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Game, Set, Match to China

World of table tennis is international, but not really

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Apr 11, 2008 11:46 AM CDT

(Newser) – Go to a table tennis match between, say, Poland and Finland, and you’ll see something confusing. “It’s just Chinese playing against each other,” says America’s national team coach. China is so mind-bogglingly dominant at table tennis that it exports players throughout the world and still wins nearly every major competition. The Wall Street Journal checks it out.

“A Chinese player will beat an American player 11-0,” said Gao Jun, a Chinese member of the US women's team. “Or the US can use a Chinese player and maybe have a close match—which way do you want it?” The migration has so frustrated homegrown players that the International Table Tennis Federation instated immigration-curbing rules in February.

China's Guo Yue returns a shot to Jiang Huajun of Hong Kong during the women's semifinal between China and Hong Kong at the World Team Table Tennis Championships.
China's Guo Yue returns a shot to Jiang Huajun of Hong Kong during the women's semifinal between China and Hong Kong at the World Team Table Tennis Championships.   (AP Photo/Xinhua, Xu Jiajun)
Chinese President Hu Jintao plays ping pong with a student in Hong Kong Friday June 29, 2007.
Chinese President Hu Jintao plays ping pong with a student in Hong Kong Friday June 29, 2007.   (AP Photo)
China's Wang Hao returns the ball to South Korea's Lee Jun-woo in the men's final of the 2008 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Guangzhou of south China's Guangdong province, March 2, 2008.
China's Wang Hao returns the ball to South Korea's Lee Jun-woo in the men's final of the 2008 World Team Table Tennis Championships in Guangzhou of south China's Guangdong province, March 2, 2008.   (AP Photo/Color China Photo)
China's Wang Hao eyes on the ball during his match against South Korea's Lee Jun-woo in the men's final of the 2008 World Team Table Tennis Championships. China beat South Korea 3-0.
China's Wang Hao eyes on the ball during his match against South Korea's Lee Jun-woo in the men's final of the 2008 World Team Table Tennis Championships. China beat South Korea 3-0.   (AP Photo/Color China Photo)
China's Wang Liqin reacts against Hong Kong's Tang Peng in the men's semifinal match for the 2008 World Team Table Tennis Championships , March 1, 2008. China beat Hong Kong 3-0.
China's Wang Liqin reacts against Hong Kong's Tang Peng in the men's semifinal match for the 2008 World Team Table Tennis Championships , March 1, 2008. China beat Hong Kong 3-0.   (AP Photo/Color China Photo)
China's Wang Hao eyes the ball to serve against Hong Kong's Cheung Yuk in the men's semifinal match for the 2008 World Team Table Tennis Championships.
China's Wang Hao eyes the ball to serve against Hong Kong's Cheung Yuk in the men's semifinal match for the 2008 World Team Table Tennis Championships.   (AP Photo/Color China Photo)
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