Liu Guoliang chairman of World Table Tennis

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The ITTF have just announced Liu Guoliang as the chairman of ITTF's new product World Table Tennis.


Full write up here.

World Table Tennis states: WTT, is the commercial and events company of the ITTF, will be placing players and fans at the core of all its business to catapult table tennis to the forefront of global sports business.

Prize money will be doubled in the new Grand Smashers events.
 
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Is LGL still allowed to act as an advisor to the CNT, check out their sessions? Give recommendations on sqauds or should that be a conflict of interest?
 
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I guess it's safe to say the ITTF is now owned by China.

https://www.sportbusiness.com/news/chinese-table-tennis-president-appointed-to-lead-wtt-council/
The ITTF said Liu, an Olympic and World Table Tennis Championships gold medal-winning player for China and former coach of the Chinese national team, would be “taking overall leadership and responsibility for pioneering the future of table tennis” in his role as chair.

Dainton said: “For the success of WTT and table tennis as a whole, it is imperative that we have people of the highest order actively involved in shaping the future of our sport. The fact that Liu Guoliang is the most influential figure in table tennis, not only in China but around the globe, positions him perfectly as Chair of the WTT Council.”
 
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Finally the future of the sport is in the most capable hands. I'm expecting great things to come to the sport! I wonder though if this move will have any effect on the skill gap between China and the rest of the world.


 
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Is LGL still allowed to act as an advisor to the CNT, check out their sessions? Give recommendations on sqauds or should that be a conflict of interest?

This is exactly what CNT has been hoping for.

COI is all about personal gain while playing dumb(looking at Sharara). CNT is bigger than that. The folks want a bigger say here. They want to lead not just the medal table, but also the world of table tennis. It just won't happen under the current structure of ITTF since every association has only 1 vote, regardless of results. It's just inflexible when a tiny country in the middle of nowhere can propose a change of rules on a whim every frigging year that could potentially/adversely affect pros and amateurs alike and everyone has to waste time to discuss and vote on that, often times without a full understanding of the implications. By "spinning off" the operations of international competitions, the pros can be insulated from all unwanted/non-beneficial external interference and sort of play in a sandbox environment, exactly how the ATP started out.

From how it's made out by the news in China, there's a strong indication that WTT will slowly gain influence and the ITTF will take a back seat. The term World Table Tennis(WTT) is translated in Chinese as 世界乒乓球职业大联盟, literally "World Table Tennis Alliance of Professionals". Similar to the ATP, WTT is actually a private limited company registered in Singapore - WORLD TABLE TENNIS PTE. LTD.

https://documents.ittf.sport/sites/...20191212_ITTF_Conflict_of_Interest_Policy.pdf
Procedures for Declaring Interest and COI
In the multi-faceted environment that ITTF operates in, it is likely that a COI will arise from time to time. When such situations arise, unless the ITTF Handbook provides otherwise, you must make a written declaration according to the ITTF Handbook.

In the declaration, you are to elaborate on:
• the interest which you hold; and
o Example: I have invested financially in Company X.
• the COI.
o Example: Company X is bidding to provide services to ITTF for Project A that I am involved in.

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What is the difference between the board and the council? Who is "on top"?
Who will be in the council? (appointed/elected?)
If the council will represent the stakeholders, including the players, then what will be the role of the Athletes Commission in the future?
If the council will decide on tournament rules and ranking.., what will be the role of the AGM/BoD (and the national associations, clubs, members) in the future?
 
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The goals mentioned in the video are admirable. Might I suggest....

-A minimum quality of tournament digital recording in every event. There are examples out there of optimal angles, quality, zoom level, floor and table color, clarity. T2 is one to take notes from. TT is one of the poorest video qualities out there in terms of online sport videos.
 
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For ITTF, Sharara created the position of chair and assigned himself that role in 2014, above the president, which was going to be Weikert. Later on, Sharara pulled the same trick with the role of honorary president. Long story short, those roles have since been abolished/removed/suspended.

For ATP, before Jan, 2020, the roles of chair and president were one and the same. It's now separate.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/nov/13/atp-head-chris-kermode-hurt-ousted-by-players
“The idea of the split role came from the board, not me,” Kermode says. “On paper, it’s logical in that you have a chairman who can maybe not be bogged down in the day-to-day running of the company, someone who can have a much higher view and be detached from it. Then the CEO comes in and runs the business. My only concern is that ultimately someone has to vote, and whoever has the vote will get drawn into the politics.”

