Chinese paddlers face tough fight for Olympic berths

Not surprisingly, China continued its supremacy on the world table tennis stage last year. However, the competition between world champion teammates to make the 2012 Games in London become fiercer due to a shrinking field while coaches and officials have realized it's time to fight for the fan market.

China, again, dominated the World Championships in Yokohama, Japan, in May, bagging 17 of the 20 medals across five events.

Though the men's players, for the first time in the past four years, lost the singles title at the World Cup in Guangzhou in October, the women's side won with ease.