Lessons from World Table Tennis Championship 2015

Hey all,

So, WTTC 2015 has finished, winners got prizes and awarded, another players got recognized, some games were interested to be watched, and now the question is, what did we learn from this championship? What things you liked about it? what things you want it to be changed or you want it to be there for next time?

In those few points i will mention what i did see or like or as i titled this thread [had lesson] from it:

1. Ma Long and Timo Boll pairing in Men doubles, it was really exciting until they lost to the Chinese pair who won at the end.

2. Xu Xin pairing with the Korean player Yang Ha-eun to win the title at the end for mixed doubles, was good to see non Chinese as a winner even for half, It was going to be more interesting if Ma/Boll were the winners in men doubles too, hope in the future we can see less Chinese pairing if possible, but as i heard or read, this event was an open one.

3. Fang Bo, who did expect that he will reach the final, and what a reach!!! he defeated 2 of the top 5 and faced number 1 in the final, if he did it against Ma Long too this will be for long time in history.

4. The biggest thing, Ma Long won, after long time waiting and participating, at the end he did it, he fought or worked hard for it or not doesn't matter, at the end he became the champion finally, and even he didn't face ZJK that didn't make his winning less appealing or deserved.

There could be more good points i did see or learn from this event, but we shouldn't forget what is bad there if possible.

1. The live streaming, to me or some was awful, we are in 2015 and this is still happening, i had a fast connection before, but if i don't have then i can't watch it, so how will ITTF make this sport more spreading out if only who can afford the net and fast one to watch? big question for their media technical part.

2. The timing, most of the time i don't know when they will start and which game at what time, also the timing of specific facing matches, and here i do mean Ma Long/Timo Boll facing Xu Xin/Zhang Jike, come on, second round? are you kidding ITTF? we wanted to see this game in the final or at least semi final, but they killed the joy o fast.

3. Women singles final, even it was discussed enough, but i still feel it wasn't fair and ended up dramatic, i was voting for Liu Shiwen, and she was really very close to end it up for her, but her friend/opponent injury suddenly in the last set, that changed the game, i felt sorry for Liu Shiwen and not for Ding Ning, believe me, if Liu Shiwen did it i mean got injured in the final set or point then she won after that i will not clap it for her or accept it, but regardless of what happened many will see it as normal and will congrats Ding Ning at the end, she has fans after all, but if i had the control or authority, any injured player should get only 5 minutes time out, so the opponent doesn't lose his focus or concentration when is very close to the win, and it happens in the final too, hope Liu Shiewn will not fall for the same trap or call it a "tactic" again in next big events or other players too.

4. Maybe this point is similar to the first point, no TV channel to air this event, it is one big event in table tennis sport, so why air the table tennis in Olympics and not something that is dedicated for TT? i can watch Basketball big games aired, Tennis grand slams, car racing, Golf,....etc of big events, why not Table Tennis World Championship? not sure if they won't air the World Cup too, a big disappointment

5. Not sure if that happened in the previous WTTC, but why not have Finals in own days? i mean Men singles and women single final in one day, and Doubles either men or women or mixed in the day before the singles final? in Tennis they do that, so i can enjoy watching them in separated days rather than all or mostly in 1 day, good that Mixed doubles finished earlier, but they should managed the rounds better way, but if that happened before so it didn't change by then, what do you think about it?


After all, this is the first WTTC i was following, even i couldn't watch most or all important games live, but at least i watch that later on YouTube, i can't figure out what changed since last championships, so i want to know and hear what do you think about the year championship, what is the output you've got from it?

^^^ Don't forget i was talking about WTTC 2015, it is a big event in table tennis beside World Cup, i can't make Olympics with it because Olympics is an exception, all sports there are highlighted and aired and focused on because of the medals, but if we talk about pure table tennis sport events, it was really a big disappointment for me to see this championship without improvements in media, in fact i managed to see my country tour of table tennis [Dubai] on TV all clear, i even can or was able to go there to watch but the TV was more than enough for me and was happy, so how come didn't make the same for WTTC?

I agree about that driving with Qoros, even it didn't save that disappointment, but good you mentioned it, it is similar to what happen in that Tennis in grand slams too sometimes, but i was hoping for more than driving those stars with interviews.

I didn't ask for higher quality or Full HD or 4K, but i was asking about more links and servers, and better than that all is the TV channels in Asia at least, i live in Asia, so is it really hard for China to have more channels to air this event? and not necessarily all the games or tables, table 1 and table 2 will be enough until we reach the finals then it will be less tables.

