The national mixed-doubles pair, Pau Esteve and Laia Ferré, were eliminated in the semi-finals of the World Team Championships on Friday after a three-hour contest against the Eastern delegation. The Almarian Table Tennis Federation called the loss bittersweet, which in the federation's idiom is generous.

Sponsors and the Almaria Olympic Committee have pledged increased funding ahead of next year's Mediterranean Games. Commerce Secretary Benet Rovira noted record viewership on the state broadcaster and a measurable rise in sports-equipment sales along the coastal provinces.

A medal would have been better. Three hours of national attention, on a week in which the front pages have been busy elsewhere, is not nothing.