The college has explored many forms of cooperation over the past 13 years. It has established a European branch in Luxembourg, a training center in Croatia, and another in Papua New Guinea. Each year, the college's Shanghai base also receives about 200 foreign players for training.

Shi said Chinese table tennis extends beyond the sports excellence to the reasons behind this high level of ability.

"While table tennis was invented by the British, it is the Chinese who have been playing it so well, so there must be some element of Chinese culture in the sport," Shi said.

Cultural factors may influence the different ways in which Asian and Western players hold a table tennis bat. Most Western players prefer the handshake grip, but find the pen-holding style challenging, while many Asian players find the latter grip more natural, he added.

"We consider the use of chopsticks as a possible reason for this," Shi said.

Neumann's eyes lit up when he heard Shi's explanation.

The Mexican player, who learned to use chopsticks during his early childhood in Japan, has long wondered why — much to the astonishment of most of his peers and coaches in Mexico — he prefers the pen-holding grip.

Shi said that above all, Chinese table tennis is focused on innovation, which is key to sustaining the continued excellence of the national sport.

Although Neumann has trained at the CTTC for only four months, he said he is most impressed by the team unity of the key young players at the college, which has resulted in collective excellence and innovation. He has previously traveled to many countries for training, including Germany, Japan and the United States.