LONDON - In a wide room scattered with ping-pong balls, Paul Drinkhall, Britain's No 1 Olympic table tennis hope, is preparing for his finest moment in a game that has been traditionally dominated by Chinese players.

"I'd like to be the top player in the world; obviously everybody would be. But I want that and I think it's possible," says Drinkhall. "What I need to work on is my mental outlook at the moment."

At 21, Drinkhall is a European Youth gold medalist and the top British table tennis player - a position he has held since 2006. With the London Olympics approaching, and having struggled at recent tournaments, Drinkhall is fighting to get his act on track.

Although table tennis originated in England, Britain has not produced a world champion since Johnny Leach in 1951 and not a single medal since the introduction of table tennis at the Olympics in 1988. Meanwhile, the Chinese are worldbeaters and swept all the gold medals for table tennis at the Beijing Games in 2008.

Without top players in the UK to mentor emerging athletes, Drinkhall has chosen to improve his game by working with international players. For the past 10 years he has trained under former Chinese player Liu Jiayi, whom he describes as "a great all-round coach" and "one of the best" in technique and playing styles.

He also participates in training camps in other parts of the world, which included a recent decision to move to Italy where he will practice alongside some of the Chinese players ahead of London 2012.

"It's just keeping practicing with some of the best players and, obviously at the moment, Chinese players are the best," says Drinkhall. "So playing with them is a good experience and I do hope to improve my game."

Being the top country in table tennis, China is one of the destinations where Drinkhall goes regularly to get practice and game exposure. He has been to the country 13 times. He says if he wants to take his game to the next level, it is necessary for him to play with Chinese players.

There are several lessons he has learned from Chinese players such as commitment to the sport, he says. Chinese players usually devote a lot of energy to their sports career, while European players tend to seek a more balanced life, he said.

Drinkhall says he now trains for three hours twice a day - a move he has modeled on his Chinese counterparts.

Looking ahead to London 2012, Drinkhall says he has much room for improvement. Mentality and consistency are the core things he is keen to improve in the coming 12 months.

"One day I will win against a great player, and the next I can go on and play a medium-level one and lose," says Drinkhall. "That's what is remaining for me from now until the Olympics - just try and be more consistent.

"I think at the top level it's mainly (mental). I mean if you look at a lot of the Chinese now, every time they go to the table they have prepared immensely and the game comes naturally to them. But mentally, they're also strong."

China Daily

(China Daily 07/27/2011 page22)