The 2025 WTT Youth Contender Gangneung International Table Tennis Tournament (WTT Youth Contender Gangneung 2025 Presented by SeAH) will be held from the 19th to the 22nd at the Gangneung Arena in Gangwon Province.

This tournament is part of the international tour for youth and junior players, organized by the World Table Tennis (WTT), an international tournament body under the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). This is the third WTT Youth Series held in Korea following the tournament in Cheongyang in August 2023 and the event in Gangneung in May last year. As with last year, SeAH is serving as the presenting partner, while the Korea Table Tennis Association (President Lee Tae-sung) is organizing the event, supported by Gangwon Province, Gangneung City, Axiom, and Mizuno.

The ITTF recognized the importance of future leaders and significantly increased junior open events from the mid-2000s. The WTT Youth Contender can be seen as similar to the previous ITTF Junior Circuit. Since the restructuring of the contender series, WTT has been holding numerous youth tournaments around the world, and promising players from Korea have also achieved success in various competitions regardless of the host locations in Europe, Africa, and South America.

Hosting the contender in Korea is particularly significant in that it allows more players to gain international experience. Unlike the previous circuit, which simply categorized players as junior/cadet, the contender offers much more opportunities to a larger number of players through a detailed age classification from U11 to U13/U15/U17/U19. Practical opportunities are given not only to juniors and cadets but also to elementary level hopes players.

The event held last year at the Gangneung Arena, one of the venues for the Winter Olympics, received positive evaluations from WTT not only for its pleasant facilities but also for its consideration of the schedules and balanced meal offerings for the teams from various countries. Building on the success of last year's event, participation numbers have increased significantly this year. While the absence of strong contender China is a disappointment, players from a total of 19 countries, including strong table tennis nations Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, will compete, with over 400 athletes participating. A wide range of promising young players from Korea are also preparing to compete.

However, compared to the smooth operation of last year's tournament, the Korean players faced challenges against their peers on home soil, not achieving the desired results. Although strong junior and high school players participated, they only secured victories in the men's U15 (Lee Seung-soo) and U11 (Park Chan-yong) singles events out of the twelve total categories. The rise of promising players from Japan and Taiwan was particularly visible, with Japan sweeping all categories in the women's division and Taiwan achieving notable success in the U19 men's singles (Chang Yu-an). The lack of international competition experience was pointed out as a contributing factor to the overall underperformance, leaving a disappointing mark.

Therefore, this tournament presents an opportunity to reprove Korea's capabilities in international tournament management while also challenging the players to showcase improved performance. The atmosphere is ripe. The players have continuously participated in youth contenders held in various countries, filling in gaps in experience and are determined to turn things around in this second youth contender in Gangneung.

Last year, Lee Seung-soo (Daejeon Dongsan Middle School) and Park Chan-yong (Incheon Nambu Elementary School), who held the unique title in Korea, could not participate due to competing in WTT adult tournaments and injuries. However, several promising players are looking to establish their presence in this international home tournament. The main players from the women's junior national team, who achieved the historic first world championship victory last year, are also preparing to compete. Athletes like Kwon Hyuk (Daejeon Dongsan High School), Ma Young-min (Jeonggok Middle School), Yoo Ye-rin (Hwaseong Urban Corporation), and Choi Na-hyun (Hosudon High School) will provide major highlights for table tennis fans visiting the Gangneung Arena.

The four-day schedule is tight. The men's and women's U13 and U17 qualifiers will commence on the 19th, with finals to follow immediately starting from the 20th. The U13 and U17 men's and women's singles will take place on the 20th, followed by U15 and U19 mixed doubles on the 21st, and wrapping up with U11, U15, and U19 men's and women's singles finals on the 22nd. This tournament is free to attend. Fans will get the chance to witness the potential of the future stars of world table tennis in the oval-shaped gymnasium that is highly suitable for viewing.

Various services in Gangneung City, which will also host the 2026 World Masters Table Tennis Championships, will enhance viewing convenience. Live coverage can also be watched via WTT YouTube (World Table Tennis).

[OSEN]