Training China's Olympic ping-pong hopefuls

It is hard to dispute that, among all the Olympic sports, China's greatest chance for obtaining the coveted Olympic gold lies in ping-pong, the country's national sport and pride. As the Chinese team prepares for the final countdown to the Beijing 2008 Summer Games, the sport's aspiring youth are already showing their deft moves across the tables.

But success does not lie in skill alone. Training schools, like the famous Shanghai Cao Yanhua Table-Tennis Training School in Baoshan, are preparing tomorrow's Olympic hopefuls. Wu Fu Lin, head coach at Cao Yanhua, began his coaching career in 1962 and has trained the likes of Wu Na and current member of the women's national team, Fan Ying. His former protégé, Qin Zhe Jian, is now head coach of the Chinese national team. "It takes more than just talent and repetitive training to make a top-level ping-pong player," Wu relates. "Those children who can train for hours and still be enthusiastic about the game are more likely to succeed."

The road to glory begins at a young age. Students at Cao Yanhua aged 6-14 years old practice for five hours a day during one-month summer programs. Five students have gone on to the national team. "This is the top school for young players," expresses the headmaster, Chen Bao Xi. Cao Yanhua's club in Hongkou also draws overseas students from Germany, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and America. Both Wu and Chen are optimistic about the Olympics. They explain, "China's gold medal wins at the 1961 International World Table Tennis Championships propeled the sport to its current level of popularity, and Shanghai's own Wang Liqin, is a popular favorite for the Olympic gold."

With a spark of enthusiasm and pride, Wu says, "I am very confident that the Chinese team will get four gold medals." He laughs. "The hardest part for Chinese players is making it onto the national team." Wu, still in contact with Chinese national coach Qin, is very proud of his former student. Seeing his teachings passed on makes him feel he has contributed to the bigger picture in some small way. "Shanghai has always played a strong role in training future athletes, and I am happy to be a continuing part of this tradition."