China’s pursuit of success in sport has hit a snag with evidence that world domination is not necessarily a source of national pride but actually something of a turn-off. The recent table tennis World Championships in Yokohama, Japan, were so completely an all-China affair that television viewers at home started to switch off.

China won all five gold medals and 17 of the 20 medals available, a dominance that may lead to it opening its doors, sharing the secrets of its success and trying to coax along its flattened rivals. Discussions have reportedly taken place that may result in foreign players being invited to train in China and also Chinese coaches being shipped abroad.

Meanwhile, China’s notable non medal-winner from the Beijing Olympics is proving that comparative failure is no bad thing. Liu Xiang, the 110 metres hurdler who suffered an Achilles tendon problem at last year’s Games, visited a school this week in the Sichuan province that was hit by an earthquake last May. He had intended to take a coaching clinic there, but his popularity was such that, because of the crush, it was abandoned after five minutes.

Can Roach work his magic with Khan?

Freddie Roach, the American trainer of Amir Khan, will be welcome in the UK if he can help the young Briton. However, he will soon be in a position to pick his nation of choice because a government resolution has been filed in the Philippines to confer upon him honorary citizenship.

This follows Roach’s success with Manny Pacquiao, for whom there appears an insatiable appetite and whose return-home fiesta, post-Ricky Hatton fight, featured a mini rock concert in which he sang four songs, including Alice Cooper’s I Never Cry. It is not known if Roach can sing, too.

Cavendish tells tweeter to get on his bike

Who knows if this is the first case of pseudo-twittering in sport, but Mark Cavendish, the cyclist, would like it to be known that he does not have a Twitter page.

Recent tweets, such as “Just been on the bike, legs feel good. Come on!!!!”, should be ignored because they are the work of a bogus twitterer operating illegally under his name. As Cavendish happily acknowledges, his views can get him in enough trouble, without the need to update them publicly every day.