Persson warns China: We will be back soon

Jorgen Persson has not been able to beat any Chinese table tennis players over the past few years but the 43-year-old former world and European champion from Sweden has not lost belief in European players, who dominated the sport in the early 1990s.

"Some people think China is unbeatable but that will not last forever and we will never give up," Persson told China Daily after losing 3-0 to Chuang Chih Yuan of Chinese Taipei at the Sanyuan 2009 Europe-Asia All Stars Table Tennis Challenge (Asia). Europe ultimately fell to the Asian team 3-2.

"Every team has its ups and downs. We were strong at the end of the 1980s and early 1990s."