Friday, April 24, 2009
11:35 AM
World Table Tennis Championships - Singapore Paddlers to Face More Stringent Competition
China Table Tennis Association has recently amended their final entries to the 2009 World Table Tennis Championships. There are some major changes to the entries made earlier and this implies that our players will be facing tougher challenges ahead. China will be sending the largest contingent of 25 people.

Olympic Gold Medalist Ma Lin, Wang Hao and Wang Liqin will be joined by World Top 10 players Ma Long and Chen Qi as well as Zhang Chao and Xu Xin in the Men's Singles Event. Zhang Chao and Xu Xin may be unfamiliar to most of us, but they can be one of the greatest threat to Gao Ning and Yang Zi. Both Zhang Chao and Xu Xin fought hard for their tickets by clinching an overall 2nd and 3rd position respectively, beating Ma Lin and Wang Liqin, in the selection.

Meanwhile, Zhang Yining will be leading the team for the first time after the retirement of veteran Wang Nan. She will be further supported by Guo Yue, Li Xiaoxia, Guo Yan, Ding Ning, Liu Shiwen and Yao Yan. These 7 players won the Top 7 position in the selection process, and they have every ability to beat even Feng Tianwei and Wang Yue Gu.

China will be trying out new Doubles pairing in the Doubles Event. Olympic Doubles Gold Medalist Chen Qi will no longer partner Ma Lin. Instead, he will be joining hands with another penholder Wang Hao. The other 2 pairings are Ma Long/Xu Xin and Hao Shuai/Zhang Jike. Chances of Gao Ning/Yang Zi winning a medal has greatly decreased.

Zhang Yining will be taking a break from the Doubles Event. China will be represented by World Championships Silver Medalist Guo Yue/Li Xiaoxia, Beijing natives Ding Ning/Guo Yan and the newly paired Cao Zhen/Liu Shiwen. Of which, Cao Zhen/Liu Shiwen is a totally new pairing in the international scene. These pairings already have a advantage in their positioning. Thus Feng Tianwei/Wang Yue Gu and Sun Bei Bei/Yu Meng Yu is up for a tough fight. 

China has registered a total of 7 pairings in the Mixed Doubles Event. Unlike the previous occasions, none of the renowned players are taking part. They are Hao Shuai/Chang Chenchen, Xu Xin/Fan Ying, Qiu Yike/Li Xiaodan, Zhang Chao/Yao Yan, Xu Hui/Peng Luyang, Li Ping/Cao Zhen and Zhang Jike/Mu Zi. This is the best opportunity to clinch a medal, but Singapore is likely to return empty handed because our best doubles pair Yang Zi/Wang Yue Gu might even have to withdraw.

Besides competition from China, other Asian Countries can cause major threats as well. Korea's Kim Kyung Ah and Park Mi Young and Hong Kong's Tie Yana, Jiang Huajun and Lin Ling are no pushovers as well.

Lets wish the Paddlers all the best as they embark on their journey.




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