Ma Long not invited - World Cup 2012

This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Apr 2012
140
73
231
http://ittf.com/_front_page/ittf_full_story1.asp?ID=28775&Competition_ID=2175&

Sadly this is becoming a farce. Most observers who have been paying attention could tell you that Ma Long has been the world's best player for over a year now. The current system of rules dos not work. Essentially after earning the title at the WTTC, Zhang Jike has been gifted the World Cup and Olympics because the rules have decreed that Wang Hao must be the 2nd delegate for those events, based obsolete rankings. Wang Hao's level has been nowhere near Ma Long, Zhang Jike, or Xu Xin's for the past year. (If you think that's an exaggeration, consider that he is a combined 0-7) against these players since last year's WTTC.

malongnotworldcup2012.jpg

Photo by: Scott Heavey/Getty Images Europe

A specific question: why is Xu Xin selected as the "Asian continental champion"? Ma Long won both the Asian Cup and the Asian Championships this past year. Though I try to remain as impartial as possible, it's hard not to feel that something very unfair to Ma Long is going on.

Invited Players
Invitations have been sent as follows:

World Cup Holder and World Champion: Zhang Jike (China)
European Representative: Timo Boll (Germany)
Asian Representative: Xu Xin (China)
Latin American Representative: Thiago Monteiro (Brazil)
African Representative: Ahmed Saleh (Egypt)
Oceania Representative: William Henzell (Australia)
North American Representative: Pierre-Luc Theriault (Canada)
Host Nation Representative: Paul Drinkhall (England)
World Ranking: Jun Mizutani (Japan), Chuang Chih-Yuan (Chinese Taipei), Dimitrij Ovtcharov (Germany), Joo Saehyuk (Korea), Oh Sangeun (Korea), Gao Ning (Singapore), Vladimir Samsonov (Belarus), Jiang Tianyi (Hong Kong), Koki Niwa (Japan)
ITTF Wild Card: Michael Maze (Denmark)
ITTF Wild Card: Liam Pitchford (England)
Reserve No.1: Adrian Crisan (Romania)
Reserve No.2: Marcos Freitas (Portugal)
 
Last edited:
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Apr 2012
140
73
231
I see...you're right, Xu Xin did win the Asian Cup. Oddly, the 2 Chinese players in that tournament were Xu Xin and....Wang Liqin???!! I don't really understand that choice....it seems that selection was made in order to guarantee that Xu Xin would play this World Cup, as Zhang Jike was already qualified as the 2011 WC winner.

It's odd how the importance of the Asian Cup lineup only becomes apparent several months later.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
May 2011
1,892
115
2,353
I'm not sure but it looks like the continenal champions are all invited, + the current title holder of the World Cup. Last year it was World Cup winner + WTTC winner for China. Sad for Ma Long that he didn't get to participate there though, and it wasn't really a high standard of players there. Rules are rules though so it is not 'unfair' since I guess the CNT would've known this selection method in advance, but you would say Ma Long should get a change to take revenge for the 2009 World Cup some day :p
 
This user has no status.
This event is complete and utter bull**** and not worth my time watching at all. A "MAJOR" having just 16 players competing? Please...... in any sport it would have been a joke...

Majors should have >100 players at least in the competition, like the Tennis opens and WTTC. ITTF should really consider making WTTC twice a year, and cancel the horrible World Cup and Pro Tour Grand Finals format. Just have a look at the audience during WTTC and compare them with these 2 competitions, it's just not at the same level. Who wants to see a botched competition where the strongest players are not playing?
 
This user has no status.
That's why I really hate how the sport organization ruin the career of sportspersons. It doesn't happen with only table tennis though but almost every sport.

I think it's not right when only one mistake can ruin his career that much. On the other hands, players like Gao Ning, Oh Sangeun, Joo SeHyuk, Ovtcharov who are not comparable to Ma Long get to play in every tournament. FYL!!!

The best way to improve the sport >> just kick Sharara out. I mean look what he has done... just keep changing the rules in the hope that one day, China will not dominate table tennis anymore which is obviously impossible. He did not do anything constructive.

Another irritating thing is the price of the equipments. I mean come on. why is it so expensive compare to other sports. I can buy top range badminton equipment with only 100 quids.

I think I should stop here shouldn't I. It's out of the topic already. Sorry guys
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
May 2011
1,892
115
2,353
This event is complete and utter bull**** and not worth my time watching at all. A "MAJOR" having just 16 players competing? Please...... in any sport it would have been a joke...

Majors should have >100 players at least in the competition, like the Tennis opens and WTTC. ITTF should really consider making WTTC twice a year, and cancel the horrible World Cup and Pro Tour Grand Finals format. Just have a look at the audience during WTTC and compare them with these 2 competitions, it's just not at the same level. Who wants to see a botched competition where the strongest players are not playing?
The 2011 World Cup in Paris had amazing audience. But I agree with you that too many top players are left out of a major tournament like the World Cup. In Olympics there was a good reason for it but World Cup is a different story.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Dec 2011
27
6
36
Ma Long's time to dominate will come , he just needs to keep his good condition . It's sad that ITTF limits the chinese players to 2 in a tournament . They should have invited Ma Long at least , since both Xu Xin and Zhang Jike had earned their spots through winning tournaments , and not world rankings invite where the first invite should have been Ma Long and the older generation of Chinese players . Invites are stupid to begin with and there should just be more qualifiers for big event such as the World's cup or the event just loses it's credibility . Even if ITTF limits to 2 of each country , no one outside of China can beat both Zhang Jike and Xu Xin in the same tournament , probably no one except Ma Long .

Also what is this wild card invites ? They invited Maze and some player i don't even know . Both of which are miles below Ma Long in skill level .
 
Last edited:
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Jan 2012
112
3
115
Yeah i guess it's not really fair toward Ma Long but he's still young and will do great things in the future, while Wang Hao is a little older and this may be his last chance. Wang is more experienced also and i think thats the main reason. Just my thought :)
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Member
Feb 2012
63
7
70
There will be 3 Chinese in the women's world cup - Li Xiaoxia got a wild card. But that tournament will take place in China, not in England...

I'm pretty sure the ETTA pushed for Pitchford - what do the British fans think about this?
 
Top