09 Oct 2018

Gold medallist just over one year ago in August at the 2017 Asian Para Championships in Beijing; Korea Republic’s Park Jincheol emerged the one surprise winner, as titles were decided in the Men’s Singles wheelchair categories at the 2018 Asian Para Games in the Indonesian capital city of Jakarta on Monday 8th October.

The 36 year old won the Class 2 event.

by Ian Marshall, Editor

At the final hurdle, having recorded a semi-final success against China’s Gao Yanming, the no.3 seed (11-7, 11-6, 11-6), Park Jincheol accounted for top seed and colleague Cha Sooyong at the final hurdle (11-4, 11-9, 11-7). A surprise but only a minor surprise, Park Jincheol commenced matters in the no.2 seeded spot.

Otherwise, the top seeds claimed gold.

In a group organised event, in Class 1 Nam Kiwon, bronze medallist at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, finished ahead of Kuwait’s Hamed Latif, Chinese Taipei’s Chu Wei-Chiung and India’s Sandeep Dangi.

Meanwhile, in Class 3, Feng Panfeng; gold medallist at the most recent three Paralympic Games and the defending champion, imposed his authority on proceedings to secure the top prize in style. After having accounted for Hong Kong’s Ko Hang Yee in the penultimate round (11-2, 11-8, 11-4), he overcame Thailand’s Yuttajak Glinbanchuen, the no.2 seed (11-6, 9-11, 11-7, 12-10) to secure the colour gold.

A four games win for Feng Panfeng at the final hurdle; in Class 4, for Korea Republic’s Kim Younggun, the full five games were needed to retain the Class 4 title won four years ago in Incheon. Success at the semi-final stage in opposition to Indonesia’s Adyos Astan, the no.4 seed (11-8, 12-10, 11-7): Kim Younggun beat colleague Kim Junggil, the no.2 seed (11-7, 11-13, 10-12, 11-7, 11-5) to claim the top prize. In the counterpart semi-final, Kim Junggil had ended the hopes of China’s Zhang Yan, the no.3 seed (11-4, 11-9, 11-6).

Hard fought success for Kim Younggun, it was the same in Class 5 for China’s Cao Ningning. In the title deciding contest, he overcame, Chinese Taipei’s Cheng Ming-Chih, the no.2 seed (11-5, 11-8, 2-11, 4-11, 11-8), having one round earlier ousted the Korea Republic’s Kim Kiyoung, the no.3 seed (11-5, 11-8, 4-11, 11-8).

Medallists in the Men’s Singles wheelchair categories decided, attention not turns to the Men’s Singles Standing Classes; play in the individual events concludes on Tuesday 9th October.

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