The Hindu : Sport / Table Tennis : Foreign coach: decision after C'wealth meet

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Thursday, May 31, 2007
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Foreign coach: decision after C'wealth meet

JAIPUR: For quite some time, there has been talk of India hiring a foreign coach. Thankfully, it has reached the processing stage now. That's what M.C. Chowhan, Secretary General, Table Tennis Federation of India, said when he spoke to The Hindu.

"We have several names on our list: a Chinese coach based in China, a European coach based in Belarus, and a Chinese coach working in Europe. I have also asked for more names from the International Table Tennis Federation."

Chowhan said a decision on the coach would be taken only after the event. "That (zeroing in on a coach) will be the only task after the Commonwealth championship," he said.

The Chinese connection

It's an established fact that China is on top of the world in table tennis. The recent World championship at Zagreb, where it swept all the gold and silver medals, was yet another proof of its supremacy.

The Chinese impact has been felt here. One can spot a handful of Chinese, both as players and coaches.

The migration of the players' parents and the fact that many countries recruit the Chinese to boost their medal prospects could be the reasons behind this spurt.

South Africa has Xuixeng Zhou as its coach, while Singapore has roped in Gao Ning and Yang Zi in the men's section besides Wang Yue Gu who reached the women's doubles semifinals at Zagreb.

The Kiwis have four women's and two men's players from China. The coach, too, is from China. Australia, too, has three women paddlers and two in the men's category. Almost the entire Canadian team consists of Chinese. — Sports Reporter

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