The Singapore Table Tennis Association has hired a new Chinese head coach, Zhou Shusen, and is setting its sights on two medals at the 2012 London Olympics, according to the Straits Times (Target: 2 medals at London 2012; Wednesday, January 14, 2009).

Zhou Shusen used to coach the world’s number 1 Zhang Yining and the Chinese national and Beijing teams, according to Today (The game is on; Wednesday, January 14, 2009).

Last year at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Singapore only had one head coach, Liu Guodong, for both the men’s and women’s teams. A calamitous coaching error in Beijing saw the Singapore men’s number 1 player Gao Ning play his game without a coach, leading to a public scolding of team manager Antony Lee and coach Liu by president Lee Bee Wah.

The STTA has now hired two separate coaches for the men’s and women’s team. The men’s team will be coached by Chinese-Frenchman Alain Chen.

The STTA recently raised S$1 million in donations for its programmes.