Table tennis team sorry for no- show of top players
The International Table Tennis Federation ( ITTF) threatened on Sunday to slap sanctions on China’s national team after three top male players quit a tournament in protest at their head coach’s removal.
The withdrawal has sparked huge controversy in China. Fans of the players harshly criticized the sport’s authorities for the personnel reshuffle, which they deemed as poorly planned and uncalled for. Others have called the players “capricious” and “lacking discipline” for quitting the tournament.
The ITTF received a public apology from the Chinese team but it said it was taking the matter “extremely seriously” as it “damaged the image and the integrity of table tennis globally.”
“Right now, all potential sanctions are on the table, and the ITTF will continue its investigation before any decisions are made,” the sport’s
world governing body said in a statement.
Olympic champions Ma Long, Xu Xin and Fan Zhendong, as well as their coaches Qin Zhijian and Ma Lin, did not turn up for their matches in Chengdu, capital of Southwest China’s Sichuan Province on Friday. They all posted the same words on Sina Weibo, “We have no desire to fight at this moment … All because we miss you Liu Guoliang!”
Liu was removed from the head coach job last week to become one of 26 Chinese table tennis vice chairmen.
Their no- show prompted China’s General Administration of Sports to order an investigation and reprimand the players, saying they had “ignored national honor and interests” and “disrespected the public.”
On Sunday, the players and the two coaches reposted a letter of apology on their Sina Weibo accounts. The letter said the members of the Chinese Table Tennis Team weren’t fully aware of the details and contents of the Chinese Table Tennis Team’s reform, and their withdrawal had damaged “the glorious image” of the team.
Table tennis has long been considered China’s national game. Since the sport was introduced in the Summer Games in 1988, Chinese players have won 28 out of the 32 gold medals. The sport has also helped set the stage for China and the US to establish ties in the 1970s, a move that became known as Ping- Pong Diplomacy.
Unusual protest
Celebrity China Central Television anchor Bai Yansong questioned the sports authorities’ personnel reshuffle.
He wrote on Friday that the reform of a sports team normally happens after the team experienced a serious failure, but the Chinese Table Tennis Team has always dominated the world, suggesting the changes were unusual.
He noted that this internal conflict would only benefit the team’s competitors.
“China’s strength in table tennis will not be damaged by this public crisis. It won’t impact the strength and depth of the team. In fact, all young players in the national team are capable of winning Olympic gold,” Luo Le, who holds a PhD degree in sports sociology at Beijing Sport University, told the Global Times on Sunday.
But the younger players still need time to gain experience and mental strength from big matches, so the current team members are the best choice for the country, Luo said.
“These five team members will be punished for sure, but the general administration will consider the ultimate goals of the Chinese team, players’ abilities and public opinion when issuing the final verdict,” Luo said.
Most Net users were upset with the sports authorities because they believe the team members were simply protesting a lack of discretion from sports authorities.
“China’s General Administration of Sports should apologize for its thoughtless decision which damaged the morale of the team,” wrote one Weibo user.
But some other Net users also said the team members also should respect the audience who wants to watch their games, so their absence is also thoughtless, and even if they have problems with the general administration’s decision, they should use other ways, like communication, to express their disagreement.