China's former Olympic and world champion Kong Linghui has joined the run for the head coach post of the ping pong-mania country's national women's team.

The retired table tennis star declared his candidateship Tuesday at a general meeting of the sport's governing body of China in Zhangjiagang, East China, where the national championships was held last week.

Reining head coach Shi Zhihao, 49, who led China to win double in last August's Beijing Olympic Games with Kong and other national coaches' assist, is the only other candidate for the post.

"I take it as a fresh experience and a chance for myself to get improved, rather than a merely competition ready-to-win," said Kong.

The "Prince of Table Tennis" in China rated his chance low despite an unprecedented high support from fans and media, adding that he will stay among the national team staff if failing the head coach run.

"Shi has been in a very successful three-year charge, and his experience and reputation as a coach is far beyond me," Kong said.

"He's definitely the one more promising between us and to carry out his second spell, while I'm just younger and dare to try, if we see that as a good point," added the 33-year-old.

During his 22-minute electioneering speech, Kong stated his opinions on how to valuate the current situations among Chinese nationals as well as that of the world women's table tennis, focusing more on the technical details.

However, the coaching rookie, who's appointed assistant coach for the national side shortly after announcing his retirement late in 2006, has been backed by many, thanks to his achievement in both player and coach career so far.

"Kong's one of the greatest ever table tennis players in the world, and that explains everything, like why he's convincing and how's I improved so well," had once said Yao Yan, one of Kong's in-charged players.

Also the country's table tennis chief did not hide his lean to a young head coach. "A head coach has to be energetic, passionate and innovative," said recently Liu Fengyan, director of the Chinese table tennis and badminton administrative center.

Kong had capped a glittering career by joining Sweden's Jan-Ove Waldner and former teammate Liu Guoliang to be one of the world's Grand Slam winners of Olympics, world championships and World Cup.

He broke into the Chinese national team in 1991 and took a singles gold at the 1995 world championships in Tianjin at the age of 19.

The ping pong great paired with Liu Guoliang to win Olympic doubles gold the following year at Atlanta and was singles Olympic champion at the Sydney 2000 Games.

As Liu had quit earlier and became the youngest ever head coach for China's men's team, Kong lived longer as a player before he retired and came to assist Liu to take care of the men's squad.

Many are expecting the Twin Stars to come jointly again, just like what they'd done as players, but here may be a couple days before the candidateships being reviewed and a decision being made, according to the Center's officials.

(Xinhua News Agency November 25, 2008)