Table tennis has never been more popular in Taiwan than it has today. In their first appearance in many years at the World Table Tennis Championship, held in Sweden this year, the Republic of China team won the Level Two women's title and captured second place in the men's division. In June they competed in various tournaments in the United States, where Huang Hui-chueh and Wu Wen-chia bested the number one player in the world, Chiang Chia-liang of mainland China. After several years away from the world table tennis scene, Taiwan is unmistakably back.

Taiwan has long been the home of first-class table tennis. Players always held their own against seasoned foreign competition. In the past few years, Chinese players, such as Wu Wen-chia and female standout Chang Hsiu-yu, have defeated superb South Korean players, among them Kim Wun (The National Treasure) and Yang Eng Cha. South Korean coach Yun Kil Thon says, "The Chinese play close to the table and play a fast game. They defend very smoothly and if they're playing well, they usually win." South Korea for many years has sent players to Taiwan for training, which undoubtedly accounts in part for their present ability to match North Korea and mainland China.

Other coaches concur with Yun. Li Ho-nan, who formerly coached the mainland Chinese women's team and now trains the American team, estimates the level of play on both sides of the Taiwan Straits to be "about even." He praises Taiwan's players for their concept of attack as well as progress in serving and returning serve, but notes that their styles are too similar and that not enough attention is paid to technique. Competitors here frequently display great quickness and relentlessness, preferring to attack from the right side while defending from the left. This style often puts their taller and stronger European opponents, who rely on spins and power, on the defensive. Yet should they meet a good server or a foe with an unorthodox style, they begin to run into problems.

Table tennis is an unusually subtle sport. Players find a chink in their opponents' armor and then repeatedly pound away, waiting for the foe to defeat him or herself. Because of the countless ways in which one can err, luck also plays a large role. Games sometimes take very little time to play, and if one player cannot solve a certain facet of his opponent's game, the contest may be over quite quickly. Wu, for example, was bewildered by the Sweden Lindh's serve, and thus met defeat. Chinese players have also had difficulties in handling balls hit with spins, making it imperative that they further study other techniques.

"Serving well is half of winning," says coach Shen T'ien-pao, and an expert commonly has a arsenal of shots to accompany an effective serve. Some techniques, now outlawed, include serving from below the height of the table and using paddles with sides that have the same color but different materials. Lobs, controlled by a variety of spins, constitute another weapon, often used by the ROC's Wu and Huang.

Table tennis has been an important sport and pastime in Taiwan for many years. In the 1950s the island produced many great players, such as Ch'en Pao-pei, Chiang Ts'ai-yun, and three-time world champion (1958-1960) Chou Lin-jui. During this period, people in both the cities and the countryside had few sources of entertainment, and table tennis, with its minimal requirements of table, paddles, ball, and partner, was the favorite pastime. As a result, the sport become quite well organized and today there exist many different levels of competition, each with its own tournaments and prizes.

After the ROC withdrew from the World Table Tennis Association in 1973, people began to turn their interest for a time to other sports, such as baseball and basketball. Efforts were made to maintain the sport's popularity, with campaigns calling table tennis "Exercise for Everyone." Only in the past few years, however, when the national team performed well in South Korea, the U.S, and Europe, did enthusiasm for the game truly revive in Taiwan. The resurgence was led by players such as Chang Hsiu-yu, Wu Wen-chia, and Chuang Shu-hua, who hail from rural districts in central and southern Taiwan, where table tennis never lost its appeal.

Despite their fine natural ability, many of these athletes would have remained diamonds in the rough were it not for Lin Chung-hsiung and other equally dedicated coaches. Lin recruits extensively and frequently produces world class players. (Wu Wen-chia, for example, won 13 of 15 matches at the World Championship in Sweden, often beating experienced foes seven and eight years older than he.) Lin's charges often live with him and they undergo an extremely rigorous training under his regimen. Players practice at least seven hours a day, with early morning runs and evening exercises. Jumping rope, boxing, and watching videotapes of other players are also part of the program. To keep his pupils motivated, Lin has tacked on the wall several slogans meant for inspiration, among which read, "To give life meaning, one must work harder and be more persistent than others" and "My dreams, ideals, and hopes are all wrapped up with the little white ball." And although Taiwan's entrants played well at the tournament in Sweden, Lin believes their styles to be too uniform, allowing the competition to beat them once their general attack had been analyzed. Lin consequently now is training his players to vary their styles.

This promotion of diversification contrasts sharply with training techniques on mainland China, home of the world's best players. (This year the first five top-ranked men and the first seven top-ranked women are from the mainland) Their philosophy encourages close imitation of the world's top aces, and sessions are conducted under the utmost secrecy. Mainland China used its table tennis prowess with "ping-pong diplomacy" in 1971, but now, one observer notes, they might have become too successful for their own good.

Taiwan already boasts five players in the world's top 100, and this point it is difficult to predict how the elimination of different levels next year will affect the national team's fortunes. Yet come what may, the Republic of China is already off to a good start in the world's arena.
(Mark Halperin)

[Picture Caption]

Close inspection shows this player is about to execute a "slice" shot.

Table tennis is the most competitive sport in Taiwan. Pictured is the elementary school level team from Miaoli County.

Huang Hui-chueh is noted for his finesse game.

An expert gives a few pointers.

Running up and down stairs is a fundamental part of a conditioning program.

Rising young star Hou Shu-ling is known for her sense of rhythm.

Table tennis requires a minimum of equipment and can be played for hoursat a stretch.

Complete concentration is a necessity for any player in competition. At left is Chang Hsiu-Yu.

Players from the Tainan Tennis Camp, eight years ago (top) and today (bottom). Front row left is Huang Hui-chueh and front row right is Wu Wen-chia.

This well-rounded youth shows off his form.

Table tennis is the most competitive sport in Taiwan. Pictured is the elementary school level team from Miaoli County.

Running up and down stairs is a fundamental part of a conditioning program.

Huang Hui-chueh is noted for his finesse game.

An expert gives a few pointers.

Complete concentration is a necessity for any player in competition. At left is Chang Hsiu-Yu.

Table tennis requires a minimum of equipment and can be played for hours　at a stretch.

Rising young star Hou Shu-ling is known for her sense of rhythm.

Players from the Tainan Tennis Camp, eight years ago （top） and today （bottom）. Front row left is Huang Hui-chueh and front row right is Wu Wen-chia.

Players from the Tainan Tennis Camp, eight years ago （top） and today （bottom）. Front row left is Huang Hui-chueh and front row right is Wu Wen-chia.

This well-rounded youth shows off his form.