When top table tennis players Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng chose to withdraw from the world rankings, the news was akin to dropping a bombshell. What roles did the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and the World Table Tennis Professional League (WTT) play in this turmoil?
The Anger of World Champions: Behind the Glory and Sudden Exit
Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, one is the world number one and Olympic champion, the other a Grand Slam winner. Why did they resolutely withdraw from the world rankings at the peak of their careers? Is it a helpless counterattack against an unfair system, or are they completely disillusioned with the current professional environment? On the surface, this seems like a personal choice, but delving deeper reveals a battle between athletes and international organizations over interests and rules.
CCTV journalist Li Wujun struck at the heart of the matter: "WTT cannot establish its authority at the expense of athletes' rights." Liu Guoliang, in his interview, did not hold back on this point. He admitted that some unreasonable rules within WTT do need adjustment, but as the chairman of the WTT board and first vice-chairman of ITTF, he also has to balance various interests.
Silent Exploitation Under the Rules: Why Have Athletes Become Sacrificial Lambs?
Netizens' discussions about the incident are filled with anger and questioning: "Is WTT a 'bandit' organization?" "Why must athletes, who have dedicated their youth and bodies to competitions, bear these unequal treaties?"
The core of the issue is not just the withdrawal of Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, but their decision has sparked public dissatisfaction with the entire professional environment. Some even describe it as "invisible exploitation disguised by fines and ranking rules."
WTT threatens athletes with "breach of contract fines" to participate in more commercial events, which may conflict with the athletes' long-term plans and state adjustments. Such rules, on the surface, are for the commercialization and marketization of events, but in reality, they sacrifice athletes' rights for short-term gains. This mentality of treating athletes as "tools" is destroying the foundation upon which the table tennis career relies.
Ironically, even Liu Guoliang, a high-ranking member of both WTT and ITTF, had to admit: top athletes are the "precious heritage" of the entire system. Yet heritage needs protection, not to be exhausted. When Liu Guoliang said in an interview, "Their choices are reasonable, and we must respect them," his words revealed his helplessness and dissatisfaction with the current rules.
Athletes are the soul of sports, not slaves to the rules. What we need is not only more gold medals and glory but also a professional environment that can protect and respect athletes. How far can such a system go when "precious heritage" is seen as expendable resources? What are your thoughts on this matter? Everyone is welcome to leave comments and interact in the comment section.