The Spanish table tennis coach does not believe his side are contenders for a medal in this summer's Olympic Games despite the international make-up of his team.

Speaking in Diario AS on Tuesday, Chan Dong Pin, who was born in China, explained that it would be very hard for Spain to finish in the top three in Beijing.

The Spanish squad for the Olympic Games includes three players who, like their coach, were born in China. They are He Zhi Wen, Zhu Fang and Shen Yanfei.

The fourth player, Galia Dvorak was born in the Ukraine, although she has lived in Spain since she was a child, while Alfredo Carneros is the only Spaniard to be included in the squad.

"I have lived here for 18 years. I was the coach of the Ecuador national team and when we came to play a tournament in Spain, they offered me the chance to coach club sides here. I have been the national coach for 14 years," explained Chan Dong Pin.

Chan Dong Pin talked about the competitive level of table tennis in Spain.

"We are improving and we have one of the strongest leagues in Europe. Bit by bit we are getting more money and the teams have more support, but there is a limit. It is a minority sport."

"Table tennis is very much a minority sport in Spain, but we are not much different in that to the rest of Europe. We have to sincere, we are not going to win any medals, but the girls have the chance of winning a diploma"

"The players born in China, who are going to the Games with Spain, have been living here for a long time and some of them are married and have their whole lives in Spain. It is normal for them to play for Spain, they have not taken on Spanish nationality just so they can play at an international level," he explained.

(Xinhua News Agency July 16, 2008)