Maintaining China's table tennis dominance top of large pile on Wang Liqin's plate
Wang Liqin has stepped into the Chinese table tennis hot seat at a time when the temperature could not be higher.
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Replacing Liu Guoliang as the president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, Wang's leadership begins with the country's status under pressure, after Brazil's Hugo Calderano won the men's singles at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Cup in Macau.
And the 46-year-old faces the task of maintaining China's dominance in a sport where international challengers are gaining ground.
'It is a tremendous responsibility to take over as president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association,' Wang said. 'I feel both excited and anxious.'
A two-time Olympic gold medallist in his own right, Wang's second triumph, at the 2008 Beijing Games, came under the coaching of the man he has replaced. Success at the 2028 Games is also expected.
Hugo Calderano's World Cup triumph in Macau pierced China's dominance of the men's game. Photo: Xinhua
'The immediate task is the World Championships in Doha, and the long-term goal is the Los Angeles Olympics,' he said.
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