Translation of the article content into English:
It must be said that the WTT World Table Tennis League is really experiencing one trouble after another. The incident where Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng withdrew from the world rankings has not yet truly subsided, and now the Lin Gaoyuan incident has arisen, putting the WTT World Table Tennis League in a difficult situation. Some time ago, Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng announced their withdrawal from the World Table Tennis League, triggering intense discussions among the media and fans. Although the WTT World Table Tennis League responded promptly, the fans were not convinced. Later, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) personally intervened, established a working group, and reviewed the existing regulations. Only then was the matter temporarily settled, with the media and fans waiting for the ITTF's investigation results.
Now, another challenge confronts the WTT World Table Tennis League. If handled carelessly, it could potentially stir up another storm. Recently, the WTT International Table Tennis Federation officially announced on social media that Lin Gaoyuan had withdrawn from the WTT Singapore Grand Slam event, with Xue Fei replacing him. If this happened before, it would have been completely normal and would not have attracted attention, as athletes withdrawing from competitions is quite common. However, the situation is different now.
The WTT International Table Tennis Federation has just introduced new rules requiring athletes to submit their next season's schedule arrangements by the end of the year. Athletes who withdraw from competitions will not only face a penalty of being assigned zero points but also fines. According to the new rules, an athlete of Lin Gaoyuan's caliber withdrawing from the WTT Singapore Grand Slam would need to pay a fine of $5000, equivalent to about 36,000 yuan in Chinese currency.
As we all know, Lin Gaoyuan's father passed away just a few days ago, and it is highly likely that Lin Gaoyuan's withdrawal from the WTT Singapore Grand Slam is to deal with his father's funeral arrangements! At this time, if the WTT International Table Tennis Federation were to impose penalties on Lin Gaoyuan according to the new rules, it would undoubtedly affect public perception of the WTT International Table Tennis Federation and could even earn them a reputation for being insensitive. If the WTT International Table Tennis Federation chooses not to penalize Lin Gaoyuan, the new rules would be rendered meaningless, serving no purpose, and might even be used by other athletes as an excuse. As such, the WTT International Table Tennis Federation is now caught in a dilemma.
In fact, regardless of which decision the WTT International Table Tennis Federation makes, it cannot avoid the doubts of the fans! It is not an exaggeration to say that the ITTF and the WTT International Table Tennis League have basically lost the trust of domestic fans. Some time ago, in an attempt to win back domestic fans, the ITTF continuously posted articles on social media praising Fan Zhendong, Chen Meng, and Ma Long for their significant contributions to the world of table tennis. Even so, domestic fans remained unconvinced. Nowadays, the overwhelming demand of most fans is for the WTT International Table Tennis Federation to disclose its financial information and restore Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng's world rankings.