This is a fascinating and important time in TT history. Kudos to the successful players and coaches of Japan, Korea and Sweden who have been challenging China of late in the right way. To some extent I think the internet and Youtube has made it inevitable that Intelligent coaches from around the world would be able to copy and even surpass sometimes the efforts of the CNT. Not many secrets now in TT development.
I guess ERT will be running out of viewership soon, since there is no more secrets to CNT lol
I wonder what the reaction. from the Politicos within Chinese sport will be? Will they continue to back the CNT, or will they put more effort into other Sports?
Table tennis is dying in China.
The influx of kids going into the system has declined a great deal over the past 2 decades. Major economic hubs like Beijing and Shanghai, who used to develop some of China's best athletes are struggling to fill they provincial team roster and require to recruit from outside their territory. The likes of Shandong (another champion manufacturer) is struggling too.
We have seen CNT B team struggling on the world stage for the past 5 to 10 years.
We have seen CNT A team members who are struggling are not "retired" but are staying on, as there is no great threat coming from the younger ones to push them out.
It is always difficult to maintain number 1 as you become the target for everyone to over take, and all you can do is to defend.
In the past, CNT had the luxury of its vast professional system of players, so much that overflows are ending up in other countries.
But as the quantity reduce, the quality proportionally too.
CNT has tried to adapt to keep up with the modern era/conditions and have allowed marriage and parenthood for CNT players, while before it was a big taboo. They have implemented CNT C team to help strengthen the influx from provincial to national, but the problem is not at the top, it is at the grass roots.
I think money will always be there, the problem is the (great number of ) people is no longer there and CNT needs to face the reality like most countries - not enough players going into the system and/or not many wants to stay in the system (system is from 6 to 16 years old)
