Table tennis has been transformed from a Victorian gentleman's leisure to a popular sport thanks to the Chinese. Deng Yaping, a Chinese sports icon, is regarded as one of the best table tennis players of all time.

Table tennis is owned by China, much as men's basketball was originally owned by the United States. China has won every gold medal in the last three Olympics, and it swept all conceivable medals in Beijing four years ago.

There is no weak link in the Chinese teams. Even if one of the team members is removed, the team remains incredibly powerful. In fact, they could enter two teams and still win gold and silver. Because of China's dominance, the International Table Tennis Federation changed its regulations for the London Games in the hopes of giving a few countries a chance.

Despite the fact that table tennis is played all over the world, few countries can compete with China. Asia's biggest challenges are likely to be Japan and South Korea, with Germany posing the greatest danger from Europe.

China's dominance in world table tennis has become a worry as the London Olympics approaches. The top five men and women in the global rankings are all Chinese, but Olympic rules limit each squad to three men and women.