Chinese celebrities skip events due to dispute with ITTF

Mumbai: These are somewhat turbulent times in the table tennis world. Three of the most iconic figures and top Chinese players of the 2024 Paris Olympics, singles champions Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, along with the legendary Ma Long, have withdrawn from the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) world rankings and the World Table Tennis (WTT) tour. largely due to a dispute over fines for non-participation in tournaments.

These are no ordinary players. Fan, 27, is a multiple Olympic and world gold medalist and former world No. 1. That includes Chen, who won back-to-back Olympic singles titles in Tokyo and Paris. Ma Long, a six-time Olympic champion, is considered the greatest to have played the sport.

Their withdrawal has shocked the TT world, with a few other players such as Frances Simon Gauzy and Nigerian Aruna Quadri also expressing similar concerns. Forced to act, ITTF on Friday set up a task force to gather feedback from players and review existing regulations. The panel includes Sharath Kamal of India, who is also co-chair of the ITTF Athletes Commission.

It is not a good look for the sport, he told HT. We had a fantastic Olympic Games in Paris, where the TT was a great success according to the IOC. More money came in. The sport was in the spotlight. From that point of view, it doesn't come at the best time. It is also a wake-up call.

The core of the problem stems from the mandatory tournaments that top players must play (10 on the WTT tour) and the fines imposed if they don't. The WTT established by ITTF to organize commercial tournaments in the 2025 regulations has increased the total prize money pool for players, but also introduced higher fines for those who choose to participate in non-WTT events taking place during WTT- events they have withdrawn from. These penalties are known to range up to $5,000, although WTT insists that the imposition of fines is not new.

In his post on Weibo, Fan said that he could not pay such fines, while Chen stated that her body could not withstand the number of tournaments. Many top sharers from China, the TT powerhouse, only compete in select tournaments on the WTT tour. The best rowers in the world also play at club TT in Europe, where they have the right contracts.

The main issue is mandatory tournaments. That is why fines are imposed, says Sharath. There is a new tournament structure, which offers higher prize money. But the point is that they want top players to keep playing. Players say they have no contract with WTT. The WTT, in turn, is as if we cannot ensure that top players participate, it is difficult to attract sponsors. Both parties will have to understand each other's position.

Sharath cited the example of the WTT Star Contender Goa, where there was significantly more sponsorship interest in the run-up to the 2023 edition, for which Ma Long and Fan had registered, compared to last year. India's top rower also said the Covid-19 pandemic and war in Europe had disrupted the calendar, resulting in fewer top WTT events such as the Grand Smash being held until this year. It forced top stars to also come to lower level events to maintain the rankings. Burnout was therefore a recurring theme among players.

There weren't enough higher level tournaments. Stronger players came to weaker tournaments; they didn't get enough prize money, and weaker players didn't get enough points. Those differences were too big. Hopefully it will subside now, Sharath said.

The 42-year-old has been part of the ITTF Athletes Commission since 2022 and said he had raised certain issues at WTT in recent years, including announcing a full calendar in advance. It's getting better, but it's still a struggle, Sharath said. Players are going crazy, and they (WTT) know it too.

As part of the ITTF task force, Sharath is trying to reach out to top players, including Fan, this month to get their views and take them to the authorities to try and work out a balancing act.

It's a bit of a serious situation. There are now three players; It could gain more traction because there are a lot of complaints, Sharath said. It is important to regain some rest.