Shanghai Daily news

Excitement for the 48th Table Tennis World Championship is reaching fever pitch with ticket agencies reporting strong sales a month prior to the event's start.
The weeklong event at the Shanghai Grand Stage, April 30 to May 6, features the best of the global ping pong fraternity, including Chinese world No. 1 paddlers Wang Liqin and Zhang Yining.
"With still one month to go before the actual start of the tournament, all of the 1,000-plus package tickets up for grabs have almost been sold out," said Wu Lili of Shanghai Airlines Tours, one of three ticketing agencies sanctioned by the organizers.
"Table tennis buffs are scrambling for the remainder of the seats available for all of the five final matches."
Weeklong packages vary from 560 yuan (US$67) to 3,340 yuan. A single match entrance ranges between 10 yuan to 680 yuan.
Shanghai east Asia Sports Industry and Shanghai Jinjiang International Travel are the other agencies authorized to sell tickets.
While sat and Jinjiang reported significant sales in the upscale tickets, East Asia, whose ticketing service is based within the Shanghai Grand Stage venue, said it was selling out of its cheap deals.
"The best sellers here are the 80 yuan and 100 yuan deals for the finals," said an East Asia sales director surnamed Hu. He declined to disclose the exact figures, but added some might be buying for the sake of nostalgia.
"People in their 30s and 40s have experienced the rise of Chinese table tennis when they were growing up," Hu said.
China won its first world title in men's singles in the 1959 World Championship when Rong Guotuan claimed the crown. By the end of the 1970s, the country had risen to an all-round dominance of the sport. It has stayed at the forefront ever since with more than 90 major trophies.
Last weekend, a senior exhibition tournament featuring ex-champions from both China and overseas, drew a capacity crowd of 3,000 at Yangpu Stadium.
A similar tournament is taking shape as a sideline to the blue-ribbon world championship.
"Invitations have been sent to all former Chinese world champions to attend the extravaganza," said Yao Zhenxu, deputy president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association. "Their appearance at the event will certainly give the tournament extra glamor and appeal."