Singapore's hopes rest on reluctant Li Jia Wei

By Melanie Lee

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - After nearly 50 years without a medal, Singapore is pinning its Olympic dreams on a China-born table tennis player who says she loves playing the piano more than her sport.

Li Jia Wei, 26, the captain of a team ranked eighth in the world by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), hopes to win a medal in Beijing in August with a squad of 10, eight of whom were born in China.

In a well-lit sports hall full of bright blue playing tables, Li's 1.73-metre, willowy frame stiffens and her pixie-like face darkens when she whips the ball over the net.

Although each serve is filled with power and spin, Li admits she does not play the game with passion.

"I don't like the game. I just did it when I was younger to condition my body," she said. "Now it is my career and I have to face it."

She is, however, committed to giving her best in Beijing. "If I didn't think getting a medal was possible there's no use going to play," she said. "Getting a gold medal will be very, very difficult because of the China team."

ZHANG FAVOURITE

Half of the world's top 10 female players are from China but there would be no torn loyalties during the Games for those on the Singapore team, said Beijing-born Li.