That was the nub of Kermode’s dilemma: playing referee between players and tournament owners. Djokovic considered it an insoluble conflict of interest; Kermode said it was the only sensible way to bring the two sides together. Nor does he agree with Djokovic’s push for a players’ union, as it could dissolve into the sort of franchise wars that plague American sport.

What's interesting though, is that Weikert was wary of the relationships b/w ITTF and WTT. He made sure the "ITTF has control on the whole structure." Still, there will be some major restructuring within the ITTF, namely the AGM, BoD and EC will be streamlined to just General Assembly and a Governing Board. Certain existing committees may be removed down the line.

https://documents.ittf.sport/sites/default/files/public/2019-11/20191021_EC_Chengdu_Minutes.pdf
4.1.2 Master License Agreement

...

Mr Weikert asked in regard to the proposed structure of WTT, its relations with the ITTF and potential partners/investors, and whether it is in compliance with the ITTF regulations. Mr Indaimo gave a very detail report on the roadmap and proposed structure and composition of WTT, and how it perfectly fits with the ITTF objectives and regulations, in particular, the ITTF Constitution.

...

Mr Weikert emphasised the necessity to ensure the ITTF has control on the whole structure. In turn, Mr Indaimo confirmed, based on the very detailed references and proposed model, that this was the case.

With the valuable input from the Executive Committee Members, key ITTF staff and the legal expertise of Withers Worldwide noted and incorporated, the Executive Committee unanimously agreed to move forward and finalise the Master License Agreement and the proposed structure of World Table Tennis.

...

6.4 Governance review
6.4.1 Future of the ITTF President position
The Deputy President, Mr Khalil Al-Mohannadi, indicated that, nowadays, International Federations require full time Presidents. His suggestion would be to ensure the future ITTF President elected in 2021 has a salary and an exclusive dedication to the ITTF.

...

6.4.2 Future of the Board of Directors
The Secretary General suggested that with the expected growth of the ITTF due to the establishment of WTT, it is clear that any potential commercial partner will be much more comfortable in establishing relations with the ITTF being aware that it has a solid governance system.

...

Looking at the evolution of the ITTF Constitution since 1990, it is felt that removing the Continental Presidents from the Executive Committee (Executive Council at that time), created a disconnection of the continental governance from the ITTF governance.

At the same time, having three governing bodies (AGM, BoD and EC) does not seem to be an efficient system of management, not having clear the duties of each body.

Mr Calin, based on the strong recommendation of the Deputy President, suggested the reform of the ITTF Governance to include two organs of government, General Assembly and a Governing Board, aligning the ITTF with most of the modern and more efficient International Federations.

Consultation with stakeholders will be made, also in terms of electoral processes.

The EC members were encouraged to propose to the AGM an exemplar governance system, thinking of the future of the ITTF and not in the benefit for particular individuals in the system, hoping the AGM will embrace the Good Governance principles which society is demanding to all IFs.

6.4.3 Future of Committees and ToR
Mr Al-Mohannadi asked the EC members about the necessity of existence of certain committees, in view of the professionalization of the operations in the ITTF.

The EC will consult with the different Committee Chairs and, in line with the Governance review, eventually come up with a proposal to discontinue the committees whose functions have been absorbed by staff, or which are less efficient in today’s world of professionalisation.

...
 
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http://ttfr.ru/uploads/files/wtt-faq-11-june-2020.pdf
1. WHAT IS WTT

...

1.3. What is WTT’s relationship arrangement with the ITTF?
ITTF and WTT have signed a very precise 15-year period master license agreement(MLA) which passes ITTF’s commercial rights and event hosting rights (except WTTC’s) to WTT.

The MLA details how the organisations need to work together and the control mechanisms in place. Key terms include:
•WTT’s business plan must be approved annually by the ITTF Executive Committee
•WTT’s accounts much be audited and provided to the ITTF
•Clear termination clauses if WTT is not working in the best interests of table tennis
•A joint steering committee to manage technical issues

ITTF is a shareholder of WTT and has clear rights and control over the company to ensure transparency to the ITTF.

