese professional league, coach Joo said, `There are concerns about exposure to power, but I think Yu-bin has nothing to lose as he is still a young player. There will be a lot more to gain than to lose." "Sun Yingxia, Wang Chuqin and Pan Zhen Dong play and train at the table right next to them. There are so many things to learn and feel in the same space. It is also a great experience to play a tense match in front of a packed audience." "I also learned a lot from playing in the Chinese professional league. The knowledge gained directly and indirectly through the opposing coach and coach, and the last instruction of the operation also helped the performance a lot." "Yubin prepared really hard ahead of his departure from China. I was full of motivation. His first win and performance in the Chinese professional league will serve as motivation and confidence," he said.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
