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Chinese paddlers vie to make clean sweep

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-11-25 20:23

Chinese paddlers are expecting a best ever result of the history from the 15th Asian Games at Doha, said officials after they arrived here Saturday morning.

Olympic champion Wang Nan of China table tennis team is presented a rose as she arrives at Doha International Airport,Qator November 25,2006.China table tennis team has arrived Doha today for the 15th Asian Games starting December 1.[Xinhua]

"We've never declared that our goal for the Doha Asiad is to win all table tennis gold medals, but both coaches of the men's and women's teams, Liu Guoliang and Shi Zhihao, are determined to vie for the best," said Huang Biao, the team manager of the Chinese national table tennis team.

"It's a pity that none of the previous Asian Games had seen a clean sweep from Chinese paddlers," he added.

Liu Fengyan, Chief Director to the Table Tennis and Badminton Center of China, had repeated before the team leaving Beijing for Doha that the Asiad is a place to defend Chinese paddlers' pride as leaders to the world table tennis, as well as providing opportunities to nurture the younger players.

Olympic silver medalist Wang Hao and quadruple world cup winner Ma Lin lead the field of the men's events and the "Grand Slam" winner of table tennis Wang Nan heads the women's part, as the Chinese paddlers take part in all seven events of the Asiad table tennis competitions of men's and women's team, singles, doubles and mixed doubles events.

The table tennis team was the second pack of Chinese delegation having arrived at Doha after China's soccer team reached here earlier for the preliminary round.