Table tennis powerhouse China is still groping for the best way to handle the 40mm-diameter ball, which has come into use since the Sydney Olympic Games.

Head coach of the Chinese national team Cai Zhenhua said on Thursday that although three and a half months passed, he has to go further into the study of the large ball, whose diameter increased from the original 38mm to 40mm starting from October 1.

"Chinese players are still adjusting to the new ball, which has less spin and is slower in speed," Cai said at a table tennis seminar in Hong Kong, China.

"We need make changes accordingly, but so far we have not figured out some new ways or equipment that can keep us in dominant position," he said.

Cai, however, did not think that the new ball, as experts have claimed, will put those in good stead who play power table tennis.

"The future of the sport will continue to be technique-oriented. It is unlikely that those players with powerful playing style will dominate the sport, "said Cai.

"The advantages they may gain for some time will be reduced, as long as other players with different style get used to the new ball," he added.

But Cai admitted that those technique-minded players need more power training to adjust to the slower speed of the 40mm ball.

"They need to build up their power to keep them in more favorable position," Cai said.

(People's Daily 01/19/01)