“Smashing even at 97… “I’m still healthy thanks to playing tennis for 1979.”[양종구의 100세 시대 건강법]

“If I come here, who should I bring with me?”

The 2nd Chundang Cup Senior Tennis Tournament was held at the Gimpo Tennis Arena in Gyeonggi-do on October 23rd. The oldest person to participate in the competition, which was held in the 85 and older division and the 90 and older division, was Kang Shin-guk, who was 97 years old. When I asked, ‘Who are you here with?’, he looked somewhat offended and said, “No, if you come to a place like this, do you really have to bring someone with you?” Mr. Kang said, “I took the subway and then took a taxi.” Even though he is close to turning 100, he said he can still travel anywhere in the country alone.

Kang Shin-guk, 97 years old, is participating in the 2nd Chundang Cup Senior Tennis Tournament held at the Gimpo Tennis Arena in Gyeonggi-do on October 23, and is parrying an opponent’s attack with a forehand stroke. Gimpo = Reporter Yang Jong-gu yjongk@donga.com

In the competition held on this day, Kang sometimes had difficulty hitting the ball with the racket, but when he did hit the ball, he hit it with a stable stance. A tournament official commented, “You seem to have lost a bit of strength compared to last year, but if you hit that level at that age, you’re playing well.”

“I was born in 1927. I was liberated when I was 19 years old in Korean age. From then on, I started playing tennis. I planned to get a job at a bank after graduating from commercial school, but it was canceled when I was liberated. But back then, when I was working at a bank as a trainee, the people working at the bank were wearing white pants and white sneakers and playing tennis, which was really nice to see. So I started hitting.”

Mr. Kang, who could not get a job at a bank, said he had been a teacher his whole life. He still plays tennis three times a week. I am attending a tennis club held at Namgang Middle School in Gwanak-gu, Seoul. He said, “There is something called ‘Hwageumhoe’ at Namgang Tennis Club. We are playing tennis on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. “I don’t miss a single day,” he said. He said that starting to play tennis at an early age was very effective in helping him live a healthy life to this day.

Kang Shin-guk is 97 years old. On October 23rd, he was the oldest player to participate in the 2nd Chundang Cup Senior Tennis Tournament held at Gimpo Tennis Arena in Gyeonggi-do.. Gimpo = Reporter Yang Jong-gu yjongk@donga.com

On this day, the Silver Tennis Festival was held at Gimpo Tennis Arena. A total of 57 senior men and women, including 43 in the 85 and older division and 14 in the 90 and older division, participated and had a great time playing tennis. This competition was hosted by Hong Ki-hoon (91), Chairman of the Chundang Scholarship Association. There is no participation fee, meals are provided, and various gifts are given. Gimpo Tennis Arena was built three years ago and consists of a total of four courts, three indoor courts and one outdoor court.

Cho Hee-seon (96), the second oldest among the participating players, has been playing tennis for over 50 years. He said, “My hometown is Hwanghae-do, and I learned about tennis after seeing teachers playing tennis. “I started playing tennis when there were no teachers at the time. When I turned 40, I started playing tennis for my health and as a hobby,” he said. He said, “Tennis not only kept me healthy, but it also gave me the opportunity to hang out with friends at this age. All my friends around me are dead, but there are friends who welcome me when I come out to the court with a tennis club. “Thanks to those friends, I am still living a happy and healthy life.”

Kang Shin-guk, 97 years old this year (third from the left in the front row), is taking a commemorative photo while participating in the 2nd Chundang Cup Senior Tennis Tournament held at the Gimpo Tennis Arena in Gyeonggi Province on October 23. The second from the left is the competition organizer, Hong Ki-hoon, chairman of the Chundang Scholarship Association. Chairman Hong is also 91 years old and enjoys playing tennis. Gimpo = Reporter Yang Jong-gu yjongk@donga.com

Yoo Myung-sook (87), the oldest player in the women’s division, played active in soft tennis during her high school days. Mr. Yoo said, “I played tennis during my school days, but I forgot about it after I got married, and when I turned 40, I started playing tennis again for my health.” He said that he had arthritis in his knees because he played too much tennis, and that he was playing tennis again after having artificial joint surgery two years ago. He said, “I still have trouble moving, but I enjoyed playing tennis so much that I came to the tournament.”

According to a study published in Denmark in 2018 (Copenhagen Heart Study), people who played tennis had the highest life expectancy. As a result of tracking 8,577 people over 25 years, the life expectancy of those who enjoyed regular exercise was found to be higher than that of those who did not, with tennis having the highest life expectancy. It was found that playing tennis increased life expectancy by 9.7 years. Badminton was 6.2 years, soccer was 4.7 years. Swimming and jogging lasted 3.4 and 3.2 years, respectively, and gym lasted 1.5 years.

Players who participated in the 2nd Chundang Cup Senior Tennis Tournament held at Gimpo Tennis Arena in Gyeonggi Province on October 23. Gimpo = Reporter Yang Jong-gu yjongk@donga.com

We analyzed two main reasons why playing tennis regularly increases life expectancy. The first and most important thing is that it is helpful for mental health through club activities such as tennis clubs. Tennis requires a partner. Clubs and clubs are formed naturally. And in most competitions, the competition is held in doubles to increase participation rate. As a result, you can naturally feel a sense of belonging through interaction with members, thereby escaping the loneliness or isolation you may feel as you age. The second is maintaining physical health through moderate exercise.

On this day, in the 90 and older division, the pair of Lee Eul-ju (93) and Kim Eung-gi (90) won the championship, while the pair of Min Gyeong-chan (91) and Park Kwang-no (90) took second place, and the pair of Lee Jeong-sik (93) and Park Soon (91) took second place. , the group of Cho Hee-seon (96) and Yoo Myeong-sook (87) tied for third place. In the 85 and older division, the team of Dae-gyu Kim (85) and Dae-woo Lee (86) won. The pair of Han Jun-gu (84) and Kim Young-seok (87) took second place, while the pair of Yoon Sang-hee (87) and Kim Chun-hoe (85) and Ji Gun-ja (80) and Han Tae-seong (86) tied for third place.

Players who participated in the 2nd Chundang Cup Senior Tennis Tournament held at Gimpo Tennis Arena in Gyeonggi-do on October 23 are taking a commemorative photo. Gimpo = Reporter Yang Jong-gu yjongk@donga.com

Gimpo = Reporter Yang Jong-gu yjongk@donga.com