ITTF World Youth Championships 2025, Cluj Napoca, 11/23-30

[zeio]

U15 XD F
Thitaphat Preechayan/ KulapassrVijitviriyagul 3-2 Yu Haiyang/Zhu Qihui (8, -5, -5, 10, 7)

2010/03/23 Thitaphat PREECHAYAN
2010/07/03 Kulapassr VIJITVIRIYAGUL

2010/02/21 ZHOU Guanhong
2011/06/28 LIU Ziling

2010/02/21 YU Haiyang
2012/02/18 ZHU Qihui

U15XD SF
Zhou Guanhong/Liu Ziling 2-3 Thitaphat Preechayan/Kulapassr Vijitviriyagul (9, -9, 8, -6, -2)
G4 55, 510, 611
The CNT pair didn't handle the receiving well especially starting from the middlegame of G4.

Lee Hong An/Mohd Dania 1-3 Yu Haiyang/Zhu Qihui (-8, 9, -4, -8)

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Its not against rules. Does weird. Can't even look at opponent?

Bad call by the umpire. Nandan tried to explain he was looking at his coach in the corner.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Bad call by the umpire. Nandan tried to explain he was looking at his coach in the corner.

This is why I feel huge improvements is required in the officiating of high profile events.

Some times the higher profile the event, the more atrocious the umpiring are.

 

[FIXPOINT]

ITTF World Youth Championships 2025 U19 GS R2

ITTF World Youth Championships 2025 U19 BS R2

ITTF World Youth Championships 2025 U15 GS R2

ITTF World Youth Championships 2025 U15 BS R2

 

[FIXPOINT]

Scheduled Matches:
All times are local time.
Live streaming: https://www.youtube.com/wttglobal

Sat, 29th Nov 2025
10:00 T1 U15 BS QF Danilo FASO(ITA) - ZHOU Guanhong(CHN)
10:00 T2 U15 GS QF Kulapassr VIJITVIRIYAGUL(THA) - Koharu ITAGAKI(GER)
10:45 T1 U15 GS QF HEO Yerim(KOR) - Cocona MURAMATSU(JPN)
10:45 T2 U15 BS QF Soma ONO(JPN) - CHEN Kai-Cheng(TPE)
11:30 T1 U15 BS QF MA Yeongmin(KOR) - Emanuel OTALVARO(COL)
11:30 T2 U15 GS QF Josephina NEUMANN(GER) - ZHU Qihui(CHN)
12:15 T1 U15 GS QF Divyanshi BHOWMICK(IND) - Kokomi ISHIDA(JPN)
12:15 T2 U15 BS QF LEE Seungsoo(KOR) - YU Haiyang(CHN)
14:00 T1 U19 BS QF Iulian CHIRITA(ROU) - Kazuki YOSHIYAMA(JPN)
14:00 T2 U19 GS QF Anna HURSEY(WAL) - YEH Yi-Tian(TPE)
14:45 T1 U19 GS QF Hana GODA(EGY) - QIN Yuxuan(CHN)
14:45 T2 U19 BS QF Daniel BERZOSA(ESP) - WEN Ruibo(CHN)
15:30 T1 U19 BS QF LI Hechen(CHN) - Benyamin FARAJI(IRI)
15:30 T2 U19 GS QF SU Tsz Tung(HKG) - Yuna OJIO(JPN)
16:15 T1 U19 GS QF YOO Yerin(KOR) - ZONG Geman(CHN)
16:15 T2 U19 BS QF Flavien COTON(FRA) - Ryuusei KAWAKAMI(JPN)
18:00 T1 U15 GD F ISHIDA(JPN)/MURAMATSU(JPN) - ZHU(CHN)/LIU(CHN)
18:30 T1 U15 BD F OCAL(TUR)/KAHRAMAN(TUR) - ZHOU(CHN)/YU(CHN)
19:00 T1 U19 GD F ZONG(CHN)/QIN(CHN) - GRIESEL(GER)/HURSEY(WAL)
19:30 T1 U19 BD F KUO(TPE)/HSU(TPE) - KAWAKAMI(JPN)/YOSHIYAMA(JPN)

 

[JackJohnson]

that was a new one
yellow card was for staring at Faraji and Faraji was complaining to the umpire (he moans a lot).
I guess if there was a cho involved, it would be okay

We can’t even look at our opponents. Wtf is this. So if I look at my opponent I can get a yellow card now? I definitely need to watch the footage for it.

 

[NextLevel]

Missed a lot of matches yesterday while playing NA Teams. Anyone else watching the insane Yerim-Muromatsu match?

 

[pongfugrasshopper]

Missed a lot of matches yesterday while playing NA Teams. Anyone else watching the insane Yerim-Muromatsu match?

That was an amazing match! Cocona took down the #1 seed both in teams and now in singles. The future of Japan women's TT is in good hands.

 

[NextLevel]

Looks like Otalvaro was studied and countermeasures deployed by Korea. No non-Asian medalists and two Chinese in the U15 boys semis. A stark contrast to the U15 boys from China being eliminated by Italy.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

We can’t even look at our opponents. Wtf is this. So if I look at my opponent I can get a yellow card now? I definitely need to watch the footage for it.