1.4. What level of financial commitment does ITTF have to WTT and vice versa?

WTT is committed to pay a $2 million license fee annually to the ITTF, which increases over time, and as a shareholder has access to dividends on profits. ITTF has no financial commitments to WTT.

...

3. GOVERNANCE

...

3.2. How does WTT help in mitigating ITTF’s risks?

Overall, the risk for ITTF related to competitions’ organisation is primarily mitigated with the introduction of WTT, as ITTF has a guaranteed revenue generated through the Master License Agreement.

The ITTF has been undertaking Risk Assessment Workshops every two years for the past six years, and as the financial growth occurred in more recent years, the risk grew within ITTF. "Lack of diversification", "reliance on few major sponsors" or "lack of global geographic representation", were all risks commonly being brought up. All of these were risks directly associated with the ITTF.

The creation of WTT has started to remove many of these risks from the ITTF and has now placed them in WTT. Currently COVID-19 is a major risk, and something that couldn't have been foreseen, and even now couldn't have been mitigated. The biggest advantage for the ITTF, based on the new business model with WTT, is that ITTF does not bear the risk like WTT has through a pandemic like COVID-19.

Although COVID-19 is the current risk, of course there are other risks, such as the sport being primarily dominated by one country, and one region within the world, or the possibility of being affected by bad reputation, as we have seen in other sports recently. Separating the business from the governance, helps to mitigate the risk of corruption at the management, due to the mechanisms of control, independence and separation of powers.

In terms of diversification, WTT will look to invest in ways to develop players from around the world so the reliance on a few countries starts to reduce. This reliance mitigation is one of the important aspects to work on the overall WTT strategy.

3.3. What is the financial step change WTT can bring compared to continuing as we have done in the past?

When the ITTF first undertook the project of designing and building a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), to house the commercial rights of the ITTF, which is now known as World Table Tennis, the primary objective was to be able to maximise the value of these rights and generate increased revenues.

An initial analysis was undertaken based on the current financial structure and model of the ITTF's commercial rights. It was evident that a majority of the income generated for the commercial rights were then being reinvested back into the competitions in which the rights were generated, with any additional funds generally covering the operational costs of the ITTF, and then if any further funds still available, they would generally go towards Development. When looking at the figures in this sense, it was roughly a USD15m income, and USD15m expenses being incurred with the commercial rights housed inside the ITTF. Had the commercials rights stayed within the current structure, the most positive business models were producing a 5-10% increase from 2020 to 2021 in a normal pre COVID-19 situation and now possibly even less of an increase or a reduction if business was conducted the same as the past.

However, for a significant increase to occur,there were a few specific areas of change that needed to take place, primarily around the re-shaping of competitions, and turning them more into a mix of events and entertainment, or ‘sportainment’, which is now evident through the event structure shared by WTT.

The restructure of the events has provided a greater opportunity to increase the commercial value of the various events within the new structure, and initial forecasts (prior to COVID-19), saw revenue levels doubling from 2020 to 2021 (100% increase), and by 2030 saw revenue levels reaching over 450% growth compared to the current level of revenues. Of course, these figures now need adjustment due to COVID-19.

3.4. Who are the directors/trustees and how is the legal entity formed?

WTT was created in Singapore upon approval of the ITTF Executive Committee. The current interim directors are Stephen Dainton, Matthew Pound and Koh Yu Han -these are currently held on behalf of the ITTF. The ITTF will soon allocate a position to the ITTF Executive Committee as per the Master License Agreement. Investors secured will also require positions on the board. However, it is always as mandated through the Master License Agreement and any shareholding agreements that there is negative control in favour of the ITTF.

...

4. EVENT

...

4.2. What investments is WTT making to create the world-class events envisioned?

Event hosts will be supported by the WTT team and its partners in line with industry best practices to elevate the marketing and commercial potential of the events to the next level.

WTT has brought on board professional staff and consultants such as Philippe Le Floc’h whose stellar experience includes stints as Chief Commercial Officer at FIFA, football’s international governing body, and as Marketing Director at UEFA, the sport’s European governing body and Stephen Duckitt,who has 15 years of corporate global sports industry experience, including management and marketing of top international tennis events on the ATP World Tour and WTA International Series.

Additionally, WTT is working with consultancies in different areas such as Pumpjack Dataworks (data and digital strategy), Turnstile (IP valuation),160over90 (marketing and brand building) and Superunion (graphic design).

