Recently, the world table tennis arena has been quite lively, so much so that it's a bit confusing. Why? Many athletes are fleeing! Withdrawing from the world rankings? Withdrawing from competitions? What exactly is going on?
First, let's talk about withdrawing from the world rankings. You see, big names like Fan Zhendong, Chen Meng, and Ma Long have disappeared from the world rankings! Even Zhuang Zhiyuan and Wang Xinru have withdrawn. This situation, isn't it a bit scary? Is it that they don't want to be world champions anymore? Of course not! Simply put, the reason is that the WTT ranking system is somewhat "unreasonable." Older athletes, those plagued by injuries, and those dissatisfied with the system can only choose to withdraw. In the past, even if they didn't participate in competitions, at least their previous rankings would hold them up. But now, it's not possible; if you don't play, you get fined, and the higher your ranking, the more you're penalized! This isn't a joke; no one's money falls from the sky!
Next, let's discuss withdrawing from competitions, which we often refer to as "withdrawing from the competition." This is an even more headache-inducing matter. For example, Zhou Qihao withdrew from the Doha competition due to injury. As for whether he was fined or not, we don't know; there's been no official news. If there's no proof, then you really have to pay out of pocket. Take the Singapore Grand Slam, for instance; the scene was even more "spectacular"! Many athletes withdrew from the competition, among them Lin Gaoyuan's withdrawal received the most attention. His father passed away, and he needed to go home to deal with the aftermath. In such a situation, does WTT still impose fines? There really is such a thing online; an American athlete was fined for not participating because his grandfather passed away! Isn't this rule a bit "heartless"?
Lin Gaoyuan's incident has set off a storm among netizens. Even more astonishingly, North Korean athletes Kim Kum-hyang and Choe Song-gyong also withdrew! Initially, everyone thought North Korea was going to change its sports policy and allow participation in commercial events, but when it came time for the competition, they still withdrew. What's behind this? Is there something unspeakable?
Many people are asking if WTT will really issue fines to these athletes? Especially for Kim Kum-hyang and Choe Song-gyong, if they are really fined, it would be a significant burden for them! Some netizens jokingly say, does WTT want to collect fines from North Korean generals? That's a big joke!
In summary, WTT is now at the center of controversy. So many athletes have withdrawn from the competition for various reasons, but this all reflects one issue: WTT's rules really need serious reflection! Is this fine system reasonable? To put it bluntly, WTT's rules are inhumane! They push athletes into a corner; can this work?
This time, WTT has gotten itself into trouble. With so many withdrawals, if it insists on imposing fines, it would truly be "asking for trouble"! Let's wait and see if WTT dares to send out the fines one by one! Does it dare to show off its "dominance" in front of fans worldwide? This question can probably only be answered by WTT itself.
Think about it; the pressure on athletes during competitions is already high enough, and they also have to worry about these strange rules. Is this fair? If WTT doesn't change these unreasonable rules, how many athletes will be willing to participate in its competitions in the future? Over time, WTT will end up failing itself! So, WTT, it's time to wake up!
Finally, I want to say that what's most important in sports competitions is fairness and justice, allowing athletes to fully display their abilities and charm. WTT's rules have now seriously affected the fairness of the competition and the enthusiasm of the athletes to participate. WTT must make changes; otherwise, it will eventually be eliminated by the times! This is no exaggeration!