I call for after match interviews, and the press can ask questions to the officials too.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

A stark contrast to the U15 boys from China being eliminated by Italy.

Teams is always different, especially on the pressure side.
Also, with these events sequence (which I don't like), Teams finish and then all events happen in the same time.

 

[xeNTric]

Some times the higher profile the event, the more atrocious the umpiring are.

I've been getting that idea also, the further into the draw the matches go, the officiating has been going downhill with some pretty crazy calls... 🤯

 

[xeNTric]

Normally we see umpire/officiating issues 'once upon a time', some time, some place during the year calendar... This time it basically got us all talking about it in the span of 5-6 days for multiple situations, funny and worrisome at the same time 😅
I'm pretty sure we could put together a 1-minute video with all the bloopers (to not call it something else); it definitely feels like we have enough material!

 

[NextLevel]

Normally we see umpire/officiating issues 'once upon a time', some time, some place during the year calendar... This time it basically got us all talking about it in the span of 5-6 days for multiple situations, funny and worrisome at the same time 😅
I'm pretty sure we could put together a 1-minute video with all the bloopers (to not call it something else); it definitely feels like we have enough material!

I think a video like this will be helpful as long as it is given context. Would hate for umpires to be the targets and get blamed for what is ultimately a system in need of fixes.

 

[xeNTric]

I think a video like this will be helpful as long as it is given context. Would hate for umpires to be the targets and get blamed for what is ultimately a system in need of fixes.

I understand what you're saying, it's definitely reasonable, and probably it would apply for most of the cases.

But let's use this yellow card to Naresh scenario, as Faraji appears to protest that he's being stared at while Naresh explains he's looking at his coach. The umpire's decision here is not even so much about not seeing properly if the ball touched or didn't touch the playing surface, or if the ball was hidden or not during a serve - it feels so far out of the spectrum that the only remote possiblity is it would be argued as "player misconduct", and even that is not clear nor obvious at all, and totally open to interpretation.
How could this decision not be seen as the umpire being at fault?

 

[NextLevel]

I understand what you're saying, it's definitely reasonable, and probably it would apply for most of the cases.

But let's use this yellow card to Naresh scenario, as Faraji appears to protest that he's being stared at while Naresh explains he's looking at his coach. The umpire's decision here is not even so much about not seeing properly if the ball touched or didn't touch the playing surface, or if the ball was hidden or not during a serve - it feels so far out of the spectrum that the only remote possiblity is it would be argued as "player misconduct", and even that is not clear nor obvious at all, and totally open to interpretation.
How could this decision not be seen as the umpire being at fault?

Oh, I am not arguing that umpire incompetence should not br highlighted. I am arguing that some of that should be placed in context as being driven by the absence of money and the lack of strong professionalism that results in umpiring. As Tony pointed out, many pf these guys dont have to explain their decisions publicly. But in addition, the compensation for the job might make some of them feel they are doing the sport a favor rather than acting in very important roles.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I think a video like this will be helpful as long as it is given context. Would hate for umpires to be the targets and get blamed for what is ultimately a system in need of fixes.

players train 6 to 8 hours a day to play.
does umpires get paid or train 6-8 hours a day to umpire?

or are some of them just hobby players (maybe 6 hours a week at best) and able to sit in that chair, based on some theory and practical, giving judgement to career affecting table tennis professional athletes?

getting a medal or not, could alter the players career, in the hands of amateurs.... this is wrong.

someone need to make these videos, so the powers at be are forced to up the game.
this is a world championships, the best of the best are playing. The best of the best umpires should be officiating.
If these umpires don't think they aren't good enough, they should rather go to feeders and practice there, not at the world championships.

 

[NextLevel]

Faraji couldn't win this last year, I dont think his chances have gotten any better unfortunately.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

I understand what you're saying, it's definitely reasonable, and probably it would apply for most of the cases.

But let's use this yellow card to Naresh scenario, as Faraji appears to protest that he's being stared at while Naresh explains he's looking at his coach. The umpire's decision here is not even so much about not seeing properly if the ball touched or didn't touch the playing surface, or if the ball was hidden or not during a serve - it feels so far out of the spectrum that the only remote possiblity is it would be argued as "player misconduct", and even that is not clear nor obvious at all, and totally open to interpretation.
How could this decision not be seen as the umpire being at fault?

its poor judgement and the umpire is too chicken to reverse it.
I would have called the match referee.

I agree more and more of these umpire bloopers need to be made out there.

how about the fault serve before the toss was even made.
at least the umpire should wait for the ball to be toss - which is the start of the serve, to fault the player.
that was so funny too. Might as well just fill in the scorecards before the match has even started

 

[NextLevel]

players train 6 to 8 hours a day to play.
does umpires get paid or train 6-8 hours a day to umpire?

or are some of them just hobby players (maybe 6 hours a week at best) and able to sit in that chair, based on some theory and practical, giving judgement to career affecting table tennis professional athletes?

getting a medal or not, could alter the players career, in the hands of amateurs.... this is wrong.

someone need to make these videos, so the powers at be are forced to up the game.
this is a world championships, the best of the best are playing. The best of the best umpires should be officiating.
If these umpires don't think they aren't good enough, they should rather go to feeders and practice there, not at the world championships.

No disagreement in principle, the devil is possibly in minor details.