Seo Su-yeon, a leading figure in South Korean para table tennis, has overcome widespread bodily pain to stand at the top of Asia.

Today (October 20), in the fourth match of the women's singles group stage at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games held at Sky Hall Toyota in Toyota, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, Seo defeated Liu Jing 3-1.

With four consecutive wins in the group stage securing her victory, Seo has taken her first step toward achieving a third consecutive triple crown following the 2022 Hangzhou Games.

The victory was all the more meaningful as it came against Liu Jing, an opponent who had repeatedly stood in her way at past Paralympic Games.

Meeting with reporters after the match, Seo let out a sigh of relief, saying she was glad to have successfully overcome dangerous hurdles.

Having suffered from widespread physical pain due to conditions such as tendinitis even before the competition, Seo took the court while enduring it with painkillers.

Though her body feels heavy, her sights are already set on her next goal: a triple crown at the current tournament.

Seo will team up with junior teammate Yoon Ji-yu in the women's doubles and Park Jin-chul in the mixed doubles in pursuit of additional gold medals.

Regarding the doubles matches, she expressed a heavy burden of concern about potentially being a burden to her partners, while resolving to do her absolute best for the partner by her side.

Seo's gaze also extends all the way to the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics, adding that she always aims for first place while doing her best in the present.

(Photo: Provided by the Korean Paralympic Committee, Yonhap News)