Worlds Sexiest Female TT Player
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Could someone pls resurrect this thread here?
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Well firstly this thread is already a little older. Probably from the times before being pc became fashionable.
But you won't make me apologise for this testosterone driven thread, especially with Ping_fun's estrogen-loaded postings of ZJK, where you choose to remain silent!!
After all I'm just balancing this out a bit.
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But you won't make me apologise for this testosterone driven thread, especially with Ping_fun's estrogen-loaded postings of ZJK, where you choose to remain silent!!
After all I'm just balancing this out a bit.
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Don't like it? Scroll on and let those enjoy who do. Live and let live.
Thanks!
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Agree.
Alright. Thanks for waking this thread up. I have some thoughts.
I do think it would be worth the TT women being allowed to show their more feminine and sexy side on the court when or if they wanted to. I really am not sure why, in TT the women are generally dressed the way they are on the court.
Tennis shows us that women athletes can be both women and athletes:
And then there are other sports that really allow us to observe how an athletic woman can be sexy too:
Given that I teach yoga and about 95% of my clients are women and I see an average of 300 people a week if i combine group and private clients, I see a lot of women. And a lot of the women I see are really quite attractive. And they are also dressed in outfits that add to that. So, from a certain perspective, I could say that there is a scarcity of attractive women in table tennis.
However, I think that is far more the fashion sense in the sport rather than the women in the sport.
I have seen Ariel Hsing play many times. I never thought she was anything special. She happens to be a friend of Michael Landers' and I am friends with Michael. One time Ariel was in NYC and she was with Michael and they were dressed to go out and do something social together rather than dressed for training. And I must confess, my jaw did drop! She was unbelievably hot. Much hotter than one might think from match footage.
And I confess. I am not entirely sure that we are better off with women in table tennis having attire that shows off how good they look while they play. Or if we are better off with them dressing how they do for matches.
One thing is for sure, they do look like they are all business and want to be seen as athletes first.
But I guess, in the end, I do wish there was more space for them to dress more like women while playing if they wanted to. Rather than seeing them all looking like androgynous figures in boyish outfits.
Sorry if I took this old thread in a slightly different direction.
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Agree.
Alright. Thanks for waking this thread up. I have some thoughts.
I do think it would be worth the TT women being allowed to show their more feminine and sexy side on the court when or if they wanted to. I really am not sure why, in TT the women are generally dressed the way they are on the court.
Tennis shows us that women athletes can be both women and athletes:
And then there are other sports that really allow us to observe how an athletic woman can be sexy too:
Given that I teach yoga and about 95% of my clients are women and I see an average of 300 people a week if i combine group and private clients, I see a lot of women. And a lot of the women I see are really quite attractive. And they are also dressed in outfits that add to that. So, from a certain perspective, I could say that there is a scarcity of attractive women in table tennis.
However, I think that is far more the fashion sense in the sport rather than the women in the sport.
I have seen Ariel Hsing play many times. I never thought she was anything special. She happens to be a friend of Michael Landers' and I am friends with Michael. One time Ariel was in NYC and she was with Michael and they were dressed to go out and do something social together rather than dressed for training. And I must confess, my jaw did drop! She was unbelievably hot. Much hotter than one might think from match footage.
And I confess. I am not entirely sure that we are better off with women in table tennis having attire that shows off how good they look while they play. Or if we are better off with them dressing how they do for matches.
One thing is for sure, they do look like they are all business and want to be seen as athletes first.
But I guess, in the end, I do wish there was more space for them to dress more like women while playing if they wanted to. Rather than seeing them all looking like androgynous figures in boyish outfits.
Sorry if I took this old thread in a slightly different direction.
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Thanks Carl,
your swing variation is very welcome and you have made an excellent point IMHO, 'cause there really is a lot of masculinity in women's tabletennis.
There are a few exceptions to this like Apolonia's wife (though she doesn't play internationally anymore) or Naomi Yotsumoto.
But many TT-female players dress very masculine. And it's like you said, i don't need to get turned on, aroused, sexualised or whatever people like to call it.
They can look athletic and graceful or stylish at the same time if they like.
Just last Tuesday at our club, i was showing a short vid of the WTTC to a clubmate who didn't even know that the WTTC was taking place (but he could give me all the names of German soccer Team Bayern München instead, which i think is a little strange being more interested in other sports, than the sport one is practicing oneself, but that's a different story) and during the vid he asked me who that young boy was, who was shown in the vid and it was Nina Mittelham
And that's just one example of many. In the last days i've read a few posts asking or saying more or less the same:
"why is that boy playing against a girl"
and things like that.
And i think if they could choose their designs i guess many would probably dress differently.
Sometimes i get the feeling that the ones that create women's tt-fashion purposely try to do the opposite of what the other sports clothing and fashion companies create.
See i don't think this has anything to do with sexual orientation, personally they can do whatever they're up to, but i think if there we're more female looking outfits for female players, they would probably be chosen and not be looking so masculine.
