Since table tennis debuted in the 1988 Olympics, the panda has claimed the lion's share of spoils. Of the 32 gold medals on offer, 28 have been packed into Chinese-bound luggage. Notwithstanding such historical hegemony, Kurashima Yosuke, the coach of the Japanese men's table tennis team, believes it is possible to disrupt China's Olympic dominance. He maintains that his team has kept pace with modern advances in the game, allowing them to challenge China for the sport's highest honors. Yosuke says his team has managed to maintain "the world's top level in speed and technique over the past decade or so, but to beat China, we also need to enhance the quality of each shot. If we can achieve this, the time will come when we will catch up with and overtake China," says the coach. This might be dismissed as wishful thinking, were it not for an undeniable rise in Japan's table tennis profile in recent years. Young stars such as Tomokazu Harimoto (pictured, left) and Mima Ito (pictured, right) have given fans in the Land of the Rising Sun legitimate hope for World and Olympic titles. Mima Ito, the world's second-ranked player at 20 years old, is the biggest threat to China's chances of retaining the women's singles gold medal in Tokyo, admits Chinese Table Tennis Association President Liu Guoliang. "She's better than most players in the world and almost equally-matched with ours," says Liu. "She will inspire everyone in our national team, especially the young ones. I hope more Chinese players will have the chance to play against Ito so they can learn from each other." On the men's side, 17-year-old Tomokazu Harimoto has been terrorizing the ITTF World Tour for years. Likely the record-holder for most records starting with "youngest player ever to win...", Harimoto cemented his status as a world-beater when he claimed the 2018 ITTF Grand Finals title at the tender age of 15. "His signature strengths are his world-class powerful backhand shots, his speedy game, and his quick hits. His swift attack that deprives his opponent of any time to think is his distinctive style," says his coach Yosuke. "But to win on world stage and become the world champion, he needs more than just a strong backhand and speed. So, he is working hard to brush up on all his techniques to become an ultimate all-round player." Part of this all-around technique which Harimoto must improve is his emotional stability, a trait for which teenagers are not generally known. While his coach may have hinted at it, his Chinese rivals are unafraid to deliver their unvarnished assessments. After Chinese veteran Ma Long overcame a 1-3 deficit to Harimoto in last week's World Cup, Liu cited the teenager's volatile emotions as a factor in Ma's comeback. "The match against Ma Long exposed his (Harimoto's) mood swings," said Liu. "He's very talented, and it's great to have an opponent like him." Can Mima Ito dethrone the Chinese? Will Harimoto achieve emotional maturity in time for next summer's Olympics and secure the gold in front of his ecstatic home fans? Stay tuned!

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