"It felt like I was saying goodbye to myself (as a table tennis player)."
Jeon Ji-hee, 33, who lost the last point, smiled. She looked relieved and sad at the same time as she was wrapping up her 14-year career as a Korean national. Jeon went across the net with her racket in hand and hugged Shin Yu-bin, 21, whom she had previously competed with. She ended her career by putting her arms around each other and making a heart overhead with her partner, who also won the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics last year.
Jeon Ji-hee, a naturalized player from China, will put down her affectionate racket. Jeon had a farewell match on Sunday when she lost to Shin Yu-bin 0-3 in the round of 64 strongest teams at the World Table Tennis Association (WTT) Singapore Smash 2025 Women's Singles held in Singapore. Having already announced her retirement last year, Jeon participated in the event as an invited player and got a chance to say goodbye to her fans.
Shin Yu-bin, who is "best friend," added significance to the last match of her career. Shin first joined the national team in 2019 when she was 15. Since then, the two athletes have served as the two best players in the Korean women's table tennis. Jeon Ji-hee, who is left-handed, and Shin Yu-bin, who is right-handed, have displayed fantastic teamwork in women's doubles. The two athletes achieved a silver medal at the World Championship and a gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023. It was the first time for Korean table tennis to win a gold medal in 21 years at the Asian Games. The two also teamed up to win a bronze medal in women's team event at the Paris Olympics last year. It was the first Olympic medal in 16 years for Korean women's table tennis. The WTT reported Jeon Ji-hee's retirement on its website, describing her retirement as "the end of an era."
After the farewell match, Jeon Ji-hee said, "It was special to play the last game with Yoo Bin." Shin Yu-bin, who presented Jeon with a bouquet of flowers at the retirement event, also thanked her, "She was my best partner. While with her, I learned a lot about table tennis. She bought me a lot of delicious food and took me here and there to raise me." 메이저놀이터
Originally from Hebei Province, China, Jeon was a promising player who won the runner-up prize in the women's singles at the Asian Youth Championship as a member of China's youth team in 2007. However, she failed to fulfill her dream to join the Chinese national team and moved to Korea the next year. Having naturalized to Korea in 2011, Jeon has been a key player in Korean women's table tennis for more than 10 years since the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. She played in three consecutive Olympic Games from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, to Tokyo in 2021, and Paris in 2024. Having achieved the best performance ever as a naturalized player, Jeon left a big impact on younger players both inside and outside the stadium.
After agonizing over her retirement after the Tokyo Olympics due to her chronic knee injury, Jeon has regained her racket to pursue her dream of becoming an Olympic medal. Along with Shin Yu-bin, who has seen rapid improvement in her skills, she will be able to finish her career after winning gold medals and Olympic bronze medals in succession over the past two years. "I decided to retire because I thought it would be difficult for me to train as a member of the national team any longer. Jeon's achievements will be a dream and hope to other naturalized players," said Kim Taek-soo, general manager of Mirae Asset Securities, Jeon's last team. Jeon also has many fans in China, and plans to plan her second life in China. The Korea Table Tennis Association will celebrate Jeon's retirement through an award ceremony to be held on Friday.