Ask ITTF President Thomas Weikert a question on the TTD podcast!

[eyepop]

When will the limit of 2 players per national team in singles at Olympics be abolished and/or expanded in favor of some National Associations (WTTTC champions and finalists for example), or at least in favor of top 20 players no matter of their National Association? Everybody agrees that this rule degrades the quality of the Olympic competition and makes the Olympics inferior to other tt events like Japan and Korea Open which are only the most recent of many examples.

To further illustrate my question, let me guide you through this example: I'm from Serbia, and recently it has been confirmed that our player, Aleksandar Karakasevic will participate in Olympics as our only representative in singles event. He's currently ranked 89th in the world and is probably, although 40 y/o, still the best and most talented player our country has had in decades. Now, although I'll definitely root for him, I'll tell you this: I would gladly exchange Karakasevic's participation at the Olympics for Xu Xin's or Fan Zhendong's, because, before everything else, I'm a fan of this sport. And I think that limiting China, Japan, Korea, and also Germany, Austria or Portugal to just 2 players at any competition is not good for table tennis.
That's my question and my opinion.

 

[bzing]

I prefer to watch Germany vs France or England vs Italy or Serbia vs Czech Republic than China vs China.

 

[violoniste18]

we will be really bored with too much chinese players ...

 

[bzing]

England vs France in WTTTC 2016 was one of the most exciting matches I've ever seen, however any other team playing against China was boring as hell.

 

[eyepop]

I prefer to watch Germany vs France or England vs Italy or Serbia vs Czech Republic than China vs China.

we will be really bored with too much chinese players ...

England vs France in WTTTC 2016 was one of the most exciting matches I've ever seen, however any other team playing against China was boring as hell.

I, for one, prefer to watch best vs best, but maybe that's just me. Anyway we won't watch best vs best in a competition that literally bans XX, FZD and LSW.

 

[ajtatosmano2]

It's my fad, but they plan to change the camera angle of the streaming? Lots of people, both players and people who have seen competitive table tennis only by accident said me that the current angle is ...bad, and other angles where they could see the speed and arc of the ball is much more entertaining.

 

[fanTT]

I, for one, prefer to watch best vs best, but maybe that's just me. Anyway we won't watch best vs best in a competition that literally bans XX, FZD and LSW.

You are a bit wrong. If XX or FZD or LSW would be the best then they would have won direct ticket to RIO at asia qualifications to RIO. But Ma Long did that because he was the best

 

[brabhamista]

When will the limit of 2 players per national team in singles at Olympics be abolished and/or expanded in favor of some National Associations (WTTTC champions and finalists for example), or at least in favor of top 20 players no matter of their National Association? Everybody agrees that this rule degrades the quality of the Olympic competition and makes the Olympics inferior to other tt events like Japan and Korea Open which are only the most recent of many examples.

To further illustrate my question, let me guide you through this example: I'm from Serbia, and recently it has been confirmed that our player, Aleksandar Karakasevic will participate in Olympics as our only representative in singles event. He's currently ranked 89th in the world and is probably, although 40 y/o, still the best and most talented player our country has had in decades. Now, although I'll definitely root for him, I'll tell you this: I would gladly exchange Karakasevic's participation at the Olympics for Xu Xin's or Fan Zhendong's, because, before everything else, I'm a fan of this sport. And I think that limiting China, Japan, Korea, and also Germany, Austria or Portugal to just 2 players at any competition is not good for table tennis.
That's my question and my opinion.

You're asking the wrong guy here. Weikert can't change that as the ITTF doesn't write the rules for the Olympics, the International Olympic Committee does. It's an IOC tournament and they set the specific qualification rules for the Olympics.

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

You're asking the wrong guy here. Weikert can't change that as the ITTF doesn't write the rules for the Olympics, the International Olympic Committee does. It's an IOC tournament and they set the specific qualification rules for the Olympics.

This is correct. ITTF had the choice of limiting the number in singles event to 2 so no country can sweep all medals, or to NOT BE AN OLYMPIC SPORT.

So the competition you are looking for, eyepop, would need to be the WTTC where they do have a very full tournament with many more players.

Unfortunately has never had the sheer numbers and mass of top players that the WTTC has. And part of the mystique and challenge of the Olymics has always been that, it only happens every 4 years and you have to qualify.

But the qualification process is much more about rules from the IOC than about the ITTF.


Sent from Deep Space by Abacus

 

[Dan]

Thanks for all the fantastic questions! We did the podcast this morning with Thomas Weikert. Tomorrow will launch the podcast, stay tuned!

 

[eyepop]

Well, now that you put it that way, brabhamista and UpSideDownCarl, it sounds pretty logical. I mean, the fact (which I wasn't aware of) that IOC is the bad guy here.
Nevertheless, it wouldn't hurt to hear Weikert's opinion on the subject, don't you think?

