Jun Mizutani boycotting boosters/tuners!

Good thing that a top player does something like this but I'm afraid it will have no effect. I think it's impossible to make a racket test that can detect all the illegal glues/boosts..

Hurl has the point! Without going into the boosting debate (there are separate forums for that), everybody plays with boosted rubbers, including Mizutani. He might well be playing with factory-boosted ones (legal as per ittf), because ALL tensors you take from the shelf are factory boosted. If you buy a new sheet of tenergy, thats boosted too. The question is whether to boost it further yourself, or go with the factory level.

LethalForehand said:

Hurl has the point! Without going into the boosting debate (there are separate forums for that), everybody plays with boosted rubbers, including Mizutani. He might well be playing with factory-boosted ones (legal as per ittf), because ALL tensors you take from the shelf are factory boosted. If you buy a new sheet of tenergy, thats boosted too. The question is whether to boost it further yourself, or go with the factory level.

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What you would call "factory boosted" is absolutely inconsequential compared to the additional boosting that the Chinese, German, etc. teams add to their rubbers. Just because a player like Jun uses Tenergy, which has some form of tuning, does not mean that that is somehow the same as when players boost their rubbers post-factory. I mean, the Chinese team has scientists working on figuring out how much they can boost their team's rubbers without being detected by ITTF tests. YES, they would still win without that much boosting, but it DOES make a difference. Those who play professionally know that table tennis is a game of inches--or even centimeters. So if you are playing someone who has the same equipment as you, but theirs is heavily boosted, you WILL feel the difference and that is why Jun is complaining.

I agree with his argument that the playing field should be level but unfortunately it only takes one person to boost for everyone else to as well, or else they will feel that opponents have an advantage. Unfortunately I don't think Jun M protesting will have any effect unless more fellow high profile players did it as well. So until rubber testing gets better I highly doubt anything will change

Either, everyone boosts or no one boosts, much fairer xD

Tomo Boll does not use booster? well, if that makes you feel better))) anyway, wrt to boosting - it will never be stopped, and Mizutani can retire for all the ITTF care. I put it to you all that this is dreamland for one reason - ALL the chinese Hurricanes are boosted. Hurricane simply does not work otherwise at the top level. Is the ITTF going to ban every chinese team member? I dont think so. Enough said.

ttunreal said:

The thing is, is that not EVERYONE is going to use boosters and obviously that wouldn't be fair for players that choose not to. In order for a good game, everything has to be equal in terms of the equipment. Rather than boosting to make it more exciting, it's better off that these players actually train more and improve themselves rather than use boosters (in ITTF tournaments) to give them the upperhand. Now THAT is much more legitimate and exciting in my opinion!

However, because you're not one of these professionals, of course in your perspective it would be much more fun and enjoyable (It would be hella enjoyable even for me since I know I can give the ball so much more speed) but you have to remember that Jun Mizutani is doing this in terms of professional players and the fair play needed in such important tournaments!

FYI, Marty Reisman, a Ping Pong legend back in the day said that back in the days, there was no speed glue, no serve hiding, no boosters, NOTHING, just a wooden paddle, and that was all he had to rely on to win. He said that these days, players and others are finding ways to give them a upper hand and it isn't fair, but back in the days it wasn't like that at all!

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i agree...Jun mizutani just did the right thing...if anyone would like to improve and be a player, then train hard and play your game fair...its just a sad thing that in my perspective the culture of cheating always find itself in any arena...take for example, Lance armstrong, 7-time champion of tour de france and also an olympic gold medalist...they did it just to leak that there is always a cheat and that's not fair enough...its time for administrators to do their jobs and make the games clean...
train hard and play clean!long live Jun!

PingPongPom said:

Straight from the mouth of the Athletes Commission, cheers William keep us posted

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Views are my own and I'm by no way acting as a spokesperson for the AC here. My view is the rule should be abolished immediately. It is purely an administration rule brought on by officials with little insight into the sport. It was not created to address any problem in the sport - spectators, players, doctors, coaches were not the ones requesting to ban boosters. The only justifications I have ever heard to this rule is that table tennis should be a clean sport (mineral oil is clean, no adverse health effects, heck you can drink it) and that everyone should have a level playing field (remove the rule and everyone will have a level playing field).

