Can The US Catch China in Table Tennis?

As optimistic a person as I am, I think not.  It is not because Americans do not have the athletic ability, nor is it because of the lack of great facilities we have in our country. It has to do with the numbers game.

I have been training here in Shanghai now for only two weeks but what I see is mind-boggling.  For those of you that are rating conscious, imagine this.  There are about 30 ten-year-olds at this training facility in Shanghai alone that are rated between 2000-2300.  Yes, I said 10 years old.

The Ju Lu training school here in Shanghai is an elementary school that has a table tennis training school attached.  The children attend regular school and also train four hours a day.  This particular facility was built by a Hong Kong businessman and is maintained by the Chinese Government.

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