Chinese paddlers proved highly competent for the Olympic competition system

CHANGCHUN, Northeast China, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese table tennis team has again proved its invincibility by sweeping all the gold medals at the 2008 ITTF China Open, a tournament that has adopted ITTF's new competition system from May 14 to 18.

China has won four titles during the 5-day tournament, including two singles and two team titles. Having lost one point during the quarterfinals and semifinals though, the path for the Chinese teams to championship is smooth and unhindered -- both men's and women's team whitewashed their respective opponents Hong Kong of China and South Korea 3-0 at the finals.

The new system, which cancels the doubles events and brings them into team competition, will be adopted in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The China Open is the first tournament that employed such system for paddlers to get better preparation for the coming Olympics.

"The players who participate in the doubles are randomly selected from the three team members by the coach when the first two rounds end, which will add more uncertainty and variation to the result of the game." said Yu Bin, deputy director of Table Tennis and Badminton Administration Center of China's General Administration of Sport.

"The adjustment in competition system at the Olympics aims at amore competitive and attractive game." said Shi Zhihao, coach of the Chinese women's team.

The adoption of the new system faced very few doubt and questions. During the China Open, most paddlers and coaches showed great approval to the adjustment.

"The new system will offer more chances to produce an unexpected winner. The result of the game will be more dependent on the coach's arrangement and tactics." said Li Binhan, manager of the Singapore team.

"However, as doubles events only occupies one round of the game, the performance of singles players is still the key to success." he added.

According to Shi Zhihao, the Chinese team have long prepared for the new system.

"It's obvious that most teams have kept focusing on the arrangement of the team match, but maybe we just adapted more quickly to the new system." Shi said after his team won the champion.

"I feel that we can perfectly fit into the new system," said Wang Hao, currently the world's No.1 paddler, "In fact, our true enemy at the Beijing Olympics is not the new competition system but ourselves."

However, China is still cautious about the goal at the coming Olympics.

"The Chinese team will fight for the best at the Olympics, just as what they did in the past." said Yu Bin.