Dimitrij Ovtcharov The New World Number 1!

[Tony's Table Tennis]

this is the biggest issue for me. Ding Ning won the World Championship and Liu Shiwen nearly became a record 5 times World Cup champion only for people to say they "hardly played" the whole year. Yes, they didn't come to many foreign "Opens" because, frankly, who cares about the smaller tournaments. The hype is alive for a week or two then everyone moves on, whereas the Major winners make history.

I believe one of the motives of "platinum" series naming is to make these "big" events
But look at the prize money
the 1st round of Australian open in Tennis fetches AUD50000 (38500 USD), your big ITTF Platinum winners gets USD24000 only
1st round in Aus open is nothing - there is 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th round then you get your QF/SF/Final
QF fetches AUD440000 (338000 USD)

 

[Atas Newton]

I learnt something from you
Didn't know of the 380+ issue

Now this is silly.
Before junior points/U21 are all the same points as senior level
New system, the points are calculate seperatly

So for Truls, how can he accumulate enough points to participate on senior level?

wildcard participation, presumably? I don't know really.

 

[Atas Newton]

I believe one of the motives of "platinum" series naming is to make these "big" events
But look at the prize money
heck the 1st round of Australian open in Tennis fetches AUD50000 (38500 USD), heck your big ITTF Platinum winners gets USD24000 only
1st round in Aus open is nothing - there is 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th round then you get your QF/SF/Final
QF fetches AUD440000 (338000 USD)

there's a ridiculous amount of money in tennis. Sometimes I look up a player I've never heard of and their lifetime winnings (by the age 22 or something like that) is hundreds of thousands of dollars. One of the most rich sports on the planet, which is why I think it's a bit unfair to compare TT to tennis. Badminton, on the other hand...

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Badminton seems to be listening to players:

http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other...-Super-Series-prize-money/article17018257.ece
Here a player talks about league has more prize money that tournament

http://www.firstpost.com/sports/bwf...ructure-with-booming-prize-money-3343626.html
Here you see BWF is aiming to get USD1m+ price money x 4 times a year

level 1 event - 1 x USD1.5m
level 2 events - 3 x USD1m
level 3 events - 5 x USD700k
level 4 events - 7 x USD350k
level 5 events - 11 x USD150k


Currently our Platinum Qatar, China, Japan, Austria, Germany are USD210k~USD220k

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

there's a ridiculous amount of money in tennis. Sometimes I look up a player I've never heard of and their lifetime winnings (by the age 22 or something like that) is hundreds of thousands of dollars. One of the most rich sports on the planet, which is why I think it's a bit unfair to compare TT to tennis. Badminton, on the other hand...

haha, i just did

any ways, you say don't compare to tennis
but parents of potential tt kids will compare

 

[NextLevel]

Cathay Group chairman is fond of TT, so that is why about 10 years ago he founded the Cathay life table tennis team
Some of the top players include Chen Szu Yu.
If there is another chairman who likes other sports, I doubt they would ever have a TT team
heck, all 18 players get paid to play, and accommodation, education is provided - this is more complete than your top sports schools in China. The pay for a junior WJTTC player for example isn't bad either

Sadly you don't really have any rich people in many countries that funds TT
talk USA for example, all the big hype of Gates and Buffett, but not much really occurred from that other than just a match or two

Another rich Taiwanese businessman - Terry Guo, chairman of foxconn has been sponsoring Chuang Chih Yuan's training centre - Chih Yuan Table Tennis Centre a good amount per year for 10 years

But how about USA? How about UK
How about other Euro countries?
There isn't a lot of money, so if competition price money is not there, then the future doesn't look good

Give USA time. The USATT has good management and good things are happening. We are hosting Vets next year and will put in a World Championship bid, not sure for which event. If they can penetrate the US market, that will be more than anything out there. There are enough millionaires sponsoring TT in America, the best clubs are sponsored in Silicon Valley and then there is Will Shortz (NYT Times Puzzle Columnist) sponsoring a great club in Westchester. A professional model needs the TT players to be held accountable as professionals. It is not a one-way street.

