22 Dec 2018

Top seeds, the Korea Republic combination formed by Jeong Kyuyoung, Choi Jaehyeon and Baek Minhum won the first title to be decided in the Men’s Team events at the 2018 Thailand Para Open in Chiang Mai on Friday 21st December.

The trio emerged successful in Men’s Class 11, an event in which Hong Kong proved a significant force.

by Ian Marshall, Editor

Notably Wan Wai Lok and Leung Chung Yan finished in runners up spot, ahead of colleagues Fan Ka Ho and Yuen King Shing, who joined forces with Chile’s Marco Antonio Aqueveque Quijada.

Good form from Jeong Kyuyoung, Choi Jaehyeon and Baek Minhum who commenced play the top seeds, it was the same from colleagues, Shin Myungkook and Kim Hyeonggwon; they emerged the pair to cause the one major upset as play in the Men’s Team events advanced. Competing in Class 8, they remained unbeaten to secure first place in their group, notably recording a two-one win in opposition to Vietnam’s Vo Quoc Hung and Pham Van Hoang, the top seeds. Defeat for the Vietnamese duo but it was their only reverse; second place and progress to the main draw was the eventual outcome.

Problems for the top seeds in Class 8, in the counterpart group there were no such difficulties for the no.2 seeds, the Japanese combination of Hideo Tamai and Takum Shukunobe; they remained unbeaten ton finish in first position ahead of the intercontinental pairing of Australia’s Nathan Pellissier and the Netherlands’ Distin Eier.

Meanwhile, in Class 7, three groups in the initial stage, the top three seeded outfits all enjoyed success.

Korea Republic’s Park Hongkyu, Kim Youngsung and Lee Seho, the top seeds, enjoyed a trouble free day as did the second seeds, the Japanese combination of Masachika Inoue, Kazuya Kaneko and Junki Itai. Similarly, not to be upstaged, for the no.3 seeds, Thailand’s Chalermpong Punpoo and Yuttana Nansaga, it was also top spot without due alarm.

Positive starts, in Class 9 and Class 10, both events organized on a group basis; the top seeds ended the day unbeaten.

In Class 9, Hong Kong’s Wong Chi Yin and Lam Ka Wai made a successful start to their campaign by recording a two-nil win in opposition to the combination of Thailand’s Sukij Samee and Vietnam’s Ly Xuan Phu; likewise in Class 10, Japan’s Nariaki Kakita and Naoya Nagashita overcame India’s Ranjit Singh Gujjar and Jagannath Mukherjee.

Play in Chiang Mai concludes on Saturday 22nd December.

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Paralympics Para Table Tennis 2018 Thailand Para Open