Thanks for providing your thoughts. The fact that you have a lot of knowledge about the industry and yet the WTT hosting decisions are unfathomable even to you is a huge cause for concern.
The voting between Durban and Dusseldorf seems shocking to me. I've seen a few Bundesliga matches in Dusseldorf and that city has some of the most passionate table tennis fans in the world. Why aren't the WTT rewarding their largest fanbases and choosing a venue which guarantees a large audience and great atmosphere?
International sports always appear to be easily corruptible by politics and hosting decisions sold to the highest bidder (FIFA, Olympics, etc.). I guess it'd be naive to think that it doesn't happen in a sport like TT as well. Still, this isn't a sport that can support many players financially like soccer/football and athletes aren't heavily subsidized/sponsored like Olympic hopefuls. These hosting decisions with many of the big tournaments in the Asia region also heavily favor Asian countries, as Europeans and Americas athletes is a burden financially and physically in terms of travel time/jet lag.
I guess I shouldn't complaining too much if WTT is putting out free streams of world class level action on an regular basis as a viewer. But it's a bit disappointing watching events from the past with big crowds and great atmosphere in TT hub cities and realizing that WTT isn't going to bring us those sort of events any time soon.
I do feel, Germany and China should not host anything in the next 10 years.
We do need new countries that haven't hosted in the past x years. Maybe this should be some new rule.
See how many times Germany and China has hosted?
For 2023, the issue is, they wanted to get someone else and both Australia and South Africa would be a first timer.
Australia to me is way more better, as they have hosted ITTF world tour and WTT events for the past few years.
As I mentioned, SA had 2 in the past 20, and with 2016 being the most recent and the other being maybe before 2010, which was a junior circuit.
Japan has refused WTT for quite some time. There are actually a lot of unhappiness with WTT, and many countries do feel WTT is a for profit operation and not for table tennis. I guess, what is the difference, since TMS wasn't any better. But WTT with its 15 year contract has been challenged and just ignored by many, so we need to live with it.
I do not think SA bought the bids, since SA TT has so little money to spend, with so little membership too. So it could really just be, giving Africa a chance. This, if true, is a good initiative. I would still go for experience first, with the other 3 hosting numerous internationals before, but Egypt, Nigeria and Tunisa did not bid and what could you do about that? Or in SA, to go to Cape Town, the strongest base by far in SA. But then there is internal politics as Cape Town hosted the 2016 WJTTC, so its some one else turn.
Johannesburg or Pretoria would still be better, but it is inland and not much tourist attraction. The only thing good about Durban is its blue flag beaches, but with (now) contaminated waters - so you can't even go into the sea...
I think it is safe to say, outside of China and Germany, it is impossible to have a full stadium.
Chances of it fulling up else where in Europe is obviously higher, due to travel distance and affordability.
But take the 2024 bid for example, Sweden and Portugal did not go through with the bid....why? need to ask them that question.
Argentina? its a joke, Taiwan couldn't' even get visa to go there to the junior contender right now and looking at the entries, Argentina juniors contender only have south american entries.
Apparently, they needed some sponsor for a sporting visa, as going into Argentina for "sports", one can't use visitor/tourist visa.
For 2025, Doha beat a Spanish city - Alicante, 57 to 39 (227 members was there to vote)
Doha however, does have a good history of hosting major events during the eras of Pro Tour, World Tour and now WTT. Spain however haven't done anything major in a long time.
Note, USA, Turkey, Italy and UAE did withdraw from the final bid process, so it was only Qatar vs Germany, vs Spain at the AGM
