WTT Finals Men and Women Fukuoka 2024, 11/20-24

[backspacer]

Announced today. No separation between men and women this time. Taking place November 20 - 24.

 

[zeio]

To be held in the prefecture Hayata is from. Another win for real gender equality!

WTT Finals Fukuoka 2024 Set to Close Curtain on WTT Series Calendar
https://worldtabletennis.com/description?artId=3670

“I am delighted that the WTT Finals Fukuoka 2024 will be held in Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture, and sincerely welcome you here. I am honoured that the WTT Finals for Men's and Women's Singles and Doubles events will be held simultaneously for the first time in the world. I look forward to many wonderful matches played here in Fukuoka by the world's top players. To all the players and fans, see you in Fukuoka,” said Seitaro Hattori, Governor of Fukuoka Prefecture.

https://weibo.com/7556183438/OaUvkjijG
https://weibo.com/7556183438/OaSVUxiJb

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

this is event number 18 of star contender + up for top pros.

more details here:

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/ittf-wtt-problems-reported-from-players.33539/post-455594

 

[NextLevel]

Someone needs to combine threads.

 

[zeio]

It's fine to leave them alone. There were two threads for World Cup 2024, the one I started focused on keeping track of official information.

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/ittf-world-cup-to-come-back-in-2024.32231/
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/world-cup-2024.33476/

 

[Shine]

They need to find people that really want to sponsor table tennis.

There's no point trying to get Japan on board with entreaties like this, if they're not contributing to the cause.

 

[zeio]

In a way, yes. Compared to KTTA, JTTA and DTTB could've done more (same for their top players). After incurring a huge debt with the ill-fated WTTC 2020, KTTA still held the ATTC 2023 and WTTC 2024, with free hospitality provided for the players, coaches and staff. That's a lot of money. I could understand the lower prize pool for WTT CS Incheon 2024 compared WTT CS Frankfurt 2023 and 2024.

https://web.archive.org/web/2024040...oads/2023/10/FINAL_WTTC_Prospectus_13_Nov.pdf
https://web.archive.org/web/2024010....co.kr/storage/files/1693458309_ko_109963.pdf

 

[UpSideDownCarl]

Someone needs to combine threads.

It's fine to leave them alone. There were two threads for World Cup 2024, the one I started focused on keeping track of official information.

https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/ittf-world-cup-to-come-back-in-2024.32231/
https://www.tabletennisdaily.com/forum/topics/world-cup-2024.33476/

I kind of agree with Zeio's thought. But I merged them anyway. I am sure it will be fine either way.

 

[Tyce]

For a moment I thought they were going to play mixed... That would be fun

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

KTTA still held the ATTC 2023 and WTTC 2024, with free hospitality provided for the players, coaches and staff. That's a lot of money.

WTTC 2024, you make it sound like everyone flew in and lived for free...

Only 2 men and 2 women's players per MA stayed for free.
officials is only based on those attending meetings (required to attend)
"others" still need to pay

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

For a moment I thought they were going to play mixed... That would be fun

they first make world events separate
then they bond them together
then there host them together but still play separate

I think they are still testing things out

 

[backspacer]

I think the original plan of WTT was to separate women's and men's events, but I think people just are less interested in the women's game so it's better to do them simultaneously. Anyone happen to know the audience numbers for the Finals events?

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

I think the original plan of WTT was to separate women's and men's events, but I think people just are less interested in the women's game so it's better to do them simultaneously. Anyone happen to know the audience numbers for the Finals events?

you may be right for YouTube views, but the Japanese public prefer to watch JNT womens team

 

[Tyce]

If I speak for myself, some women's games are a lot of fun to watch simply due to their playstyles, same for some men's games.
But, in general, I think I watched more men's games and found more attractive playstyles there.

 

[backspacer]

you may be right for YouTube views, but the Japanese public prefer to watch JNT womens team

Good to know. In Germany you struggle to get women's teams together and even if you go as high as 1. Bundesliga there is just way less people watching compared to the men's game, be it online or live.

 

[zeio]

WTTC 2024, you make it sound like everyone flew in and lived for free...

Only 2 men and 2 women's players per MA stayed for free.
officials is only based on those attending meetings (required to attend)
"others" still need to pay

You can pick on anything at this point. It's been that way since WTTC 2016 before WTT took over. It was 3 per gender for free up until WTTC 2014. For individual editions, it was 3 per gender for free up until WTTC 2015 and then 2 for WTTC 2017, 2019 and 2021.

For WTTC, 2 per gender for free for team editions in 2022/2024/2026 (all qualified players for free for individual editions in 2023/2025) is set by the ITTF, not the LOC. You can even name a player as the delegate to the AGM (maybe that's why they reduced it from 3 to 2) and you still get 3 players for free. A non-playing coach is not a necessity but is allowed to be named as the delegate as well. If your association can't even pay for that, then I think the ITTF Foundation can take care of that. Like for WTTC 2022, CTTA took care of everything other than flight tickets.