 

[NextLevel]

Badminton seems to be listening to players:

http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other...-Super-Series-prize-money/article17018257.ece
Here a player talks about league has more prize money that tournament

http://www.firstpost.com/sports/bwf...ructure-with-booming-prize-money-3343626.html
Here you see BWF is aiming to get USD1m+ price money x 4 times a year

level 1 event - 1 x USD1.5m
level 2 events - 3 x USD1m
level 3 events - 5 x USD700k
level 4 events - 7 x USD350k
level 5 events - 11 x USD150k


Currently our Platinum Qatar, China, Japan, Austria, Germany are USD210k~USD220k

They increased their money when they built out a professional tour with a ratings system that they could sell that required players to play more events to keep their rankings. There is no other sport where someone can play the schedule that Zhang Jike played last year and remain top 10 in the world.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Give USA time. The USATT has good management and good things are happening. We are hosting Vets next year and will put in a World Championship bid, not sure for which event. If they can penetrate the US market, that will be more than anything out there. There are enough millionaires sponsoring TT in America, the best clubs are sponsored in Silicon Valley and then there is Will Shortz (NYT Times Puzzle Columnist) sponsoring a great club in Westchester. A professional model needs the TT players to be held accountable as professionals. It is not a one-way street.

how many players in the USA are earning an income as a player?

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

They increased their money when they built out a professional tour with a ratings system that they could sell that required players to play more events to keep their rankings. There is no other sport where someone can play the schedule that Zhang Jike played last year and remain top 10 in the world.

then we better hope your claims of selling is there and some one sells that to ITTF's sponsors

Even before the increase, BWF was still higher than ITTF

 

[jawien]

They increased their money when they built out a professional tour with a ratings system that they could sell that required players to play more events to keep their rankings. There is no other sport where someone can play the schedule that Zhang Jike played last year and remain top 10 in the world.

If the new ranking system is somehow connected to the possible deals with sponsors, why not. I guess we'll have to wait.

When it comes to the "brand" thing the t2 APAC was a nice example. I don't know if they had a financial success but the prize pool money was like 2 mln $ - I know 6 events ... Still it was a nice format showing how to make tt attractive for the spectators. And at the same time they created a "brand" !! The Ittf's Platinum thing is hardly recognizable ...

You are too fast guys ... It's hard to quote you or respond to you ; )

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

If the new ranking system is somehow connected to the possible deals with sponsors, why not. I guess we'll have to wait.

When it comes to the "brand" thing the t2 APAC was a nice example. I don't know if they had a financial success but the prize pool money was like 2 mln $ - I know 6 events ... Still it was a nice format showing how to make tt attractive for the spectators. And at the same time they created a "brand" !! The Ittf's Platinum thing is hardly recognizable ...

You are too fast guys ... It's hard to quote you or respond to you ; )

I'm on holiday from my 3 jobs
I think I posted more these 2 days than the whole year

 

[NextLevel]

how many players in the USA are earning an income as a player?

You mean vs a coach? There isn't a professional league in the U.S. Smaller sports have supported professionals so it is partly about getting the model right. But I think that given that more kids from wealthy backgrounds are playing, it ia a matter of time. If chess csn supoort professionals there is no clear reason TT can't.

 

[jawien]

I'm on holiday from my 3 jobs
I think I posted more these 2 days than the whole year

Ha ha, the post were really fast sometimes ; ) Well good I personally gained a great insight into how tt machine works. In Poland I guess the situation for Men league is quite good compared to the past. There is a separate legal entity taking care of the "Superliga" and they were able to contract many great players like Chun Ting Wong or Paul Drinkhall ... so there are sponsors and many Polish players are strictly professional.

[Edit] not talking about the overall system and coaching. Probably another discussion.

