Roundup: Chinese table tennis players in good form at Beijing Paralympics

Source: Xinhua | 09-07-2008 22:07

BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- All but six Chinese table tennis players defeated their opponents at the Beijing Paralympics here on Sunday.

The table tennis tournament in Paralympics is separated into 10 classes depending on players' disabilities. The smaller the number is, the more severe their disabilities are.

Classes 6 to 10 are for standing competitors while classes 1 to 5 are for players seated on wheelchairs.

"European countries started to develop table tennis games for disabled people in the 1950s, much earlier than we started, but we have been improving," Chinese coach Heng Xin told Xinhua earlier.

Yet Chinese contenders showed pretty good form in Sunday's matches.

Zhang Xiaoling, five-time Paralympic gold medalist for both team and individual events in class 8, downed two group opponents Jane Karla Rodrigues and Marleen Bengtsson Kovacs 3-0. Kovacs was the silver medalist in the Athens Paralympics in the class 6-8.

"Energy wouldn't be a problem for me, although I am 51 years old. I haven't thought much about the 11th gold medal nor weather I would come for the next Paralympics," Zhang said.

"What really matters is the Paralympics set a stage for us. It is a brand new start for us, and I really enjoy being here," she added.

Her teammate, Zhang Ying, also took out two of her group opponents in class 5 with two clean 3-0 victories.