BEIJING, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese table tennis chief Liu Guoliang vowed not to take a cent in payment if his national team coaches fail to reach their stated goals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
"For Chinese table tennis, the only goal in Tokyo is to win," said the 43-year-old, who announced on Monday the "harshest terms" in order to propel their preparation.
The terms require the Chinese teams to win at least at the world championships or the Team World Cup plus a number of selected tournaments in order to "pass" in the lead-up to the Games. These tournaments include men's and women's World Cup, Asian Championships, Asian Cup, China Open, Japan Open and ITTF World Tour Grand Finals.
Liu, a winner at the Olympic Games, World Championships and World Cups both as player and coach, said he would forego his entire year's salary if either team fail to meet expectations.
Liu's teams have been faced with a daunting task in Tokyo, as table tennis is regarded as China's national sport and anything less than a gold medal would be considered a disappointment.
Under Liu's rein, the Chinese legion clinched all but one gold medal in the past four Olympic Games, but in Tokyo, ambitious hosts Japan are eager for success on home soil.
Japan bagged two gold medals in last year's ITTF World Tour Grand Finals, where China had just one in the women's singles.