It irritates me to see these big rooms full of officials at major events getting our their eye pieces to measure 0.04mm on rubbers and blowing on their (unreliable) air sensor devices to see if a poor unassuming player accidentally spilled some oil while rubbing it on his baby's bottom.

I've never tried any Japanese national team level rubbers, but I heard many of the top top Europeans say they wish their Tenergy were as good as the Tenergy the Japanese Butterfly sponsored players receive.

ttEDGE - William said:

Views are my own and I'm by no way acting as a spokesperson for the AC here. My view is the rule should be abolished immediately. It is purely an administration rule brought on by officials with little insight into the sport. It was not created to address any problem in the sport - spectators, players, doctors, coaches were not the ones requesting to ban boosters. The only justifications I have ever heard to this rule is that table tennis should be a clean sport (mineral oil is clean, no adverse health effects, heck you can drink it) and that everyone should have a level playing field (remove the rule and everyone will have a level playing field).

It irritates me to see these big rooms full of officials at major events getting our their eye pieces to measure 0.04mm on rubbers and blowing on their (unreliable) air sensor devices to see if a poor unassuming player accidentally spilled some oil while rubbing it on his baby's bottom.

I've never tried any Japanese national team level rubbers, but I heard many of the top top Europeans say they wish their Tenergy were as good as the Tenergy the Japanese Butterfly sponsored players receive.

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Agree, rules have been getting stricter and more picky over the last few years and I think the booster ban does create an uneven playing field. If the ITTF are going to ban booster then they should have been in a position to detect it at that time anyway. But as you said William there is no real reason for banning harmless boosters from the game.

Agree, rules have been getting stricter and more picky over the last few years and I think the booster ban does create an uneven playing field. If the ITTF are going to ban booster then they should have been in a position to detect it at that time anyway. But as you said William there is no real reason for banning harmless boosters from the game.

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On the topic of getting stricter and more picky, that new poly ball thing they're introducing soon... so duh stupid!

I would like to point out something that maybe many players dont know . The whole thing with the speed glue issue was not about health . Speed glue exists from the early 80's . Isnt it strange that after 28 years of existence , suddenly speed glue and VOC's are considered hazardous from the ITTF . Let's get the facts straight .

Cancer cannot be caused exclusively by hazardous substances . Of course im not claiming that if you inhale 1000 litres of speed glue in 20 years nothing bad will happen to you . That is common sense . Andreej Grubba didnt die just because of VOC's ...

The TT industry was hungry for more money and there was the time and the place to introduce tensor rubbers , plus the fact that ITTF wanted the game to be more viewer friendly than it was .
So , now we know that industry rules the game as it does in every economical situation in life . I dont know if Mizutani is totally alone in his decision (or affected by others, in higher influential positions in the game of TT) , but i dont think he will achieve boosters to be banned . Everybody knows the chinese boost and they will be the best even if they stop them from boosting

There are more important issues to solve for the ITTF , like the service rule . The olympic final was a disaster , and the men's singles quarter final also . Fans want to watch quality table tennis not some referee and the players arguing if the serve was legal or not . Even better ITTF has a difficult task to commercialize the game of table tennis in order to make it bigger and viewer friendly .

Personally i dont think boosters are much of a problem

doesnt look like his boycotting lasted that long...

TTFrenzy said:

I would like to point out something that maybe many players dont know . The whole thing with the speed glue issue was not about health . Speed glue exists from the early 80's . Isnt it strange that after 28 years of existence , suddenly speed glue and VOC's are considered hazardous from the ITTF . Let's get the facts straight .

Cancer cannot be caused exclusively by hazardous substances . Of course im not claiming that if you inhale 1000 litres of speed glue in 20 years nothing bad will happen to you . That is common sense . Andreej Grubba didnt die just because of VOC's ...

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Banning VOC glues isn't something the ITTF made up, though. Many countries introduced regulations on max allowed VOC contents in paint, lacquer, glue etc, 5-10-15 years ago.

