ESPN
13 Mar 2008
Associated Press
BEIJING -- China is almost certain to dominate table tennis at the Beijing Olympics in August. Its hegemony won't stop at the borders, either.
Players originally from China will be key to the Olympic prospects of countries from Singapore to the Republic of Congo.
However, a new rule approved recently in international table tennis could change all that before the 2012 London Olympics.
"Imagine the Chinese football team playing Qatar and lost 3-0, and after the match we find the 11 players of Qatar are all from Brazil. How will you feel?" International Table Tennis Federation president Adham Sharara said when lobbying for the rule.
The federation believes the regulation, which goes into effect after the Beijing Games, will encourage table tennis associations to develop rather than import talent.
Players 21 or older will no longer be permitted to switch to a new country or association at world table tennis events. Athletes younger than 21 can switch, but only after a waiting period of three to seven years.
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