Are French people paying attention to the French team at WTTTC 2024?

[anjoooo]

Serious question for any French who might be on TTD. How big news is it in France that they have made the final of the WTTTC and are playing against China? Is it being reported on much in the news? Will many people be watching this live on TV?

 

[Yuomay]

Almost all news related to table tennis is about the Lubrun Brothers and their way to the Paris olympics.
Outside of the TT community, public interest is very limited, I feel. One short article on the national public news about this tournament on how they lost to china in the finals.

On the other hand, the Lebrun bros are mediatised, they go to talk-shows, online magazines, press articles, documentaries etc.

 

[anjoooo]

That's interesting. So most of the interest is about the Lebruns but apparently people (the media?) are not as interested about the sport they play? It's a shame - they did so well to get to the final. If one of them gets a medal at the Paris Olympics maybe things will change.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

That's interesting. So most of the interest is about the Lebruns but apparently people (the media?) are not as interested about the sport they play? It's a shame - they did so well to get to the final. If one of them gets a medal at the Paris Olympics maybe things will change.

I think its difficult in a sporting nation, especially when there are other sport stars also getting medals at Paris Olympic Games

In Taiwan, the doubles WC gold with Chuang and Chen did a big boost, because Taiwan isn't that heavy in individual sport.
Recent years badminton - Tai and table tennis Tokyo XD bronze - Lin/Cheng has pulled in a lot of kids to play badminton or table tennis.

I'm not sure if in France, kids will leave other sport/sports for table tennis. There is just so much choices.
so i'm interested to see how TT in France can blossom

 

[Yuomay]

Table tennis is quite big here, I live in a rural area and there are at least 20 clubs in a 1,5 hour radius of which 6 play national and 2 professional.

But yeah, I think its popularity for the media is “hurt” by the Chinese supremacy there is almost no surprise in our sport.

On TV In France it comes in after Football, Rugby, Tennis, Biathlon, cycling, athleticism, skiing etc.

 

[maloong]

Lebrun brothers both have serious anger issues. They express their anger too much at nearly every event. Felix this time hit his racket with his fist in Busan after losing to WCQ. His brother was told off during his match as Umpire asked him to calm the f down. I can’t understand how people let someone behaving that way represent their nation.

 

[Yuomay]

I don't know, It is not worse than a tennis man breaking his racket.

 

[longrange]

France seems to invest in TT lately: https://pingcenter-gvhtt.com/en

As for the Lebruns, I heard them being compared to Mbappe of TT fwiw.

 

[d3nium]

Lebrun brothers both have serious anger issues. They express their anger too much at nearly every event. Felix this time hit his racket with his fist in Busan after losing to WCQ. His brother was told off during his match as Umpire asked him to calm the f down. I can’t understand how people let someone behaving that way represent their nation.View attachment 28550

Felix is still a kid, kids are emotional.

 

[Metaxa]

As far as I know, table tennis is quite popular in France thanks mainly to Jacques Secretin and to lesser degrees Vincent Purkart who both had some significance in the French and international table tennis world in the 70s, 80s & 90s. Secretin is legendary for his medals won and along with Purkart became world famous for their demonstration matches.
The competition for both men and women is at a fairly high level (although lower than in Germany) but many foreign players play in the French league.

 

[Tony Funk My Racket]

The general public (I am speaking of pretty much anyone who has never played in a club environment) in france does not consider table tennis as a sport. Many don't know it is an Olympic sport either. It is not televised on mainstream tv so people have no idea how physical the high level can be. If you tell people that you play TT as a sport, they likely will dismiss you and equate this to sometyhing like playing billiard in a bar on the beach.

Maybe now, with the Lebrun hype, things will change. We are very far from the sort of respect the sport gets in Japan or China for example.

 

[Nima Abadi]

TT is indeed popular here in France, I mean last year we had around 250k registered players in the clubs but the media is not super hyped about the sport, at least not as much as football or rugby.

That being said, I had a few friends who are not into TT sending me msgs about the French team achievement so the average people also have heard about it.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Felix is still a kid, kids are emotional.

both Felix and Alexis gets emotional, Alexis is just far worse.
do you consider Alexis a kid still?
and when is it not a kid, 18? (Felix will be 18 in 7 months)

 

[Metaxa]

The general public (I am speaking of pretty much anyone who has never played in a club environment) in france does not consider table tennis as a sport. Many don't know it is an Olympic sport either. It is not televised on mainstream tv so people have no idea how physical the high level can be. If you tell people that you play TT as a sport, they likely will dismiss you and equate this to sometyhing like playing billiard in a bar on the beach.

Maybe now, with the Lebrun hype, things will change. We are very far from the sort of respect the sport gets in Japan or China for example.

Is not only a problem in France of course but a general problem in many countries worldwide.
It is always a laugh when people talk about ping pong and not the sport of table tennis.

 

[d3nium]

both Felix and Alexis gets emotional, Alexis is just far worse.
do you consider Alexis a kid still?
and when is it not a kid, 18? (Felix will be 18 in 7 months)

Yeah i consider them both kids, not much life experience yet.

I'm not excusing their behaviour, I'm just saying I understand it.

 

[OrsonBear]

How many tennis players break their rackets? Yell at the referee etc... It's normal in a sport as tense and mental as ping to lose your nerves sometimes It's simply human, we don't all have the legendary calm of Chinese players!

 

[d3nium]

How many tennis players break their rackets? Yell at the referee etc... It's normal in a sport as tense and mental as ping to lose your nerves sometimes It's simply human, we don't all have the legendary calm of Chinese players!

Well said, I'm sure when they get a bit older, they'll calm down.

I'm not sure why some table tennis fans expect all the players to act like robots, i like players who show a bit of emotion and character.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

How many tennis players break their rackets? Yell at the referee etc... It's normal in a sport as tense and mental as ping to lose your nerves sometimes It's simply human, we don't all have the legendary calm of Chinese players!

depending on the sport
some sports you get punished, some you won't.

Try throwing the basketball into the crowd in anger/vain
or the same with soccer/football.
He will learn very fast.

in Table Tennis, ZJK had zero punishment for breaking things from ITTF.
CTTA internal punishment is internet, but there was nothing from the world body.
So in TT, you need to watch out for racket thickness more than your emotions lol

 

[Metaxa]

in Table Tennis, ZJK had zero punishment for breaking things from ITTF.
CTTA internal punishment is internet, but there was nothing from the world body.
So in TT, you need to watch out for racket thickness more than your emotions lol

Or Ruwen Filus...

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Or Ruwen Filus...

he didn't get thickness problem, so its fine