BEIJING - China's absolute domination of the table tennis world championships has sparked more calls for the country to help develop the game beyond its borders.
China's world No.2 Wang Liqin celebrates after beating teammate Ma Lin to claim his third singles world title at the World table tennis championships in Zagreb May 27, 2007. China claimed a clean sweep of gold and silver medals for the third time. [Xinhua]
The five finals in Zagreb were all-Chinese affairs for the third time in championship history and it was the sixth time China had swept all of the titles.
The Chinese table tennis team has reached a new golden age, Cai Zhenhua, vice1 director of China's sports administration, told Xinhua.
In order to improve the attractiveness of the sport, however, there should be changes to the rules as well as more care taken about the development - to empower more and more countries and regions in this sport.
China should not only lead the development of skill and techniques but also make efforts in... training coaches and players for the backward countries and providing them with infrastructure2.
Wang Liqin staged a thrilling comeback to beat Ma Lin on Sunday and win his third men's single title, a feat3 only previously4 accomplished5 in the era of biennial6 championships by compatriot Zhuang Zedong.
PROGRESS MORE
Guo Yue showed that the future is bright by beating fellow teenager Li Xioaxia to win her first women's singles world title and also combining with Wang Liqin to win the mixed doubles.
Olympic champions Wang Nan and Zhang Yining retained their women's doubles title, while Ma teamed up with Chen Qi to deprive Wang Liqin of a third gold in the men's doubles final.
I was disappointed to miss out on the doubles gold medal, Wang Liqin told Titan. There is not a long time to the Games, I need to progress more.
Zhuang Zedong, the man whose record Wang Liqin matched at the weekend, recently told Reuters that he was concerned about how those Chinese who did move abroad to help develop the game were perceived.
If China always sweeps all world titles, nobody will be interest any longer, said Zhuang, who won his titles in the 1960s.
Many Chinese coaches and players have gone to other countries and helped them develop their sports but once any of them defeat a Chinese player, they are called 'mercenaries'.
There will not be too much concern if China sweeps the table tennis at next August's Beijing Olympics and Ma Lin said that was also his biggest goal.
If I can win the singles title at the Beijing Games all my past losses will mean nothing, he said.
