Table tennis team's lone silver fails to match medal tally set in Doha

While Hong Kong athletes have enjoyed great success in the first week in Guangzhou, the table tennis squad, a major source of medals at the Doha Games four years ago, managed only one silver medal.

Cheung Yuk and Jiang Huajun salvaged some pride for Hong Kong as the losing finalists to China's Xu Xin and Guo Yan in yesterday's mixed doubles final at Guangzhou Gymnasium - the team's only success in seven table tennis events.

'It's certainly a disappointing result,' Hong Kong coach Chan Kong-wah said. 'But at least we have won a silver and it's better than nothing. Some of our team members have played for more than 10 years, so what we have to do is identify younger players who can take their place.'

Hong Kong won one gold, two silver and two bronze medals at the Doha Games. In Pusan in 2002, the team returned home with one gold and bronze.

While Cheung - who won gold with Tie Yana in the same event in Pusan - was satisfied with his silver this time around, he was disappointed with the team's overall performance. 'We have the ability to win more medals, but we failed to deliver in Guangzhou,' he said.

Hong Kong won another medal yesterday with badminton ace Yip Pui-yin claiming a bronze after losing in the women's singles final to Wang Shixian of China. Yip, a silver medallist at the Doha Games, lost 21-14, 21-14, but still bagged a bronze medal as there is no play-off for the third place.