Official Media Criticizes WTT for the First Time! World Table Tennis Explains at 10 PM, Liu Guoliang's Attitude is Clear

Official Media Criticizes WTT for the First Time! World Table Tennis Explains at 10 PM, Liu Guoliang's Attitude is Clear

The withdrawal of Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng from the world rankings has been fermenting for several days. This also means that they will face restrictions in participating in future international events. To compete, they would have to play qualifying matches. It seems a waste of talent to let two Olympic champions participate in branch competitions. Even the official media has gotten involved.

So, what is Liu Guoliang's stance on this matter?

On August 4, 2024, it was an important day for Fan Zhendong. He defeated Xiao Mo with a big score of 4:1, successfully topping the charts. This meant he became a "super grand slam." After completing the Paris cycle's tasks smoothly, he also took a break for a period of time. Except for the National Championships and this month's Super League, he almost withdrew from the international arena. Not only did he not participate in commercial events like WTT, but he also skipped flag-raising events like the Asian Championships. However, Xiao Pang had already won all the singles titles; his decision not to participate and give opportunities to younger athletes is understandable.

But just on the 27th of this month, during the interval between the first and second stages of the Super League.

Fan Zhendong announced his withdrawal from the world rankings. Xiao Pang also gave his reasons.

Firstly, the Paris cycle had taken a significant toll on him, leaving him without a specific plan for his future career. Thinking carefully about it, take this Olympics as an example. "Big Head" was only happy for 1 minute and 47 seconds after winning the mixed doubles championship because his racket was stepped on and broken. The next morning, he had to compete against Xiao Mo. Although he always claimed that he lost because he hadn't adapted to the intensity of the Olympics.

Who can say that the racket doesn't affect the athlete? Previously, Wang Chuqin maintained a perfect record against Xiao Mo. But it's all in vain now. Fan Zhendong had to defend the entire district. Soon, he encountered the biggest opponent of this Olympics, Zhang Ben Zhihe. Xiao Pang showed great composure, scaring the audience. In interviews afterward, he stated it was the most stressful match for him. Fortunately, we won and laughed until the end.

The second reason is his dissatisfaction with the new regulations recently issued by WTT. Which athlete's family doesn't participate and gets fined? Such rules are hard to understand. Even an external association player who didn't participate due to a family member's death was fined. And there are many more items for fines. Returning to Xiao Pang himself, he almost withdrew from all WTT competitions in the second half of this year, after the Olympics. Not to mention money, just assigning 0 points is unacceptable. Half of Xiao Pang's points were assigned 0. Seeing this, it's no wonder Fan Zhendong and fans are dissatisfied.

Soon, Chen Meng also released a statement. The text also mentioned the new WTT fine regulations. The straightforwardness of the two received support from many people. Many athletes have blessed Fan Zhendong. Not only our country's athletes, but many external association players have also spoken up. It can be seen from their words that everyone strongly supports Xiao Pang's decision. And they also hope Fan Zhendong can be himself. There's also "China Youth Daily."

Their title is very appropriate. Everyone understands what "reform oneself" means. This sharp commentary has received unanimous praise from netizens. We all hope table tennis will get better, but this must be based on putting athletes first. However, WTT does not think some of its regulations are unreasonable. At 22:00 the next day, they also posted a lengthy article to explain the matter. According to them, the penalties mentioned by the two Olympic champions are not something new. Since WTT's establishment in 2020, this rule has been in place. Has this been used for four years? Officials also explained why fines are imposed. That is to maintain fairness. Regarding this, netizens are not buying it at all. Some netizens say they don't even recognize the word fairness. There's also the matter of a 20% increase in prize money next year. Netizens see through this clearly too. It seems everyone is dissatisfied with this statement. Therefore, they left messages in the comment section questioning WTT. I thought this matter would end here. Unexpectedly, Xiao Pang is so tough. He is already in Shanghai preparing for the second stage of the Super League. He still wants to speak out again. The core idea is that he is unsure when the rule of being fined for withdrawing appeared. He only received such notice last week. Moreover, he had to sign and submit it on the same day. Indeed, having achieved the super grand slam, he directly exposes the other party's lie. He dares to say anything. Two completely different statements. People are more willing to believe Fan Zhendong, who has brought glory to the country. Some netizens even call him a hero. That night, CCTV made an eight-minute special report on this matter. Judging from the host's narrative centered on athletes, CCTV supports Fan Zhendong. Moreover, "Oriental Horizon" also recounted many details.

The program explicitly mentioned that WTT is different from the International Table Tennis Federation established in 1926. This international organization has a short history, only established in 2020. Its purpose is also to enhance the commercial value of athletes. This may be taking tennis as a blueprint. However, the rewards and punishments of the two sports are entirely different. Zheng Qinwen's commercial value is self-evident. Everyone has heard about the amount of prize money in tennis. Moreover, tennis has certain exemptions for veterans. For example, they can reduce competitions based on age and number of participations. Also, the top 30 athletes who attend all competitions can share a high reward of 20 million dollars. However, our national sport is different. Besides the three major events and mixed team events in the Super League, WTT competitions are quite numerous. The density makes it challenging for athletes to catch their breath. Moreover, non-participation incurs fines. Are such regulations reasonable? What about prize money? This is the prize money athletes earned by participating in WTT this year. Wang Chuqin, the highest earner, only made over 260,000 dollars. Those not on the list probably didn't make much. Additionally, according to Xiao Pang's ranking, not participating once deducts 5000 dollars. If he doesn't participate throughout the year, the amount is as high as 1.64 million yuan. Netizens in the comment area also expressed dissatisfaction. CCTV's program also mentioned that the Beijing Grand Slam's revenue is 60 million. But why is the athletes' prize money so low? It is reported that the chairman of the WTT board and council is Liu Guoliang. Major matters must be approved by him. Looking at this, his attitude is already clear. As stated in the declaration, if the two Olympic champions are willing to return, they are all welcome. Besides, he is also the chairman of our country's Table Tennis Association. As an athlete, he has repeatedly brought glory to the country and is our first male singles grand slam champion. As a coach later, he also cultivated many talents. He is the backbone of the national table tennis team. Still, it is hoped that he can stand up and take charge of the overall situation. We cannot lose excellent athletes like this. Just as Li Ge said, the national table tennis team needs Fan Zhendong. After all, judging from past experience, it's always been two bringing one, old bringing new. For example, the Rio Olympics had Zhang Jike, Ma Long with Xu Xin. The Tokyo Olympics had Ma Long, Xu Xin with Fan Zhendong. The Paris Olympics had Ma Long, Fan Zhendong with Wang Chuqin. Perhaps the Los Angeles Olympics will be Wang Chuqin, Fan Zhendong with Lin Shidong. Such echelon construction is stable.

Conclusion

Now, the men's Super League started on the last day of this year. Fan Zhendong seems unaffected and is still training actively. Looking forward to his outstanding performance.