We Are Sportspersons of DPR Korea
Kim Yong Rok who won the ITTF Asian Para Championships 2025 is a man with severe physical disability.
Before the quarter final he felt all the more nervous as he fell into a bad physical condition.
He knew nobody would blame him even if he lost the game, as he is disabled.
But he thought: My motherland honoured me with the Kim Il Sung Youth Honour Prize when I won an international game, and so many people have always given me encouragement and support whenever I found myself in a difficult condition. I have to pluck up courage. I know I am one of the proud Korean sportspersons with our national flag stuck to the uniform.
The thought unusually encouraged him to fight on to the end with confidence.
Thus he defeated his opponents 3-0, 3-2 and 3-1, finally winning the championship.
After the championship he expressed his impressions: The sense of dignity, honour and spirit that I am Korean has led me to the victory. I will train harder to live up to my motherland`s expectation by flying our national flag high up in the sky to be esteemed around the world.