Chief: Paddle sweep a 'failure' for China

A chief official from the China State General Administration of Sport (SGAS) has claimed the national team's overwhelming dominance at the recent Table Tennis World Championships only represents a "failure" to develop the sport internationally.

The team bagged every title on offer at the championships, which ended on Tuesday, after each final was an all-Chinese affair.

"The truth is we failed again (to help develop the world's overall level)," said Cai Zhenhua, the deputy director of SGAS and also the president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association.