TT heading "top" in China is normal
TT benefits in China has always been really high for many generations now.
And if you are in the CTTA structure, you are sorted for life.
It just just silly to take what a swimmer gets or what basketball players get and assuming that is what TT gets and vice versa.
Each players value is determined by what the sponsor is willing to pay.
I recall Lebron James turning down an offer by Adidas and a year later Nike paid few times more than Adidas.
Now does that mean your American Footballer, or soccer or baseballer will earn the same as Lebron James based on Rain's illogical theory. Or Nike should of paid 1 to 1, as that is how the world should be in Rain's eye.
But anyways, in China, TT has value (numbers) in the public space, hence it is worthwhile to use TT players for advertisement
Outside the top 5 countries in the world, does your country use TT players as marketing images?
Chiang for example is now widely used in Taiwan recently, due to the Ai-Chiang, but not due to his player skills. A good looking and tall (model like look) does help him, but he was close to invisible before the wedding news broke out)
CCY is hardly marketed, CCA is even rarer
Girls side, I think number 2 is not even marketed....
I have to admin, Ai's PR team is really good.
How well is Dima advertise in Germany?
Wong in Hong Kong?
Feng in Singapore?
Han in Germany?
Outside the top 5 ranked countries:
Gauzy in France?
Freitas in Portugal?
Fergerl in Austria?
Karlsson in Sweden?
Calderano in Brazil?
Shibaev in Russia?
Aruna in Nigeria?
Groth in Denmark?
Drinkhall in England?
Okay, thats top 50 mens, of which all of them are professional athletes and will need to rely on Table Tennis as a source of income. It can be salary, competition bonus or using his table tennis image to make an income (sponsorship/endorsements)
Now if TT have ZERO Value in the country, then it will be difficult to make solid income. As we all know, only the hand full of few can get decent amount from a base salary.
What I listed about is is only like 15 countries, what about the other 15 countries in the world that can get players into the top 100.
TT salary at your 2nd tier (top 50-100) is already close to a joke as a professional athlete.
Who would want to sponsor a TT player? what ROI does it bring to such company?
Many countries are relying on Government, sport developing funds, Lottery and such.
But we know for sport to succeed, we need private companies involvement, but why should they be involved? is there ROI?
These are all solid questions to ask oneself, should you be the Agent for such player.
Fans only demand, agents will make it happen.
Sometimes as a coach, I want to guide the player to play forever and to have the Olympic dream. But on the other side, the same player would need to feed himself and have a family, house, car one day.
In Taiwan, all the top juniors coming out are from really income solid families. In a way we can say, the parents fortune (not super wealthy, but enough) to last the kid (tt player) a life time.
The others which less financial background. After a certain age, they would need to start earning money through coaching or career change.
And I am talking about juniors who had featured in the top 10 or top 20s in the world in they respective age categories - not your average joe and not just from Taiwan.
I am talking alot about Taiwan is because I spent a good 3 weeks with TPE management, sponsors, players, parents and coaches in Feb. And I have another 2 weeks with them in June.
I'm trying to learn what some countries did successfully and trying to mimic the pros somewhere else.
