There are tremendous expectations for China's team at the World Championships in Rotterdam (8 – 15 May), for they may win (if possible) everything.

Their path to the Netherlands, as reported, travels over the Werner Schlager Academy.  It is in Schwechat that the China aces will have their final preparations.

 

The Chinese Association has sent the list of people that will be at the WSA preparing for the World Championships.

 

The Chinese delegation will include 36 people:

 

1 head of the delegation

2 physiotherapists

9 coaches, including Olympic champion Liu Guoliang (1996) and Kong Linghui (2000).

24 players.  And this list reads like the who's who of world table tennis.  Among them:

Wang Hao, current world No. 1 ranked and reigning world champion in singles.

Ma Lin, Olympic champion in singles and team in 2008 in Beijing.

Wang Liqin, world individual singles champion in 2001, 2005, and 2007, runner-up in 2009, and team Olympic champion in 2008.

Ma Long, 3^rd in the World championships in 2009 and throughout 2001 ranked No. 1.

The young stars Zhang Jike, Xu Xin (who is one of the few players in the world to never have lost to Timo Boll), Yan An and Olympic doubles champion Chen Qi.  All will be training in Schwechat.

 

The list of ladies is also most impressive.

 

Li Xiaoxia, Guo Yan, Ding Ning, Guo Yue, and Liu Shiwen, all in the top 5 in the world, will be at the WSA.  The China aces will train between three and four hours a day.

In accordance with the agreement between the WSA and the Chinese Association, the training sessions will be closed to the public.

 

The only WSA players that will train with the Chinese are Joao Monteiro (Portugal), Li Qiangbing, and Daniela Dodean (both SVS STRÖCK) and Austrian team player Chen Weixing.

 

We at the Werner Schlager Academy will keep you informed on our website.