Table tennis world and Olympic champion Kong Linghui was detained and fined 1,800 yuan (US$225) for drink driving last Friday morning, according to the Table Tennis and Badminton Administration Centre of the State General Administration of Sports.

Officials said yesterday that the champion paddler, who is also a coach for the national team, was released after an application from the centre and an acknowledgment of the wrongdoing. His driving licence, however, has been revoked for six months.

The 31-year-old Kong was caught at around 3 am on Friday after his blue Porsche crashed into a taxi near Beijing Workers' Stadium, close to the city's best-known night clubs and bars. The crash was not serious.

Drink driving could lead to a maximum 15-day detention plus 5,000 yuan (US$625) fine. But according to new rules, those guilty can avoid the punishment if they are ill, have pressing family matters to attend to or are needed back on their jobs.

Kong, detained for less than 24-hours, is believed to have been let off under these new rules. Apart from the national team, he is also playing for the Zhejiang Ningbo team in the domestic super league. He is scheduled to lead a Ningbo team to take on Jiangsu in Tianjin on Saturday.

Liu Fengyan, director of the centre, said whether or not Kong will appear in court is still not known.

Liu said Kong is now at home and the centre has not yet determined its punishment. "We should send a warning to all the players in the team. It is for sure that Kong will be punished by the centre. But it is still under discussion," Liu said. "We did not know where Kong was and what he was doing before the accident."

Reports said Kong's car had no license plate when it was involved in the accident. Two women were also seen in his car.

Kong's former team-mate and also doubles partner Liu Guoliang, who is now the head coach of national men's team, dismissed the reports.

"The report (about two women in Kong's car) is nonsense. Kong was by himself at that time and his girlfriend was in another car. Besides, Kong's car cannot seat two more people."

Coach Liu said he and the men's team would take Kong's case seriously.

"I hope other members of the team can learn from Kong's lessons. We are now preparing for the Beijing Olympics. Kong's accident is a warning to us. "

"Kong is a celebrity. He is the idol for many people and the accident shows him in poor light. Kong is under pressure and is aware of the effect," Liu said.

But Liu, who paired with Kong to win the doubles titles at the 1996 Olympics and 1997 World Championships, also voiced his backing.

"Kong used to be the key player of the men's team. Now he is beginning to bow out of international competitions and is turning to coaching. I think that is the reason why he is not as self-disciplined as before."

China's table tennis team is well known for its tight control on players' behaviour.

Young player Chen Qi had to make an open apology, do a stint in a military boot camp, pay an undisclosed amount of fine and was later was sent to do farm work in May when he flung the ball to the ground and kicked a chair into the air after he lost the Asian Cup final to team-mate Wang Hao in Japan on March 5.

Two years ago, four players were kicked out of the national team by then head coach Cai Zhenhua for "romantic relations" with team-mates.

Kong is also one of three table tennis grand slam champions in the world - world champion, World Cup champion and Olympic champion. The other two are Liu Guoliang and Jan-Ove Waldner of Sweden.

Source: China Daily