In a tension packed Peking University Gymnasium, the Republic of Korea (ROK) captured gold in Men's Team - Classes 4/5 in the Table Tennis events at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, beating China (PRC) in a contest that kept the packed house totally captivated.
The Republic of Korea won by three matches to one with every duel closely fought, the match lasting two hours 21 minutes.
The two opening encounters both went the full five games distance and both went to the Republic of Korea with Jung Eun-chang overcoming Guo Xingyuan of China and Kim Byoung-young accounting for Zhang Yan of China. The host nation stemmed the tide by winning the doubles contest but it was not enough spark to fire a miraculous recovery.
Zhang gave heart and soul to the cause against Jung in the next contest, and he saved two match points in the decisive fifth game that had photographers hoisting their cameras toward moments of unbridled emotion.
The emotion came from the Republic of Korea - on his third match point Jung succeeded and was immediately mobbed by his teammates. They had lived every anxious moment. The crowd sighed and then applauded both sets of players for providing a spectacle worthy of the splendid theatrical setting.
A truly captivating contest, while, by comparison, the bronze medal match went in a rather more tepid fashion to France.
They beat Norway three-nil with Emeric Martin of France defeating Tommy Urhaug of Norway, Christophe Durand overcoming Rolf Erik Paulsen and matters coming to a conclusion with French Doubles success.
A success for France and there was more. Gilles de la Bourdonnaye and Jeremy Rousseau recorded a three-nil victory in the Men's Team Classes 9/10 bronze medal match over the Czech Republic's Jaroslav Cieslar and Ivan Karabec.
The victors duly received the applause of the crowd but the passionate adulation was reserved for a contest that brought the Table Tennis events in the Peking University Gymnasium to a close.
China, to the delight of the faithful, beat Spain by three matches to nil to secure gold and to be crowned Men's Team - Classes 9/10 champions.
Ma Lin gave China the perfect start by overcoming Jose Manuel Ruiz in a tense five game duel to settle the host nation's nerves, Ge Yang extended the lead by defeating Jorge Cardona with Doubles success bringing matters to a conclusion.
Yet again it was gold for China, the nation that in Beijing has proved the super power of the Table Tennis world, a step ahead of all rivals.
(BOCOG.com September 16, 2008)