The sport of table tennis has witnessed dazzling changes in recent years and will see more in the years to come, as a result of the sport's world governing body the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

Although the increased ball size, adoption of the 11 points scoring system and new service law had been widely taken as a great challenge to the sport's world power China, coaches and players at the table tennis finals earlier this month in Shantou, south China, for China's 9th National Games took them in a fairly calm way.

"So long as Chinese players and coaches stick to their battle-proved style of play, continue to take a reformative and creative approach and timely sum up their experience, Chinese table tennis shall stand the test," said Li Furong, Vice-Minister of the State General Administration of Sports. "I'm confident that we shall continue to lead the world," he said.

To make the game more exciting and spectacular, the ITTF has decided to increase the ball size from 38 millimeters to 40, change the scoring system from 21 points per set to 11 points and take a new law which forbids the ball "hidden" in terms of vision during service.

Larger balls, which had been used since last October, came out no real obstacle in front of Chinese, who clean swept the titles at this year's world championships in Osaka. But men's singles defending champion and Olympic bronze-medalist Liu Guoliang came out a victim of the change. He failed even to make top four.

Fatigue and lack of new techniques cost the pen-holding fast attacker even more badly at national games, where he was ousted early in the singles event.

The new scoring system has come in force since September 1 this year. But it will not be adopted in China until at the Super Cup club tournament this December. The 21-point scoring system was still used in the national games table tennis tournament as it had been used in the tournament's preliminary rounds prior to the adoption of the new system.

With the 11-point system, any player had to be in good form soon after the game starts, which might bright trouble to such Chinese players as Olympic champion and former world champion Kong Linghui. Kong, who usually comes into form slow, had been seen in many come-from-behind victories.

"The new scoring system might lead a narrower gap between the strong and the weak," said Chinese men's team coach Yin Xiao. "It looks to be favorable for comparatively weaker players as it provides more sudden chances while the world's top players often take time for their wins," he said.

Yin cited the Korea Open and Japan Open, where the Chinese men's team took a sole title, in the doubles. The Europeans, who had been done quite well in recent years, failed even to make the top eight in the Korea Open, according to the coach.

"The new service rule might affect some of male Chinese players known of tricky service while the women's team is not expected to be affected much," said Lu Yuansheng, deputy head coach of the Chinese team. "It takes some time for the team to adapt themselves to the new rule," he added.

Cai Zhenhua, head coach of China's national team, believed that the new scoring system should not be a big problem for China if the players are trained to be able to adapt themselves soon into top form during competition.

Zhang Xielin, a former world champion player and vice-president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, echoed Cai's viewpoint. "The new system won't influence our strength or characteristics. The point is how fast we could adjust our tactics and mentality," he said.

But the change will certainly has its effect. As the competitors will take two services by turn, instead of five, each of the service had to be made more aggressive and deadly than ever, Zhang explained.

Cai considered the new service rule might be the most difficult aspect of the rule changes for Chinese to deal with. "A good deal of champions could be ousted while the role of umpire becomes all the more decisive," he said.

More backhand services would be seen in the future, "just to avoid infringement," he predicted. "When you serve forehand, you just can't remove your arm, your hand, part of your body and T-shirt, completely and absolutely," he added.

Li Furong urged the Chinese teams for a more creative manner in their study of the new rules and called on more practical research to improve training. "We are happy with the seven trophies from Osaka (world championships), but they mean nothing to us now," he said. "We'd take some time to sort out new ways for the game and time is on nobody's side. But I am confident of the future," he concluded.

(People's Daily October 29,2001)