Following are the seedings for the men's team event round-robin draw, to be made on Thursday, of the Beijing Olympic Games table tennis tournament slated on August 13-23:

1. China

2. Germany

3. South Korea

4. Hong Kong, China

5. Japan

6. Chinese Taipei

7. Singapore

8. Austria

9. Croatia

10. Greece

11. Sweden

12. Russia

13. Brazil

14. Nigeria

15. Canada

16. Australia

Note: The four highest seeded teams occupy the No. 1 seed position in each group. The remainder of the draw proceeds with teams drawn in pairs. The fifth and sixth seeds are drawn by lot into either groups three or four, as are the 11th and 12th seeds, and the 13th and 14th seeds; the seventh and eighth seeds go into groups one or two, as do the ninth and tenth seeds, and the 15th and 16th seeds.

Teams initially compete in four groups with four teams in each; those finishing first and second in each group go on to determine the medal places on an elimination basis, meaning that the top four seeded teams will not meet each other until the semifinals.

(Xinhua News Agency August 6, 2008)