 

[NextLevel]

Thanks for all the fantastic questions! We did the podcast this morning with Thomas Weikert. Tomorrow will launch the podcast, stay tuned!

I am probably anticipating this one more than Waldner's. May spawn new videos from DTopSpirit!

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

I am probably anticipating this one more than Waldner's. May spawn new videos from DTopSpirit!

You mean this isn't going to be a video by DTop? Man, I want my money back.

 

[NextLevel]

Dan, I am really checking this website like every 10 seconds for this podcast.

 

[NextLevel]

You mean this isn't going to be a video by DTop? Man, I want my money back.

 

[DTopSpirit]

You mean this isn't going to be a video by DTop? Man, I want my money back.

Heh heh. I'm keeping the money.

 

[ttmonster]

Can't wait till August 4th, In the mean time how about a new video on coaching between points ?

Heh heh. I'm keeping the money.

 

[AndySmith]

I, for one, prefer to watch best vs best, but maybe that's just me. Anyway we won't watch best vs best in a competition that literally bans XX, FZD and LSW.

LOL - you can't say "literally bans". Figuratively bans maybe. XX, FZD, LSW didn't get either of the singles places on offer, and that's that. There isn't a ban. Even if there were 3 singles places on offer, one of the big chinese 4 men would have missed out. The Olympics isn't to blame for the domination of our sport by one country.

About "best v best" - this isn't what the modern Olympic movement is all about. I understand your point, and I'm sure there are wider arguments to be made about what the Olympics stands for, but it hasn't been just about raw performance for some time now. We have our own "internal" tournaments and competitions for that, which is why (for me) the WTTC carries more weight in terms of individual sporting achievement than Olympic Gold. The Olympics tries to achieve other things like increase sporting participation across international boundaries, promote fair play and effort, reduce discriminatory factors preventing participation. In a pure best v best scenario these more political factors aren't that important, but the Olympic Movement tries to fold them into the overall picture.

I know it won't excite the purists, but I like the Olympics in part for the special stories it can generate. Eddie the Eagle Edwards, the Jamaican Bobsleigh team, Eric the Eel. Stories of individual triumph against the odds by underdogs can inspire in a different way, just as the peak performance of the elite can in others.

I was in favor of the reduction from 3 Olympic singles spots to 2, and I still am. Sure, it feels like you're throwing a bone to the rest of the world by offering a bronze medal up, and in sporting terms that's exactly what's going on. But this prevents the inevitable lock-in of all the medals by one country and at least offers some inspiration to other nations and participants, which hopefully serves to inspire grass roots uptake too. Because these are things which the Olympic Movement cares about, not solely who the absolute best athletes are.

 

[NextLevel]

LOL - you can't say "literally bans". Figuratively bans maybe. XX, FZD, LSW didn't get either of the singles places on offer, and that's that. There isn't a ban. Even if there were 3 singles places on offer, one of the big chinese 4 men would have missed out. The Olympics isn't to blame for the domination of our sport by one country.

About "best v best" - this isn't what the modern Olympic movement is all about. I understand your point, and I'm sure there are wider arguments to be made about what the Olympics stands for, but it hasn't been just about raw performance for some time now. We have our own "internal" tournaments and competitions for that, which is why (for me) the WTTC carries more weight in terms of individual sporting achievement than Olympic Gold. The Olympics tries to achieve other things like increase sporting participation across international boundaries, promote fair play and effort, reduce discriminatory factors preventing participation. In a pure best v best scenario these more political factors aren't that important, but the Olympic Movement tries to fold them into the overall picture.

I know it won't excite the purists, but I like the Olympics in part for the special stories it can generate. Eddie the Eagle Edwards, the Jamaican Bobsleigh team, Eric the Eel. Stories of individual triumph against the odds by underdogs can inspire in a different way, just as the peak performance of the elite can in others.

I was in favor of the reduction from 3 Olympic singles spots to 2, and I still am. Sure, it feels like you're throwing a bone to the rest of the world by offering a bronze medal up, and in sporting terms that's exactly what's going on. But this prevents the inevitable lock-in of all the medals by one country and at least offers some inspiration to other nations and participants, which hopefully serves to inspire grass roots uptake too. Because these are things which the Olympic Movement cares about, not solely who the absolute best athletes are.

And you were chewing popcorn idly on the sidelines as I tried to get Tony's Table Tennis to see this perspective?

 

[ttmonster]

While you wait for him , I can give you an idea of what is going to be "China has done so much for the game , they deserve to take all the Olympic medals" , infact IOC should just give it to them as an acknowledgement for the tremendous secret work that China does behind the scenes

And you were chewing popcorn idly on the sidelines as I tried to get Tony's Table Tennis to see this perspective?