WTT will soon announce a partnership with a global sports marketing agency which will include taking a new centralised approach to broadcast production.WTT will invest in and manage all global broadcast production to convey the emotion and narrative of the players and events consistently, building authentic connections between fans and players.

One of the key missions of WTT is to improve the level of prize money for our players. WTT To achieve this, WTT is taking the burden of prize money away from the organisers and is investing heavily to increase the amounts.

...

5. PLAYING SYSTEM

5.1. How will the WTT World Ranking points system be like? Will it affect the players with the Olympics postponed to 2021?


A rankings proposal is being developed and will be presented in due course.

5.2. How will Mixed doubles qualify for the Olympic Games considering World Tour is over?

The ITTF has taken a thorough process in looking at the disrupted qualification system and this was a work done in close cooperation with the Athletes Commission, including a survey addressed to athletes. All details including, but not limited to, the disruption of the qualification system, the postponement of events, the subsequent complications and the fact a new event structure comes in place in 2021 have been considered, with the objective to reach the best possible solution.

Despite the Mixed Doubles qualification system didn’t have originally ranking quotas,(only a provision for reallocation of unused quotas), the ITTF and WTT will accommodate sufficient participation opportunities for mixed doubles pairs, as deemed necessary, on 2021 WTT events leading up to the conclusion of the qualification process. The ITTF has currently finalised the necessary amendments to the Olympic Games qualification system, which was approved unanimously by the ITTF Executive Committee, and it will be submitted to the IOC for final approval. We expect the adjustments being published by the ITTF within this month.

5.3. How will WTT address the problem that only 2 of the TOP 20 players can participate at Star Contenders and Contenders events?

WTT has introduced a Play Down Restriction to ensure that the Top 20 players are not continually dropping down to prevent lower ranked players from earning prize money and rankings points.

This will provide all players with the opportunity to move up and down the rankings based on performance while earning prize money.

Events will also be permitted to use one of its Host Wildcard allocations to allow a third Top 20 player to participate in their event.

The rule will not stop any Top 20 players from wishing to play doubles or mixed doubles at Star Contender or Contender events should they wish to do so.

6. OTHER FEEDBACK

6.1. The Chinese TTA had always supported ITTF events but in recent years it was felt there was not a big step up on the organisational levels, and the players would eventually stop being interested, as the domestic opportunities were greater. Unsatisfying prize money and often unstable quality of events were some of their concerns. CTTA was indeed modelling its new event system before knowing about WTT. With WTT, CTTA has confidence in the future international events and firmly believes in the plans of the ITTF. The CTTA supports WTT as well as the overall reform of table tennis led by the ITTF in full.


Indeed, the development of alternative initiatives by external powers, such professional table tennis leagues, not regulated within the framework of the ITTF and its members, was an existing risk. We have seen this happening in Swimming, in Athletics, and even in Equestrian. The ITTF is glad of the initial evaluation of the Chinese Table Tennis Association and want to thank their confidence. We also recognise that the table tennis events needed a massive improvement, and the analysis of the situation of the last 10-15 years was the seed that led to the creation of WTT. The players are the stars of our sport and WTT needs to ensure that we provide the best stage for them to shine and take our sport to the next level, but this requires investment that was not possible to achieve in the fast pace WTT can.

...

6.3. One of the Member Associations representatives spoke about the Champions League being very useful towards the development of the sport. There was a question about the schedule for the events, the overall calendar planning, and how to ensure the young players, future stars, can watch the top players like Samsonov, Ovtcharov, Mizutani, Freitas, etc, at these events, and how to balance this with their need to compete at WTT events to earn prize money.

A desire was expressed to have European competitions providing ranking points, in order to ensure governments will subsidise attending to these events, and how to establish partnerships with WTT and work together for the common goals.


Indeed, the ITTF hopes that WTT becomes a common project for everyone in table tennis with the goal to expand and bringing more revenue to our sport.

It has been noticed that the club system, particularly in Europe, has played an important role towards the development of players as well as a source of income. This issue is being discussed, although no decision has yet been taken. There is a degree of complexity in ensuring unanimity across the decision makers, as securing a fair global approach as a world organisation we are, is needed. But the ITTF and WTT are open to consider possibilities as we always aim to ensure the best outcome for the sport is achieved.
 
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