Chinese ping-pong player Wang Hao has won the 2004 Olympic Games Asian table tennis qualifying tournament with a comfortable victory over Japanese veteran You Zeliang 4-1 at the Asian qualifier on Sunday.

The world's No. 3 has proved that he is good enough to enter the Athens Games after four consecutive group wins.

The 20-year-old paddled his way to Athens after a 4-1 victory over former world runner-up Joo Se Hyuk of South Korea on Saturday.

Previously, Wang Hao had cruised past Arai Shu from Japan 4-0 and O Il from North Korea 4-1.

The world's top two players, Ma Lin and Wang Liqin, have earned Olympic tickets for their high rankings.

Kong Linghui, dual champ at the Olympics and World Table Tennis Championships, has his name on China's roster for the qualifiers for the Athens Olympics. 

The 29-year-old will contend in the men's doubles with Wang Hao, the China squad's rising star.

It will be the third trip to the Olympics for the former world's No. 1 if he makes it through the qualifying tournament.

Kong has bagged nearly all the trophies in the table tennis world, but has failed to take up a position in the Chinese Olympic trio for the men's singles because of the progress made by younger players.

Kong and Wang Hao will play their opening game later Monday.

Ma Lin and Chen Qi make up the other pair to compete for Olympic tickets.

(CRI April 12, 2004)