Just my 2 ¢
-sorry for the rant-
i guess i got carried away a little.
To make it short: i agree with you
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Well, I don't think equating free expression of female identity with a norm for showing skin, provocative dress helps things. Avoiding the word "toxic" here...
Note that the thread isn't calling for elegantly or stylishly dressed persons, or people of graceful composure; it's calling for "sexiest female", which in my book is in direct line with the way of judging women first and foremost as objects of desire.
Now some of my best friends know women; and I think it is shallow and offputting to put that thing centerstage when discussing female athletes. I admire Petrissa Solja because she is an outstanding table tennis player. She also has a female body. So do the other female athletes. Or non-athletes. And there's beauty in some form or other in many bodies. Yet when discussing an athlete, the thing that sets them apart isn't their gracious bodily curves. It's their athletic prowess.
So to me this way of filing this class of athletes away is harmfully irrelevant. Yes, one can look good when playing table tennis. That has nothing to do with being androgynous, or dressing female -- or "the sexiest".
PC? Not really. Showing a marginal amount of respect, earned in years of hard work by professional athletes giving it their all? Yes. That's what we owe them, at least. Rather than to start drooling about which player-that-happens-to-have-boobs is the sexiest of the bunch.
Note that the thread isn't calling for elegantly or stylishly dressed persons, or people of graceful composure; it's calling for "sexiest female", which in my book is in direct line with the way of judging women first and foremost as objects of desire.
Now some of my best friends know women; and I think it is shallow and offputting to put that thing centerstage when discussing female athletes. I admire Petrissa Solja because she is an outstanding table tennis player. She also has a female body. So do the other female athletes. Or non-athletes. And there's beauty in some form or other in many bodies. Yet when discussing an athlete, the thing that sets them apart isn't their gracious bodily curves. It's their athletic prowess.
So to me this way of filing this class of athletes away is harmfully irrelevant. Yes, one can look good when playing table tennis. That has nothing to do with being androgynous, or dressing female -- or "the sexiest".
PC? Not really. Showing a marginal amount of respect, earned in years of hard work by professional athletes giving it their all? Yes. That's what we owe them, at least. Rather than to start drooling about which player-that-happens-to-have-boobs is the sexiest of the bunch.
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Though you have made a good point, i don't think one thing excludes the other.
I really do appreciate their achievements in sports, but that doesn't mean that they have to look so masculine.
Or let me ask you one thing:
what makes Tennis so different that female tennis players don't dress so masculine like female tabletennis players do? Are female tennis players less athletic than female tabletennis players?
I'm not so sure.
It's absolutely not about sexual orientation. Even women like Martina Navratilova or Amelie Mauresmo didn't dress so masculine.
And could this missing optical attractiveness be somehow related that tennis matches are more frequently televised than tabletennis matches?
How come does Roland Garros which is taking place each and every year gets more media coverage than the WTTC?
I'm not saying female tabletennis players should "sell their bodies" by exposing them more, which could be seen as some sort of prostitution in a way.
All I'm saying is respect for athletic performance and achievements doesn't exclude optical attractiveness.
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Maybe to some, but they don't exclude each other. I think you see the word "sexy" far too negative IMHO.
I know she's not an athlete, but have you ever seen Helen Mirren in the movie "RED - Retired and extremely dangerous"?
Feminine, graceful and still somehow sexy in her way.
And her age is far from being attractive to young males, and still some wouldn't deny her.
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Actually the word "sexy" is misunderstood , especially in the US English usage context. Here a lot of people would even say , that was a sexy shot which has no sexual implications whatsoever . And again some would agree that there is nothing wrong and is part of an individuals expression if he or she wants to show their sensuality . The problem is that in the age of Trump , in the name of political correctness we tend to err on the side of caution and like to believe any comment regarding age, sex or orientation is made to offend .
However, even without showing skin , dressing elegantly or even expressing yourself on the court could be termed sexy. I like to believe the reason Table tennis players look unsexy has partly to do with the fact that the game itself requires the players to exhibit less emotion during the game. So even the most beautiful individuals play with a poker face.
Hence, when a Zhang Jike celebrates it becomes so uncool to a certain section . However, I believe we can see more of the individual expression in the younger generation of players. You could see Lily Zhang appears more matured and expressive on the court and in interviews these days than an Ariel Hsing of yore , similarly some of the European players like bernadette szocs ( if you could ignore the shrieks ) etc. However, due to the immense expectation and cultural pressures most chinese players are more reserved , remember when KLH and China management tried to enforce the players to weak skirts in a bid to make things more interesting and Li Xiaoxia would wear shorts below the skirt , it was hilarious even though not looking cool ...
However, even without showing skin , dressing elegantly or even expressing yourself on the court could be termed sexy. I like to believe the reason Table tennis players look unsexy has partly to do with the fact that the game itself requires the players to exhibit less emotion during the game. So even the most beautiful individuals play with a poker face.