Anyway, i am not sure if faster internet speed will solve the problem or not, i just left my fast speed by force and later i will get it back when things getting better, then i will see if i will see the issue again or not, but i was talking in general, if i can manage or afford to pay or have higher speed, then what about those who can't afford higher speed and have lags all the time? are you thinking about yourself and you are happy that you can watch at full speed no issue? I can always watch the games later on youtube as i was watching them live and maybe better than live itself, but it wasn't my point before.

Anyway, i hope for next WTTC i will have a fast speed back, then i will not point it again for members here to comment, but i was hoping that ITTF itself can promote about this big event globally or at least in the Continent they are playing at, if in Asia then they should hire some Asian channels to air it in entire Asia or most of it, sure i can watch some asian channels on my TV, but sounds ITTF doesn't care to have more media about TT of the big event or grand slam, i really not asking for highest quality, HD is more than enough for me or others, and i just ask them to air the grand slams tours which are the Championship, the Olympics and the Cup [Olympics are already on air for the Olympics itself and not TT alone].

At the end, if many can't watch this game online live or on TV then who will enjoy watching this sports, i can understand if i can't watch many TT tours in different countries that are not important to watch or not high rank to ITTF, but talking about a World Championship? if this is not on air heck then anything less is never gonna be on air or on live stream too, even very low quality to watch wasn't available on live stream for those poor slow speed users, so what else we can do? I really didn't understand this last post point.

Sounds CCTV is the most channel that care to have this TT on TV, so i will check out if i can get this channel on TV by any satellite available in my country, it was available before but not sure with different CCTV now, at least i don't need to hold on live streaming all the time, i can't hold a hope that ITTF will have TT on TV by many channels around the world, as it has been said here and there already, it is not that big fans sports against another sports.

I will not give up watching TT from any resources if possible, ITTF will not hold us back of their policies or rules with media or promoting, not sure if they work hard to make it better then before or they just feel it doesn't matter whatever they do it will not go more further, so they issue many rules within years, so this WTTC 2015 showed me how that ITTF are working professionally around the world.

No, i didn't ask it to be free on TV, i pay to watch football, so why not another sports i love, i can't watch even normal tennis free, so it will not be difficult to have that table tennis on TV for pay, and i am sure i pay for total package so one channel or two from that package will have table tennis on air, i don't expect them to have on a special dedicated TV channel.

Sometimes i must buy sports package if i want to watch most big or important sports including the most popular football, so even football with all that fame doesn't have big events for free, but i was hoping as long if they will have it on air then they should hire one of those channels that is special for middle east so i don't need to pay a separate payment for TT only than another sports included, Bein sports have about 16 channels for sports, so they can find a deal with ITTF for having TT on one of their channels, at the end it will not take the whole day time, if not Bein Sports group then my country channels including Abu Dhabi, if not then i have to buy European sports package if necessary then i may forget about local region channels group.

And i hope next WTTC it will be better, i think it will be in Europe, so i hope Europe will care much to make it better viewed than China through ITTF, but if it is not about the continent, then we hope the streaming will be better and faster even for those who have slow speed.

What do you want for or in next WTTC compared to WTTC 2015? What did think that is good or bad about this WTTC than previous ones?

So the net live streaming was a nightmare after all even with fast speed, not all are in same situations, but those who don't have problems always coming to blame us with problems, if they have those problems then they will understand, but we don't need to.

Anyway, i pointed few points or opinions, not necessary my points are all correct or facts, if some have points please share it, this was my first WTTC trying to watch as in the past i wasn't watching TT exclusively a lot, only very few games from Olympics or some tours here and there, but once i got back to it this year then WTTC 2015 was the first big or one of the grand slam i was hoping to watch live, but couldn't for many games, hope next time i will be ready, and hope the high speed can make it better if not many watchers online at once.

The best thing i liked about this WTTC is that Ma Long won, and the most thing i hate is Liu Shiwen lost, other things are not much important to me, good for XuXin and ZJK to win their doubles and got for Xu Xin to win again in his mixed doubles too, was a bit happy that Liu Shiwen won in her Women doubles at least, but hope she can be a champion next time, and wish her best luck to win the Olympics, in fact she deserves to win more than other players including Ding Ning herself.

Ok, so it became mostly about networking or broadcasting than another points, if i had faster speed and didn't have issue with live streaming i may never mention it in my first post, but good it happened so i have to be ready always for live streaming when i may not have that fast speed always, but let not just stop on this point too much, it was just my opinion point and anyone may agree or disagree with it, no need to make it as a conversation/discussion war long more than enough.