Table tennis popularity decreasing over years..

[Michal_Z]

I found this post from fz29888 in one topic and I decided to give it space in its own topic, because I believe its an interresting one..

Actually table tennis is in great crisis in China. The popularity of table tennis in China is decreasing because people are tired of the dominance of Chinese National Team. Many people criticize the government has spent too much money in table tennis.

Additionally, the majority of Chinese fans prefer sports like football (soccer) and basketball to table tennis now. And our new president Xi Jingping is a big football fan so the focus of the nation has switched to football. They hope to make the Chinese team to World Cup...... that's the highest priority.....

What's even worse, a short sketch in the Sping Festival Party satirize some officials in the government who practice table tennis during office hour to cater to their boss who loves table tennis. An actor made fun of table tennis by saying "refuse eroticism, refuse gambling, refuse drugs, and refuse table tennis" at the end. Although this sketch was trying to mock some officials who suck the boss' ass, it really hurts us table tennis fans by using table tennis as example. Many table tennis players like Wang Hao and Ma Long were pissed off by those words and showed their angry in their sina weibo homepage. But they got even more criticisms from people by saying something like they were too sensitive and they spent too much money from taxpayers to win some “unimportant” titles in this “boring” sport.

I was actually really sad and angry to read those posts. Other than big fans, the ordinary people in China are not attracted by table tennis any more. You won't see a lot of attendance in Chinese Super League and the live of table tennis on CCTV-5 has decreased a lot! What's even worse, no company is willing to sponsor the Super League this year, although the sponsorship was only 30,000,000 yuan ( about 5,000,000 dollars). Actually it also happened in last year's Super League.

So all these things above showed the decreasing popularity of table tennis in China. Playing table tennis is not a cool thing in China now. I guess maybe the organizing committee was also worried about these factors above, so they chose this small expo center.

I'm actually a little surprised to see the tickets has sold out so fast. I hope it to be a great tournament to attract the interest of Chinese sports fans again. I wish more players from other countries show more competitiveness!!!

I think this deserves a topic for its own ..
Cheering for football is the greatest nightmare I can imagine. Thats a sport for stupid people..
In table tennis you need to think pretty fast, in football all you have to know is to kick..
Even I can kick.. lol ..

But overall I understand why they are getting bored. But inviting european players for training in China thats what can relive things up. Because this chinese domination is killing table tennis not just in China, but in the world overall!
Because everywhere in the world there is the same problem: Table tennis? Oooh, thats a chinese game. From the semis its all chinese.
No matter if you are european or chinese, this is the same view. And all are getting tired from it.
In fact, I would love to see a non-chinese final! But to make that real, something would have to be changed. This chinese domination I think, is killing table tennis everywhere..

 

[bricephan]

IMO, its never good to start a topic aimed at promoting some sport of interest by blaming another sports. Every sport has its own beauty, and when you get deep into it, you will see it. What if football people coming here and tell ya that table tennis is just holding the racket and hitting the ball huh?


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[TT_Rogue]

I hate football myself really...But to say it is just for stupid people is also not fair. But you got a point when you say everybody can kick a frkn ball. That's the point! Everybody understands this game and it is suited also for the more simple minded people. In table tennis you might spend several years without being able even to win in the lowest league, in football you will have success from the moment you buy shoes. That's why football attracts more people in general. The trend is that people dont want to invest anymore a lot of time in their "hobby". Table tennis is a way of life and if you want to succeed in it you have to do sacrifices for it. These days most people are shallow and prefer to play playstation, computer or just like to party. ( haha wow im sounding like an old man, actually im just 27 ) Furthermore there are simply less children. At least in germany it is a big problem for sportslcubs in general. The children that are left are already occupied by football, handball or whatever in a very young age, let's say 5 or 6 years old and the majority of table tennis clubs has not the resources to accomplish that. In the state im living in germany, i promise you table tennis will die within the next 10 years - the clubs are dieing. If table tennis wants to life on, the structure has to change. For example it has to stop that people want to make something out of table tennis what it never will be.. greetings 40+ . Table tennis is not interesting for non table tennis players in tv period! Take it this way, build a fitting system around it. Stop the stupid changes it will just make more people turn their backs on table tennis. Give hidden serves back, give every kind of pimps back. It's an individual sport allow people to be individual for gods sake, this is what makes table tennis interesting for people. BUT change the league system, in a way that benefits individual play. Every team has to have at least defense player and 2 women. Finishing games are a game between declared defense players and a mixed.. somehow like this. Go new ways within the parameters of the sport we like and dont try to make it a football copy.. Sorry for drifting from the main theme and excuse my bad english

 

[bzing]

When it comes to enjoying watching two sports, when you watch football even kids can clearly see what's going on, the ball is simply passed around. In table tennis the ball is much smaller and sometimes you need to watch a replay to see exactly what happened to the point. You need to get into table tennis and try it out yourself first in order to enjoy watching it.

