Table tennis: Two Koreas are China's major rivals
(CRI)
Updated: 2005-12-05 16:28

Shi Zhihao, the designated head coach of the Chinese women's table tennis team, says Korea will continue to be China's major rival in the next few years.

The former world champion noted that the two Koreas have decided to form a joint delegation to the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The Korean paddlers are therefore expected to pose a major threat to their Chinese peers, especially in the team title competition.

Coach Shi Zhihao says his team will try to collect data on the Korean players to get the Chinese team prepared.

He also notes one should not over-exaggerate the threat of the Koreans, since each team is only allowed to field three players during the team's competition.

Chinese paddlers lead the world table tennis rankings 1-2-3. Among the top ten players, five are Chinese while only one is Korean.