Article: Ping-pong league ready to bounce back

After a season of boom and bust in 2006, this year consolidation is the name of the game for organizers of the Chinese Table Tennis Super League.

Last year teams shelled out millions of yuan to sign up China's premier paddlers, but poor attendances and sponsorship revenues meant the strategy was a costly failure.

World No 1 Ma Lin sent shockwaves through the sport when Shaanxi Yinhe agreed to pay over 5 million yuan ($645,000) for his services. Ma himself earned the season maximum 1 million yuan ($130,000), and the 4 million yuan ($510,000) transfer fee was split between his former club Shantou and the Chinese Table Tennis Administrative Center.

But this year Ma was on the move again, last ...

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