But when it comes to enjoying playing, in table tennis once you try to play someone a little bit more experienced player that has only played just few more years than you, it will seem like there are so many years apart between you two and you have absolutely no chance beating him and every serve you do, it seems like you have to put so much energy to it just for the opponent to smash you and then you have to go grab the ball from the floor and serve again... That's what I'm guessing puts people off while in football the play part is practically all the time, you don't have to wait for the opponent to prepare for the service which often takes even longer than the actual gameplay part but you watch people kick the ball all the time.

Table tennis is only boring to watch if you watch the entire 30 minutes matches. I must admit even I couldn't watch that long, I only watch the shortened version that last about 5 minutes that is just pure action with only the best points shown.

 

[TT_Rogue]

You should try indoor football/soccer.
So physically demanding and requires incredible skill too.
To me it's much harder than table tennis.
In table tennis I focus on the ball for 1 second and that's it, I don't have to worry until it comes back.
In reduced space football you need to carry the ball all the time with you, know where your teammates are, where your opponents are, people trying to steal the ball from you all the time, it's a mess....

Table tennis will always have the problem that action doesn't last.
Even matches between Zhang Jike and Ma Long most points are serve, 3rd ball loop and that's it.

Are you perhaps playing table tennis with a coconut? If i would have 1 second to concentrate on a ball i really would be more than happy .It seems to me that you dont understand table tennis and it might be that it's harder to you because you are just playing a bit choppi choppi. Table tennis is mainly a tactic and coordinative sport that is palyed with the brain and not with the legs, if you wish to run - yes then the table tennis is not a good choice

 

[TT4Life]

2 totally different sports, one is totally individual , other is almost ultimate team sport soccer players are always in their greatest shape=thin and very powerful legs and core power, table tennis is not really , u seen lots of big fat guys with very small paddle lolz. Most of the good table tennis players are very good in soccer because of their eyes and hands coordination and powerful legs and core and of course stamina

 

[Killerspintt]

But really in table tennis you can focus all your attention in 1 thing: the ball.

Is it serious ? I mean really serious ?
I don't understand the joke, if there is one.

 

[TTFrenzy]

Guys you are comparing different sports and making conclusions, there is no point in such arguements. Every sport is extremely difficult in pro level, especially world class. TT is definitely a very complex sport and if you want to compare it to other sports then you must consider some factors and criteria first.

If you compare for example a world class goalkeeper playing in a word class team , FC Barcelona for example,which is playing against, lets say a top USA soccer team, then this specific goalkeeper will most likely have an easy match, cause most of the times the world class defenders of Barca will prohibit the attackers of the USA team to even shoot a threatening shot. Now, one can say that FC Barcelona can score a 5-1 against this top USA team, using only their 60 or 70 % of maximum focus. The goalkeeper focus will be even lower for the reasons I described before

Now if ZHang Jike or Ma Long play against a much lower ranked player and use only 60 70 % of their focus the possibility of losing is extremely high, so we can only make 1on1 comparisons to make conclusions. We simply cant compare the best boxer tennis or TT player to the best soccer team cause soccer teams are consisted of 11 players, using other types of tactics

For me TT is one of the most difficult sports because you have to think wisely every point and then execute your strategy with perfect technique. And the most difficult part is to be 100% relaxed even after a strong fast and demanding rally.

Now if we compare Ma Long with Messi and not with a top goalkeeper, the differences in focus are not that much because Messi has to also constantly organize in his mind the possible strategies/passes/shots/dribbles/sprints that will give his team opportunities to score a goal even against an relatively "easy" opponent

All in all we are taking about differents sports, different strategies and different techniques, we simply cant compare them and make safe conclusions

 

[IzzoSpin2012]

Yes, you're right chinese domination kills table tennis populariity, that's fact.

If we look into tennis, there's very "colorfuly" competitors and I think that's the key for tennis popularity.
They have much bigger media coverage. Introduction of "table tennis day" is very good thing but that's just a little step forward, we have to give our best to give everything we can in our countries for popularization of table tennis(organization of some "free table tennis hours", introduction kids in schools, etc..)

And the most important thing: We have to break prejustices that table tennis is not a sport.

Sorry for bad english

 

[TareqPhoto]

The problem is, does TT only suffer from pupolarity?

In my area, it sounds most sports are dying in favor of or for football, even basketball and handball players complains of no interest of media for those sports, it is like 98% of media focus is on football, and the rest sports getting about 2%, if it became like 5-10% of media interest then this is a big achievement, so it is like football killed other sports intentionally or not intentionally, even if other sports have many events or players, but it is still in-sufficient.