Hence, when a Zhang Jike celebrates it becomes so uncool to a certain section . However, I believe we can see more of the individual expression in the younger generation of players. You could see Lily Zhang appears more matured and expressive on the court and in interviews these days than an Ariel Hsing of yore , similarly some of the European players like bernadette szocs ( if you could ignore the shrieks ) etc. However, due to the immense expectation and cultural pressures most chinese players are more reserved , remember when KLH and China management tried to enforce the players to weak skirts in a bid to make things more interesting and Li Xiaoxia would wear shorts below the skirt , it was hilarious even though not looking cool ...
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Great post. I agree.
Not sure why they wouldn't just try women's tennis clothing or something. I know I wear basketball shorts and tennis shorts which is actually what I wear to teach yoga.
See, the shorts I have from TT companies, in my opinion, they are too short. In teaching yoga there are times when I would raise my leg pretty high to show a pose. With TT shorts it would be like sharing a bit too much for my clientele. However, even if that wasn't the case, I still wouldn't want to wear shorts that were as short as the Stiga shorts I have. Nor would I want shorts with such shallow pockets.
The shorts I wear and like, they come down right to the bottom of my thigh, just above the knee. And I just like the way they look, fit and feel better than any of the TT shorts I have.
So, it makes me wonder why female TT players who don't find clothing they would want to wear from TT companies, don't find clothing from companies that make Tennis clothing they may like better.
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Well, right now I am thinking of how, the last time I went to a baseball game in the USA it dawned on me how many women actually went to the game entirely because they were stalking the ball players precisely because the athletes on the field WERE SEXY!!!!!!!
Why is that okay and not the other way around. Which was Suga D's point about how Ping Fun has posted all this stuff about how sexy ZJK is. Why is it okay for a woman to find a male athlete sexy. But some men try and pretend they aren't interested in that aspect of a woman athlete.
And how would it take away from a woman athlete's achievement to feel that the woman is a great player and sexy at the same time? And why would sexy have to do with provocative, lurid, or showing skin?
And yes, wearing clothing that makes you look like you are shaped like a box when you are not, wearing clothing and hairstyles that make you look like a little boy when you are not....well, it could be a legit thing for some women athletes. That may be who they are....how they feel and identify themselves. But there may be many women TT players who would rather dress more like the women Tennis players on the court. I know at least one fairly high level women's TT player who actually expressed that opinion to me years ago.
Her words were, "I wish the TT companies made more clothing that made me feel like a woman while I was playing! I wish there were better clothing choices out there." Now she is a sponsored player and part of what she wanted was the companies that sponsored her to have clothing for women that made her feel sexy. I am going to assert that that actually is okay for her to want to feel and look sexy, for her to want to dress and feel the way she would like to think of herself WHILE PLAYING TABLE TENNIS. I choose clothing that make me feel how I want to look and feel when I play. Why is it not okay for her to do that too?
And does that photo I posted of Maria Sharapova really show anything lurid? Or does she simply look like an empowered female tennis player? A tennis player who looks powerful and feminine? Why can't a woman be both powerful and feminine?
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Do any of these photos really demean the athlete or show something undignified? Am I missing something?
I chose one woman athlete. I chose photos that I think show the feminine beauty and natural sexiness associated with that femininity, all from actual match photos.
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I chose one woman athlete. I chose photos that I think show the feminine beauty and natural sexiness associated with that femininity, all from actual match photos.
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It really is interesting, when a large majority of women express delight and enjoyment in appearing feminine, yet it's normal to assume that a woman's value is somehow degraded if she appears more like, well, a woman.
The whole notion of women being disrespected if they appear more sexual makes me think that the people who are behind it are the kind of people who don't have any respect for prostitutes, strippers and the like. It sounds real bad when you think about it like that, doesn't it?
I'm not sure what should be done with women's TT clothing: I'm not a woman nor have I ever worn any of it. Perhaps a good market is in designing clothes more suited to women. I'm sure athletes and hobbyists as well would appreciate being able to dress as is most comfortable. Not how someone wants them to dress.
I saw Ding Ning playing in that strange dress. She didn't look too comfortable. Maybe that's not exactly the kind of women's table tennis clothes we should design, but I think there's something more practical and pleasing to be had with just some cut and fit adjustments to shirts and skirts.
The whole notion of women being disrespected if they appear more sexual makes me think that the people who are behind it are the kind of people who don't have any respect for prostitutes, strippers and the like. It sounds real bad when you think about it like that, doesn't it?
I'm not sure what should be done with women's TT clothing: I'm not a woman nor have I ever worn any of it.
Perhaps a good market is in designing clothes more suited to women. I'm sure athletes and hobbyists as well would appreciate being able to dress as is most comfortable. Not how someone wants them to dress. I saw Ding Ning playing in that strange dress. She didn't look too comfortable. Maybe that's not exactly the kind of women's table tennis clothes we should design, but I think there's something more practical and pleasing to be had with just some cut and fit adjustments to shirts and skirts.
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