CHINA overcame host Japan in straight matches to claim its fourth consecutive title in the women’s table tennis team competition at the Tokyo Olympic Games on Thursday. Since the team event was introduced at the Beijing 2008 Games, China has been the only title-winning side in every edition of the Games. Chen Meng and Wang Manyu came back from one set down to get past Kasumi Ishikawa and Miu Hirano 9-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7. After their singles semifinals, Sun Yingsha once again upset local hopeful Mima Ito 11-8, 11-5, 3-11, 11-3. Wang secured team China’s title with an 11-5, 11-9, 11-3 win against Hirano. “We’ve been preparing for the game to have confidence in ourselves and confidence in our teammates,” Wang told reporters before the final. “We just focus on our strengths and weaknesses that we’ve noted from the past and work on them, “ Chen said. Meanwhile, Carrie Lam, chief executive of China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), sent a message congratulating table tennis athletes from China’s Hong Kong delegation on winning a bronze medal in women’s team event at the Tokyo Olympics. Hong Kong table tennis athletes Lee Ho-ching, Doo Hoi-kem, Soo Wai-yam and Zhu Cheng-zhu won a bronze medal after they rallied to beat Germany 3-1 earlier Thursday. This is the fourth medal won by the Hong Kong delegation in this Olympic Games, and the second time the Hong Kong delegation has won a medal in a table tennis competition of the Olympic Games, following a silver medal-winning performance at the Athens Olympics in 2004. Lam said she was moved by the great perseverance and tenacity displayed by the team in the competition. “Though they have gone through ups and downs in their previous competitions, they continued to demonstrate solidarity. Their full engagement in the team competition deserves our great respect,” Lam said. This Olympic Games has entered the final stage, Lam said, adding that she hopes that athletes from the Hong Kong delegation can continue to achieve outstanding results in the remaining competitions. (SD-Xinhua) | 