4 of the world's top 6 players not competing in singles events at the 2016 Olympic Games! Is it fair? Who's really to blame?
Left to right Xu Xin, Zhu Yuling, Liu Shiwen & Fan Zhendong - Photo by: IITF/ITTF Flickr!
It's been over a week now since the names of who will compete in the men's and women's singles event at the 2016 Olympic Games have been released. Unsurprisingly, there has been a huge response to the fact that only one of the world's top three players of both genders will be able to compete. The reason for this is due to the rule set in place after China's utter dominance of the 2008 olympics where they picked up all medals available in both singles events. Of course for the good of the sport on a global stage, this level of dominance can easily be looked at as a negative. But is it really fair that players, who have worked their way up to the top of the world rankings, are left out because their nation is essentially too good?
Winning an Olympic singles gold medal is seen, by most, as the pinnacle of what anyone can achieve in the sport of table tennis. By excluding two of the best players in both genders, Xu Xin, Fan Zhengdong, Liu Shiwen and Zhu Yuling you take away some of the shine off the achievement. This may even lead to the world championships meaning more than the Olympics in the future, due to there being less limits on who can take part. What's even more absurd is that Xu Xin who has been world number 1 on multiple occasions in the last few years may never get the chance to play in the world's premier table tennis event. He will be 30 by 2020 and you would have to think by that time, the younger, Fan Zhengdong may have surpassed him.
Most of the blame for this issue has been put down to the Chinese selection committee and is mainly based on their men's singles selection. The problem is how can you possibly leave out a current Olympic and former two time world champion in Zhang Jike who is tried and tested in majors for Fan Zhengdong who is still very young and whose time will surely come? The main argument is that Xu Xin, who has been in much better form as of late when compared to Zhang Jike should be playing. However you could argue his record in Majors is vastly inferior to Zhang Jike's and if Zhang Jike does manage to pull off a bit of an upset in the upcoming olympics. You would be hard pressed to say that he wouldn't take over Jan Ove Waldner as the greatest player of all time. A controversial argument in itself I know, but as they say, we can cross that bridge if we come to it.
There doesn't seem to be much of an argument against Ma Long's selection, as he's the current world champion and number one, but again surely this could easily be avoided if the world's best players were allowed to play in the world's most prestigious tournament. So does the blame really lie with the International Olympic committee and ITTF's decision to only allow two players from each nation to compete in the singles events? Or is it better for the sport giving lower level players the chance to compete whilst reducing the chances of Chinese dominance? Post your thoughts and opinions below.
Like and tweet our articles to the World. Lets spread the word of Table Tennis.
Written by: Thomas Jeffcott
TableTennisDaily
Left to right Xu Xin, Zhu Yuling, Liu Shiwen & Fan Zhendong - Photo by: IITF/ITTF Flickr!
It's been over a week now since the names of who will compete in the men's and women's singles event at the 2016 Olympic Games have been released. Unsurprisingly, there has been a huge response to the fact that only one of the world's top three players of both genders will be able to compete. The reason for this is due to the rule set in place after China's utter dominance of the 2008 olympics where they picked up all medals available in both singles events. Of course for the good of the sport on a global stage, this level of dominance can easily be looked at as a negative. But is it really fair that players, who have worked their way up to the top of the world rankings, are left out because their nation is essentially too good?
Winning an Olympic singles gold medal is seen, by most, as the pinnacle of what anyone can achieve in the sport of table tennis. By excluding two of the best players in both genders, Xu Xin, Fan Zhengdong, Liu Shiwen and Zhu Yuling you take away some of the shine off the achievement. This may even lead to the world championships meaning more than the Olympics in the future, due to there being less limits on who can take part. What's even more absurd is that Xu Xin who has been world number 1 on multiple occasions in the last few years may never get the chance to play in the world's premier table tennis event. He will be 30 by 2020 and you would have to think by that time, the younger, Fan Zhengdong may have surpassed him.
Most of the blame for this issue has been put down to the Chinese selection committee and is mainly based on their men's singles selection. The problem is how can you possibly leave out a current Olympic and former two time world champion in Zhang Jike who is tried and tested in majors for Fan Zhengdong who is still very young and whose time will surely come? The main argument is that Xu Xin, who has been in much better form as of late when compared to Zhang Jike should be playing. However you could argue his record in Majors is vastly inferior to Zhang Jike's and if Zhang Jike does manage to pull off a bit of an upset in the upcoming olympics. You would be hard pressed to say that he wouldn't take over Jan Ove Waldner as the greatest player of all time. A controversial argument in itself I know, but as they say, we can cross that bridge if we come to it.
There doesn't seem to be much of an argument against Ma Long's selection, as he's the current world champion and number one, but again surely this could easily be avoided if the world's best players were allowed to play in the world's most prestigious tournament. So does the blame really lie with the International Olympic committee and ITTF's decision to only allow two players from each nation to compete in the singles events? Or is it better for the sport giving lower level players the chance to compete whilst reducing the chances of Chinese dominance? Post your thoughts and opinions below.
Like and tweet our articles to the World. Lets spread the word of Table Tennis.
Written by: Thomas Jeffcott
TableTennisDaily