 

[rainneverever]

USA and Canada are together bidding for 2020 WTTTC in San Jose at Silicon Valley. I think they will make it because ITTF really wants the market in North America (WTTC has never been held in NA). The other bidders are Korean and Russian cities.

T2 is founded and funded by Frank Ji, the CEO of Seamaster and biggest sponsor of ITTF now. In his interview, he said basically he threw money on T2 the first year and hoped it will work out and make profits later on. Has T2 made profits this year at all? By selling broadcast or selling player cards? I guess he will continue to pour money for a while.

 

[jawien]

[...] Has T2 made profits this year at all? By selling broadcast or selling player cards?

I hope they do, because the format was really good. And they didn't have to worry about the rankings ... they just invited players, right? : )

 

[Xylit]

What is that seamaster company doing? Any homepage link? I am just able to find a brand for watches with that name. Also cannot find anything except ittf results by googling Frank Ji.

 

[rainneverever]

Search Frank Ji and T2 then and you will find more news.
http://www.straitstimes.com/sport/polishing-diamond-that-is-ping-pong

His Chinese name is Ji Wenyuan. Seamaster is a shipbroking company. I think the name sea master tells that.
http://www.seamasterltd.com/web4.html

He has a good TT collection at home. ITTF has a video about him.

 

[Astorix]

Search Frank Ji and T2 then and you will find more news.
http://www.straitstimes.com/sport/polishing-diamond-that-is-ping-pong

His Chinese name is Ji Wenyuan. Seamaster is a shipbroking company. I think the name sea master tells that.
http://www.seamasterltd.com/web4.html

He has a good TT collection at home. ITTF has a video about him.

i like this guy.

 

[jawien]

Search Frank Ji and T2 then and you will find more news.
http://www.straitstimes.com/sport/polishing-diamond-that-is-ping-pong

Great Rainneverever! Thanks for the video! Guys seriously I don't know how we gonna make it back to the main topic of the thread from here, but ... who cares it's interesting.

So there are several things I like about Frank Ji too:
- he has this 200 something blades collection!!! ... hmm ... a dream of every tt "nerd" ; )
- plays the sport and genuinely likes it. The presentation of his tt rooms show how keen he is.
- has a passion and vision for the sport.
- wants to develop the sport, create a "style" - a "brand" I would say. The T2 projects shows it very well I think.

Few things he said seem quite important:
- the current market value for tt is low now - so it's also true on the global level - sport being sponsored by rich businessmen who has a sentiment for the sport ; )
- t2 is a platform to build "a style" (4:34 if I understood correctly) "a commercial" value - good direction in my opinion.
- I was reluctant about the ttx thing, but now I see his point, to build some kind of culture around the core tt, I think this could be a surest way to make "tt" more available - specially to younger people ...
- tt has to be more "fashionable" - yes - somehow tt has to gain this modern character.

Ok so 2017 Frank increased his tt investments in the World Tour events. Quite a coincident with a new ranking system ... ? So basically do you agree we have an answer? That this new participation ensuring ranking system is related with the Seamaster investments?

To summarize, regardless of what reservations we have about the new system, I think Frank Ji seems to be a great "asset" for the sport. He has really nice concepts and is fully convinced that there is a real potential in the game.

[Side note] Little similar situation to our's current PZTS CEO who also is a businessman. He started sponsoring one club and now is in charge of the whole institution. They've made really good changes to how the matches are conducted now. Multi ball games are a norm. T2 had it nicer tough because they had kids to handle the balls to the player not the umpire, also towels for the players like in Tennis - good ... anyway ... : )

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

You mean vs a coach? There isn't a professional league in the U.S. Smaller sports have supported professionals so it is partly about getting the model right. But I think that given that more kids from wealthy backgrounds are playing, it ia a matter of time. If chess csn supoort professionals there is no clear reason TT can't.

No, only talking players
and from I observed from many countries, one does not need to play in pro league for earnings from a club
Some teams will pay players to take part with them