North Korean Kum-song turns party pooper
9 September 2007 |
| Kum-song: The men’s singles champion. |
KUALA LUMPUR: North Korean Hong Kum-song broke Malaysian hearts en route to winning the singles title in the National Table Tennis League Grand Finals at the OCM Indoor Sports Arena here yesterday.
The North Korean, who is a sparring player for the national men’s team, dashed former national player and fourth seed Choo Sim Guan’s hopes of winning the title for Inti College yesterday.
Kum-song, only seeded 16th, lost the first game 5-11 but his ferocious drives saw him coming back strongly to win 11-6, 11-4, 12-10, 14-16, 11-6 and bag the title for Budi JS.
Kum-song had defeated national player and fifth seed Chai Kian Beng, also from Inti College, in a similar come-from-behind fashion in the semi-finals. The 22-year-old Korean edged Kian Beng 11-13, 11-9, 11-9, 11-4, 4-11, 11-5.
Sim Guan, the national champion in 1999, earned his place in the final with a 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8 win over former international Eng Tian Syh of DC Hydraulics.
Kum-song had defeated Singapore’s national player and top seed Qi Quan Cai 11-5, 11-9, 11-9 to reach the last four earlier.
Second seeded Ng Sock Khim of Inti College was eliminated in the second round by Promptcon’s Chee Kian Ee. Sock Khim, who is a national women’s team player, lost 7-11, 7-11, 9-11.
The North Korean played for the national team before coming to Malaysia on a one-year contract to help lift the standard of the national men paddlers in January this year.
And he attributed his experience to helping him become the champion this year.
“I lost the opening game but was able to learn the playing style of my opponents quickly and control the pace of the match after that,” said Kum-song after the final.
Kum-song pocketed RM800 for winning the singles title while Sim Guan received RM400 as the runners-up.
However, Kum-song will not have a chance to help his side, Budi Js, bid for the team title today.
Only four teams – Inti College, Safra (Singapore), Redang Bay Resort and DC Hydraulics – will be contending for the team title.
The winners will get RM12,000 while the runners-up will receive RM6,000. The third and fourth placed team will pocket RM3,000 and RM1,500 respectively.
RESULTS
SINGLES
Final: Hong Kum-song (Budi JS) bt Choo Sim Guan (Inti) 5-11, 11-6, 11-4, 12-10, 14-16, 11-6.
Semi-finals: Hong Kum-song (Budi JS) bt Chai Kian Beng (Inti) 11-13, 11-9, 11-9, 11-4, 4-11, 11-5; Choo Sim Guan (Inti) bt Eng Tian Syh (DC Hydraulics) 9-11, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9, 11-8.
Quarter-finals: Hong Kum-song (Budi JS) bt Qi Quan Cai (Inti) 11-5, 11-9, 11-9; Eng Tian Syh (DC Hydraulics) bt Budiorno (Redang Bay) 11-8, 11-9, 8-11, 11-5, 11-5; Choo Sim Guan (Inti) bt Andy Ng Shiu Leong (DC Hydraulics) 11-5, 9-11, 4-11, 11-6, 11-8; Chai Kian Beng (Inti) bt Chan Koon Wah (DC Hydraulics) 8-11, 9-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-9.
Third round: Hong Kum-song (Budi JS) bt Zhang Guo Zhi (Petaling TTA) 7-11, 12-10, 10-12, 12-10, 11-6; Qi Quan Cai (Inti) bt Aaron Poon (Sunsport Singapore) 11-6, 11-5, 11-9; Eng Tian Syh (DC Hydraulics) bt Yeung Din Han (Petaling TTA) 7-11, 11-6, 13-11, 12-10; Budiorno (Redang Bay) bt Goon Wei Cheng (Penang Sukma) 11-6, 11-5, 11-9; Andy Ng Shiu Leong (DC Hydraulics) bt H’ng Kim Shan (Petaling TTA) 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-8; Choo Sim Guan (Inti) bt Chin Kim Huey (Redang Bay) 11-8, 11-9, 12-10; Chan Koon Wah (DC Hydraulics) bt Tey Pin Siong (Redang Bay) 9-11, 11-2, 11-6, 11-7; Chai Kian Beng (Inti) bt Lee Seng Fatt (Sunsport Singapore) 5-11, 11-5, 11-3, 17-15.
Reading Source: 09/09/2007 The Star Online
