Players' performance in singles event will be more weighted than that of the doubles when the Chinese table tennis national team considering the roster for next year's Olympic Games on home soil, said head coach Liu Guoliang on Tuesday.
"Of course the players' results and performance in singles will be more pulled into consideration, 'cause there's only one point for doubles in the Olympic table tennis team event," said Liu after his players won 3-0 over Hong Kong to make the men's singles final of the Good Luck Beijing International Table Tennis Invitational Tournament.
"We have to send the best three singles paddlers of ours to the 2008 Olympics as the men's singles event has long been rated the most difficult to win.
"So the players we send there must be the best ones with comprehensive capabilities. Each of the three has to be good at dealing with all kind of difficulties and can play against defensive player and southpaw," he added.
According to the qualifying rules, each association may have a maximum three-man squad for the Beijing Olympic Games table tennis tournament and top 20 of the January, 2008 world rankings will earn direct berths with no more than two players from a same country or region.
With seven men paddlers within the top-20 standings of the latest world rankings, China will have a full range of selection to make up the Olympic squad.
But Liu predicted a differentiation soon to be emerged.
"Now we have a pack of six, called the 'Main Force', and everyone is talking about his chance. But I don't think it will last for long before the best three raise themselves to the highest podium, " he said.
The leading three of the Chinese men's national team are Wang Hao, Ma Lin and Wang Liqin, ranked the world No. 1 to 3 orderly.
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