New Delhi: World champions China once again proved that they are a class apart as both their boys and girls teams blanked South Korea to win the Asian junior table tennis team championship, while the Indian teams had to satisfy themselves with a fifth place on Wednesday.

The Chinese boys team, which earlier in the day defeated defending champions Chinese Taipei 3-0 in the semi-finals, dominated the finals against their Korean counterparts with a convincing 3-0 win, while their girls team outplayed the Korean girls with an identical margin.

Both the Indian teams ensured that they kept their chances of a back-door entry into the world championship in Japan alive with a fifth place finish. According to the format of the world championship, only top four teams from Asia qualify.

But since Japan are the hosts and China the defending champions, the TTFI is hoping that Asia would get a fifth berth paving the way for India.

In the play-offs for the fifth to eight positions, Indian boys first swept past Sri Lanka 3-0 and then beat Hong Kong, also 3-0, to finish fifth. The girls were made to swork hard by Hong Kong but managed to win the tie 3-2 and then went on to thrash Sri Lanka 3-0 to take the fifth spot. (PTI)