Chinese talents seek other nationality to become national team members



By Kim Rahn



Korean couples do not have the right to adopt young Chinese table tennis players to enable them to become Korean national team members, Seoul Family Court said Sunday.



The court agreed to review four cases in which Korean couples sought to adopt young table tennis players from China.



The couples said the children have talent for the sport, adding that if they were allowed to adopt the children, they would encourage them to become members of domestic table tennis teams and participate in international games.



One of the would-be parents is a famous former table tennis player who won a gold medal in the Olympic Games, according to the court, which did not disclose the name.



One couple even said they had already agreed with a domestic team coach to have the child join the team.



The purpose of the adoption was clear: to give Korean nationality to the Chinese players. Minors can apply for special naturalization immediately after adoption, unlike the ordinary naturalization process for adults which requires at least three years of residency here.



It is not known whether the couples applied for adoption in return for money or other favors from the children's birth parents or officials of the Korean teams.



"Judges have contemplated the cases for a long time," a court official said. "On one hand, these could be seen as an abuse of the adoption system. On the other hand, it has become very common for sports talents to choose other nationalities when they cannot become their homelands' national team members."



Following months-long contemplation, the court recently rejected the application for the first case, saying the purpose of the adoption doesn't seem to be appropriate for the child's welfare.



"The couple claimed adoption was proper because the child has good table tennis skills and she wants to obtain Korean nationality. But it is hard to accept the motive of the adoption — to have the girl become a national team player," Judge Kim Hyeong-ryul said.



Kim said the girl has grown up with her birth parents without any trouble and has recently been admitted to a prestigious university in China.



She had no special relationship with the Korean couple. "There is no special reason for the girl to be adopted by the Korean family, giving up her Chinese nationality and her social relationships there."



The couple appealed. But after the first court decision, two other couples withdrew their applications.



It is very common around the world for Chinese table tennis players to get foreign nationalities because it is very difficult for them to become a national team member for China where outstanding players are abundant. Such people usually obtain the new nationalities after becoming adults.



In the Rio Olympics, five of six United States national team members are from China. Austria, Germany, the Netherlands and Australia also have players from China. The Korean team's Jeon Ji-hee also obtained Korean nationality in 2011 when she was 19.



