Is ITTF corrupt? 🤔

[zeio]

Sanwei posted another article on the chronology of Target several months ago.

标靶编年史——会进化的套胶
https://cn.sanweisport.com/news/标靶编年史-会进化的套胶/

According to Sanwei, the Target series is up to the 3rd generation now, advertised as 标靶3 in Chinese, or Target 3 in English. The latest Target National has the new ITTF number 62-021. The 1st generation has the ITTF number 62-001. The 2nd generation has the ITTF number 62-001, and 62-015 for Europe. The M3 doesn't care about/test for formulation update or tackiness. All 3 ITTF numbers are valid as of this writing. Donic has done similar things with its older models. Palio has also been updating its old models with new technology, namely AK47 and CJ8000.

2007-2008
1st-gen
62-001 Sanwei Target w/ white text on red background

2009-2015
62-001 Sanwei Target w/ white on red (changed to high-density bean-green color sponge)
62-001 Sanwei Target w/ yellow on red (1st-gen Provincial Target)
<- an industry first to combine porous sponge with Chinese tacky FH topsheet ->
62-001 Sanwei Target w/ yellow on blue (Next-gen National Target)

2015-2023
2nd-gen
62-001 Sanwei Target w/ red and black on white
62-001 Sanwei Target 90 w/ red on black (90% tackiness)
62-015 Sanwei Target Pro 40+ w/ black and white on silver (for Europe, grippy topsheet, crunchy-elastic black carbon sponge, wrongly stated as 62-016 in the chronology image)
62-001 Sanwei Target Pro[vincial] w/ yellow on red (2nd-gen Provincial Target, more tacky and durable)
62-0?? (can't find a picture) Sanwei Target Pro[vincial] w/ white on blue (Pronincial blue sponge Target, more tacky, durable and outstanding toughness)
62-001 Sanwei Target National with yellow on blue (2nd-gen National Target, more tacky and durable)

2024
3rd-gen
62-021 Sanwei Target w/ silver on silver
62-021 Sanwei Target 37° w/ red on white
62-021 Sanwei Target Provincial w/ red on red (3rd-gen Provincial Target)
<- Super pure natural rubber, 1000 mesh high-precision mold, extra thick tacky cover-rubber layer, highly elastic moderately porous sponge ->
62-021 Sanwei Target National w/ blue on blue (3rd-gen National Target)

https://cn.sanweisport.com/prod/标靶3（第三代）国家队版/

 

[PoppaChubby]

Surely, only legal rubbers can be used in formal competitions, but as an amateur, I do not mind unapproved rubbers being supplied at more affordable prices as long as they play good.

Depends on the Netherlands TT Association rules and laws, if they uses the ITTF versions, don't play in The Netherlands TT Association affiliated competitions. That's the case in France, if you've got a rubber not registered in the ITTF Equipment section, you can be disqualified, even at a low amateur level, as I am an amateur too.

 

[PoppaChubby]

Butterfly, Stiga, and ESN have all expressed that China is their biggest market. Russia was the biggest European market for ESN, though the European market has been stagnant for a long time according to Stiga and ESN.

I can tell ya it has grown significantly in France, and it will now in Romania with their new fresh faces: +24% in 2024 and +11% in 2025. That's all the new FFTT registered players, all those people buys blades and rubbers so, shoes, accesories. 174 000 in 2023 --> 228 000 in 2024 --> 255 000 in 2025, yeah sure it's not millions, but if you don't consider this a growing market, then you'll have to reconsider what you learn in statistics.

The problem with Russia is not only the bans from many sports international associations, since the war in Ukraine Putin has literally strangled the russian people with more and more taxes, plus the galloping inflation with sometimes difficulties to find an opened gas station, plus now China cutting the exports by trains to Russia.

https://www.economist.com/china/2025/04/06/to-secure-exports-to-europe-china-reconfigures-its-rail-links