Yoo Nam-kyu and Hyun Jung-hwa are both household names in Korea when it comes to table tennis.
Yoo and Hyun won the gold medal in the men's singles and women's singles, respectively, at the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics. The following year, the two teamed up to win gold in mixed doubles at the World Table Tennis Championships. Yoo and Hyun stepped down as national team coaches about a year ago in protest against the autocratic management of the former head of the Korea Table Tennis Association. But now they're back at the helm, once again. The two plan to head the Korean national table tennis teams until the Guangzhou Asian Games next year.
[Interview : Yoo Nam-kyu, Head coach Men's National Table Tennis Team] "I was restless during the past year. It is good to be back."
[Interview : Hyun Jung-hwa, Head coach Women's National Table Tennis Team] "There is a lot of pressure, but I will channel the energy to do my best."
The two coaches, who share a hometown and have known each other since elementary school, also share a common goal: to defeat powerhouse China.
[Interview : Yoo Nam-kyu, Head coach Men's National Table Tennis Team] "It is a fine line that separates Korean players like Ryu Seung-min and Ju Sye-hyuk from their Chinese counterparts. They are not that far behind at all. So we will work on improving their physical strength and skills."
[Interview : Hyun Jung-hwa, Head coach Women's National Table Tennis Team] "It is true that the women's team is slightly behind the men's team, but I do not think that it is an excuse to expect less. I will work hard so the women's team does as well as the men."
The chance to achieve their goals as coaches will come soon enough with the World Table Tennis Championships slated to be held in April.
Lee Junghwa, Arirang New.
FEB 07, 2009
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Arirang Town
Wednesday, FEB 10, 2010, (KST) 
