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British table tennis No. values experiences in China

Xinhua, November 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

British No. 1 table tennis player Paul Drinkhall, who's in Rio for an Olympics test event, stressed the influence of Chinese coaches on his career, saying a trip to the country as an 11-year-old was crucial to his development on Thursday.

   "It improved me a lot. It was a real life experience and it really helped my table tennis in terms of getting quicker and better," the 25-year-old said. 

   "I had a Chinese coach shortly after that and I worked with him until I was 22 or 23. So I've always had a big Chinese influence in my game and it has certainly helped me."

   Drinkhall has predicted China will again be the team to beat at next year's Olympic table tennis events.

   Drinkhall, who is the current Commonwealth Games champion, expects China to dominate both the individual and team events in Rio de Janeiro. 

   He reserved particular praise for world No. 1 Ma Long. "He is the one that nobody really beats," Drinkhall told Rio2016.com. "He is always in the semifinals and finals, and only really loses to other Chinese players."

   China has secured 24 of the 28 gold medals since table tennis became an Olympic sport in 1988. They took all four gold medals available at the London 2012 Games by winning the individual and team events for both men and women. 

   Some of the world's best table tennis players are currently in Rio for the sport's official Olympic test event at the Riocentro Pavilion 4. Endi