In the past two days, the collective withdrawal of Fan Zhendong, Chen Meng, and Ma Long from the world rankings has caused a stir, with developments beyond everyone's expectations. The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) quickly formed a five-person investigation team to thoroughly investigate the rules and regulations of the World Table Tennis Corporation (WTT). However, Shanghai media directly pointed out the most critical issue - the ITTF originally held 100% of WTT's shares, but it mysteriously became 85%. Where did the missing 15% go? Why is the 2023 financial report still untraceable?
After watching the program "Look at News" on Shanghai TV, I think they made a particularly accurate point. The fairness of this investigation team is very questionable, after all, the ITTF is the major shareholder of WTT, which is essentially investigating itself.
Fan Zhendong has really been pushed into a corner this time. I remember he once said in an interview that he wanted to play table tennis for life like Timo Boll and become a legendary player. However, these WTT regulations are simply consuming the athletes. Mandatory participation is one thing, but they also set up a harsh punishment mechanism - fines for withdrawing from the competition, and points deducted from the ranking. Isn't this forcing the athletes to their death?
Xiaopang (Fan Zhendong's nickname) is really anxious this time, sending several messages to clarify his position. As the current world number one player, he dares to be the first to challenge the unreasonable regulations of WTT, and this courage is not something just anyone can have.
What is most surprising is that CCTV1 and other channels have also come out in support of Fan Zhendong. Multiple channels reported on the matter, indicating that the severity of the situation has gone beyond the scope of the sports circle. Not only domestic fans are paying attention, but foreign athletes and fans have also begun to support him.
There is a particularly interesting phenomenon: after Fan Zhendong withdrew from the world rankings, his commercial value not only did not decrease but increased instead. Big brands such as Cadillac, Xiaomi, and MLB are all looking for him to endorse, which fully shows that the public supports his courage to stand up against unfair systems.
Liu Guoliang, as the Vice Chairman of the ITTF and Chairman of the WTT Board, has remained silent so far. I understand his difficulties; he needs to take care of both sides, and it is indeed inconvenient for him to speak. But from another perspective, his silence also makes people doubt his stance on this matter.
The ITTF's formation of an investigation team this time, to put it bluntly, is just for show. As the Shanghai media aptly put it: "Don't expect victory just by serving." Although the words are mild, they hit the nail on the head.
This incident actually exposes a deeper problem. WTT is keen on commercializing table tennis but completely ignores the physical condition and career development of the athletes. It's like a greedy boss who only cares about exploiting employees to create profits, regardless of their well-being.
I strongly support Fan Zhendong's actions. Athletes are first and foremost human beings, living individuals with flesh and blood, not machines that can be exploited at will. Competition rules must be established on the basis of respecting the basic rights of athletes, which is the true spirit of sports.
Now, fans are all waiting to see the results of the ITTF investigation team. But honestly, I don't have much hope for this outcome. Unless WTT can fundamentally reform its existing rule system, this contradiction will continue to exist.
After all, the development of table tennis cannot just focus on short-term interests but must also consider the long-term development of the sport.
Finally, I want to say that Fan Zhendong's protest this time is not just for himself but for the future of table tennis as a whole. I hope that the ITTF and WTT can take this issue seriously and come up with a solution that satisfies both the athletes and the fans. The key to the development of a sport still lies with the athletes.