What politics cannot achieve, sport makes possible: in the mixed doubles table tennis, the Chinese gold medalists brought North and South Korea into the picture.
Since yesterday evening, a rare picture has been circulating on social media. In the mixed doubles table tennis, China won gold, North Korea silver and South Korea bronze. And the young Olympians did exactly what their competitors from the West would have done: a selfie. As if the battle between the two Korean nations did not exist, the two countries united in a sporting victory photo.
Politically, things are far less peaceful between the two Korean countries. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un described South Korea as the “greatest enemy” in January and broke off all economic relations a month later. For North Koreans, owning South Korean films, books or music is a criminal offense and can even lead to execution.
Table tennis unites, but the mix-up at the welcoming evening had consequences
The friendly image of the athletes after the medal ceremony is particularly surprising because there was an embarrassing mix-up on Friday, the opening evening of the Olympics: When the South Korean delegation sailed on a boat across the Seine, they were greeted with the official name for North Korea. The International Olympic Committee commented on this on its X-Account: “We deeply apologize for the mistake.” IOC President Thomas Bach also apologized personally to South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol.
While the South Korean head of state was obviously insulted and asked that there be no further confusion, the youth of the two feuding countries are clearly taking a more relaxed view of the situation. Three Asian countries on the winners’ podium give every reason to do so. It is possible that in Asia too it is the youth who are making up for the mistakes of the older generations. This would be good news for both countries – and if sport contributes to this, the young winners are acting in the spirit of the Olympic Games: “Open Games” is the motto in Paris this year.
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
