The president of Mexico's table tennis federation, Salvador Vitelli Pineda, said on Monday that the Mexican team can only win a bronze medal in the Pan-American Games due in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro this year.

"We are aspiring to a bronze medal for the men's team, whether as individuals, pairs or for the team as a whole," Vitelli said, adding that three men and two women will represent Mexico at the Games.

A bronze medal would be a significant improvement compared to 2003's Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, where the team came home with nothing.

Last year the team was third in Latin America and this year they are in fourth behind Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Cuba.

"Our players have stretched a great deal, especially our number one player Marcos Madrid, who beat Pan-American champions Brazil in the qualifiers and has also beaten the world under-20 table tennis champion," he said.

To prepare for the Pan American Games, Mexico will send a team to the May 21 to 27 World Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, which will travel on to Chinese city Chengdu to take part in a training camp.

The men's team is Madrid, Rafael Mendez and Guillermo Munoz, and their Chinese coach Yin Ping. The women's is Sara Rosas and Nancy Sanchez.