In the first ever election in Chinese table tennis history, Shi Zhihao was appointed to head the women's national team and Liu Guoliang keeps his job as the men's head coach.
The 27-year-old Liu, former Olympic and world champion, keeps the job he took two years ago, while Shi, who was an assistant to Liu, outran former head coach Lu Yuansheng and other contenders for the other high-profile position.
It was the first time that an open election was held to decide the head coaches in the Chinese table tennis teams. Liu and Shi will have to prove their worth in the 2008 Olympics.
China failed in the men's doubles, women's singles and women's team at the 17th Asian Championships in South Korea in August. China had never lost as many as three gold medals in a continental tournament in the past 30 years.
"It's not a coincidence. We have problems in the management, training, techniques and players' mentality," said Cai Zhenhua, director of the Chinese Table Tennis and Badminton Administration Center.
"Most players are the only child of the family," said Cai, also an assistant to the sports minister. "They did not know how to deal with difficulties in life before joining the national teams. To be mentally tough is not easy for them.
"China has been on the top of the world for decades, especially on the women's side. We had dominated the world without taking many reforms. We are complacent. That might be a reason we lost three titles in the Asian championships."
Cai has been calling for reforms to the women's table tennis on many occasions, and hiring international players in the domestic league is one of Cai's ideas.
Clubs have recruited internationally popular players including talented Japanese girl Ai Fukuhara and reigning Olympic men's singles champion Ryu Seung Min in the league.
A new schedule has been in place to put the domestic competition ahead of ITTF Pro Tour.
The Chinese National Games in October produced the most exciting table tennis action as new blood gave a hard time to veterans.
China had nothing to boost of in the year-end World Cup and ITTF Finals, but Cai said the rolling is unstoppable.
"The league is the best way to keep China ahead in the sport. We won't take a step back," said Cai.