Anyway it shouldn't have mattered because the chem labs came up with a good solution: boosters. And there are no health reasons for this booster ban, so I agree there is something else behind it.

Markvee said:

Banning VOC glues isn't something the ITTF made up, though. Many countries introduced regulations on max allowed VOC contents in paint, lacquer, glue etc, 5-10-15 years ago.

Anyway it shouldn't have mattered because the chem labs came up with a good solution: boosters. And there are no health reasons for this booster ban, so I agree there is something else behind it.

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I agree my friend but these regulations where for the safety of the consumer in certain professions like painters builders plumbers etc .

Professional table tennis players who used speed glue daily were breathing VOC's for about 1-2 minutes ? These substances are harmful only when you are constantly exposed to them... The whole "health" issue was a "mass media trick" because they needed a valid statement to feed the people in order to change the sport

TTFrenzy said:

Cancer cannot be caused exclusively by hazardous substances . Of course im not claiming that if you inhale 1000 litres of speed glue in 20 years nothing bad will happen to you . That is common sense . Andreej Grubba didnt die just because of VOC's ...

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Who said Andrezj Grubba died from VOC's? People get cancer everyday out of nowhere. You can't assume that just because he was in the era of speed gluing, it doesn't mean his cancer was due to that, LOL. Just pointing something out from what you said.

I'm mutual on this matter actually.

Death of Grubba was used to blaim even more the VOC's from speed glue . I cant find any relative article right now , but when i do i will post it !

I personally think that boosters and tuners should be allowed but it needs to be VOC-free.

Boosters and tuners are like shoe polish, it makes a shoe shine when it's old.

Boosters and tuners gives us more option on our rubbers, like if you choose to polish your shoe or not.

Boosters and tuners is also like customising your rubber if you like it soft or hard, or even if your making a very hated rubber become your favourite just from boosting/tuning.

TTFrenzy said:

Death of Grubba was used to blaim even more the VOC's from speed glue . I cant find any relative article right now , but when i do i will post it !

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well, the VOC thing has a long story about it. I was recalling my coach used to tell me that those poor drug user used to use VOC glue as a drug substance whenever they can't affort to buy a new drug lol

I have worked as umpire on many ittf events and also worked on racket control.

Players over here in england told me a while back people were starting to use things like baby oil, to be honest i wasn't sure whether to believe at the time.

The main problem if it is happening i suppose is that the racket control isn't picking this stuff up like you all say, let's face it baby oil isn't exactly highly toxic so hard for ittf to calibrate new equipment because one possibility that could happen is that it would be so sensitive it could always fail a racket - you remember the first voc testers when they came out were a nightmare and so many rackets were failing due to rubbers not being "aired" but this was unknown at the time, better equipment is in place but doesn't detect things like baby oil or whatever oils are being used it would seem.

I personally would like to see a more level playing field and have everyone not using boosters as the rule intends but let's face it people are always going to try something to get that bit extra advantage as they would in any sport.

I hope Jun gets some support and backing from other players and I'm sure the ITTF will look into sorting it if enough noise is made - I'm sure it isn't an easy thing to sort over night so I suppose it's a case of watch this space.
These are my own opinions and not of ittf, umpires or referees.

do boosters/tuners/speed glue make that much of a difference that he would boycott ? i dont know because i never used speed glue but my fellow team mates at school all use speed glue (haifu blue whale II speed glue) and they get sponsored equipment they all have tenergy bryce and timo boll spirit...they always get new equipment because our coach THINKS that they need it because their rubbers shrink and dont fit the blade anymore...meanwhile me im using my own equipment and i dont use speed glue so naturally my rubber doesnt shapeshift so he thinks i dont need new equipment..my equipment is venus 14 carbokev (i bought it because it was said to be a tbs clone) ,skyline tg3 neo and sanwei t88-I (once again i bought it because it was said to have similar characteristics as tenergy), and i use butterfly freechak and i dont know how accurate the clones are because i never tried the originals but there is one guy that i cant beat at my school but its always a close match...so do you think if i speed glue i can possibly beat him? i used to beat him all the time until he started getting personal coaching.