For me, if the ITTF doesn't do hard work to make the sport really lovable and spread and popular as Fifa doing for football or soccer then give up if we keep talking about it forever, look at TV ads about football, heck even the normal tennis not table tennis gets more ads than some sports, so i don't think TT will go any far if the head [ITTF] doesn't work hard to make it more appealing and attractive even for football players kids or adults.

I do like football, and i am good at it, but if i watch a TV i prefer to watch TT or even normal tennis over football, i grew up with football skills, but once i tried table tennis i immediately changed my mind about football, in the university TT and pool was most popularity because it was easier to reach and can be played anytime, while football need to arrange the team first then the time for them all to gather and then how to put every player on position, while with TT it is just carry the racket and play with all of your skills without waiting a team or think about positions or goalkeepers or tactics, most of the time we play even for 3-5 hours, while with football, 1 hour or 2 and we are done completely, and also the injuries in TT is way way less than football, and the running area for TT is way less then football, many times i may run the entire distance from my side to opponents side in football, while in TT i am in one side and the area covered is even less than 1/4 of what i may cover in football field.

Anyway, i know comparing 2 sports or more is not gonna change things, but the main point is about how to make TT more popular or what is the cause/reason of TT popularity decreasing, and i can say, look at ITTF as the first reason.

 

[yylik]

I am not sure in a global scale. Here in Malaysia, it is gaining popularity. In the past, this sport was dominated by Chinese descendants. Now, we have other races playing it. In fact, our top national player is a Malay / non Chinese.

I also notice more clubs and more TT shops being opened in my area since 2-3 years ago. To me this is an encouraging sign.

 

[TareqPhoto]

Well, i can't talk about TT in my country as i don't know how it was in the past and now, the club i go to play in is really nice, almost everyday they are buy, 7-8 tables and most days they are all busy, today were busy when i went there, but i can't talk about this as a popularity of TT.

Also, why not talk about TT popularity according to each country, for example in India Cricket is the most popular game over football, in USA basketball and i think hokey and american football are the most popular than football, so which country[ies] that have TT popular?

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

Team sport or clubs/teams is a brand.

Most TV audience will support a brand - and past on generations to generations.
Individual sport - players comes and goes

This is one of the reason why TT is not a "rich" sport, and thus not attracting more players at the highest level.
IMO, money is the reason why China is good today.
If some other country can spend proportionally the same amount of money to the Chinese and given a decent development system with decent intake of players at a young age, then China will have competition.

Top 5 other than China:
Japan,
Korea,
Germany
Taiwan

None of them has a great "national" development structure.
It is mostly private or semi private with some clubs (sponsored) involved.
None of these countries has anything as closed to China in terms of development strucutre or funding.

Lack of funding - as TT sport is not a TV audience or live sport.
It is not a brand to follow
TT is a great sport to play, but not to watch for the massive, so this is the problem

The gurus need to try and make TT more appealing to the masses - and this includes in China - they are continously trying out new things.

And BTW China TT has lost many "new kids" to education as well as other sports.
TT was the "only" sport in the past. Now parents are "richer" and have more options.
So TT in China dying - has many reasons

 

[pingmaster]

This is the reason why ......http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/31658273

 

[SpinQuark]

I can't resist chipping in ...

As a first point China is the most populous nation on earth, it's citizens are therefore likely to feature very highly in any world sport which is as popular in China as the ROW. Of course TT is vastly more popular in China than other nations so it is not surprising that it dominates. One day China may dominate football.

I think to grow and popularise and bring commercial attention to TT you need to understand marketing and promotion and human psychology. I don't believe ITTF have much expertise in this although there is some slow improvement. I also think some in the sport do not perhaps really want it to become a big commercial thing because they would rather be a big fish in a small sport than a small fish in a big sport. There are so many sports now that work harder at marketing and get TV and media coverage: snooker, athletics, skiing, triathlon, rowing, darts, diving, rallycross - all can be watched on UK TV but TT cannot.

 

[IzzoSpin2012]

I can't resist chipping in ...

There are so many sports now that work harder at marketing and get TV and media coverage: snooker, athletics, skiing, triathlon, rowing, darts, diving, rallycross - all can be watched on UK TV but TT cannot.

That's true, on Eurosport is the same, they transmit only olympics, wttc and world cup(quaterfinals is non-live, finals is live) for this wttc they will not transmit live finals(on Balkan, I dont know for others). Snooker and tennis are on Eurosport whole day -.-

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

That is the thing.
It all comes down to money

TT in China is mostly state funded, even the corporate who fund it are state owned companies.

So TT will need to become a marketing brand. I think club has more future than individuals.
But then again, it is not as enjoyable to watch TT than oppose to a team sport