For ATTC 2023, it's 3 per gender, the minimum each association is entitled.

https://www.ittf.com/wttc-documents/
WTTTC Finals – Event Manual (2026)
https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/ITTF_WTTTC_Finals_2026_20230430.pdf
WTTC Individuals Finals – Event Manual (2023, 2025)
https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ITTF_WTTC_Individuals_Finals-1.pdf
WTTTC Finals – Event Manual (2022, 2024)
https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/ITTF_WTTC_Team_Finals.pdf

Hospitality conditions for people not entitled to free hospitality
The LOC is responsible to provide hospitality options as follows:
• ITTF/WTT additional number of rooms, as requested, in the ITTF/WTT official hotel or other
event official hotels, for a discounted rate of maximum 75% of the official hospitality rate(s).
• ITTF/WTT Operational staff, to one of the event official hotels, which are close to the
competition venue (~10-15 persons), for a discounted rate of maximum 75% of the official
hospitality rate(s).
• ITTF/WTT accompanying persons.
• Continental Federations personnel and accompanying persons.
• Member Associations and players, who are listed on the MAs’ official entry forms, and not
entitled to free hospitality can be accommodated with the others and on the same basis,
including meals, transport and accreditation.

Prospectus:
WTTC 2020
https://web.archive.org/web/2019121...omega.com/eu/2019/11/2020_WTTC_Prospectus.pdf
WTTC 2018
https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Prospectus_WTTC2018_draft-2-2.pdf
WTTC 2016
https://web.archive.org/web/2016032...rld_Events/wttc_2016/2016_WTTC_Prospectus.pdf
WTTC 2014
https://web.archive.org/web/2014070...competitions/PDF_Upload/pictures/PDF27030.pdf
WTTC 2012
https://web.archive.org/web/2012011...orld_events/wttc_2012/Prospectus_WTTC2012.pdf
WTTC 2010
https://web.archive.org/web/2011080...nts/wttc_2010/WTTC_Moscow_2010_Prospectus.pdf
WTTC 2008
https://web.archive.org/web/2008120...vents/WTTC2008/ProspectusWTTC2008_update1.pdf

WTTC 2021
https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/2021_WTTC_Prospectus_2021_07_09_v32.pdf
WTTC 2019
https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2019_WTTC_Prospectus_.pdf
WTTC 2017
https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Prospectus_WTTC2017.pdf
WTTC 2015
https://web.archive.org/web/2015031...orld_Events/wttc_2015/Prospectus_WTTC2015.pdf
WTTC 2013
https://web.archive.org/web/2013031...orld_events/wttc_2013/Prospectus_WTTC2013.pdf
WTTC 2011
https://web.archive.org/web/2011032...orld_events/wttc_2011/Prospectus_WTTC2011.pdf

 

[Takkyu_wa_inochi]

on Japanese TV, airtime is 75%+ women 25% men. probably it was was even worse before men's team got Silver at Rio (and Mizutani Bronze)

lots of TV viewers probably know a lot of JNT women player names, not just the 3 of the Olympic team, but those wouldn't know any other current JNT member than Harimoto...

 

[zeio]

Not just Japan, but East Asian countries and regions. Gender equality is for men. Mizutani has long complained about that over the years.

See the difference at WTTC 2008 Guangzhou
https://youtu.be/He_uk28PIis?t=461

https://youtu.be/5BtH-KRMo8A?t=66

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

You can pick on anything at this point. It's been that way since WTTC 2016 before WTT took over. It was 3 per gender for free up until WTTC 2014. For individual editions, it was 3 per gender for free up until WTTC 2015 and then 2 for WTTC 2017, 2019 and 2021.

For WTTC, 2 per gender for free for team editions in 2022/2024/2026 (all qualified players for free for individual editions in 2023/2025) is set by the ITTF, not the LOC. You can even name a player as the delegate to the AGM (maybe that's why they reduced it from 3 to 2) and you still get 3 players for free. A non-playing coach is not a necessity but is allowed to be named as the delegate as well. If your association can't even pay for that, then I think the ITTF Foundation can take care of that. Like for WTTC 2022, CTTA took care of everything other than flight tickets.

For ATTC 2023, it's 3 per gender, the minimum each association is entitled.

https://www.ittf.com/wttc-documents/
WTTTC Finals – Event Manual (2026)
https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/ITTF_WTTTC_Finals_2026_20230430.pdf
WTTC Individuals Finals – Event Manual (2023, 2025)
https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ITTF_WTTC_Individuals_Finals-1.pdf
WTTTC Finals – Event Manual (2022, 2024)
https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/ITTF_WTTC_Team_Finals.pdf


Prospectus:
WTTC 2020
https://web.archive.org/web/2019121...omega.com/eu/2019/11/2020_WTTC_Prospectus.pdf
WTTC 2018
https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Prospectus_WTTC2018_draft-2-2.pdf
WTTC 2016
https://web.archive.org/web/2016032...rld_Events/wttc_2016/2016_WTTC_Prospectus.pdf
WTTC 2014
https://web.archive.org/web/2014070...competitions/PDF_Upload/pictures/PDF27030.pdf
WTTC 2012
https://web.archive.org/web/2012011...orld_events/wttc_2012/Prospectus_WTTC2012.pdf
WTTC 2010
https://web.archive.org/web/2011080...nts/wttc_2010/WTTC_Moscow_2010_Prospectus.pdf
WTTC 2008
https://web.archive.org/web/2008120...vents/WTTC2008/ProspectusWTTC2008_update1.pdf

WTTC 2021
https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/2021_WTTC_Prospectus_2021_07_09_v32.pdf
WTTC 2019
https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2019_WTTC_Prospectus_.pdf
WTTC 2017
https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Prospectus_WTTC2017.pdf
WTTC 2015
https://web.archive.org/web/2015031...orld_Events/wttc_2015/Prospectus_WTTC2015.pdf
WTTC 2013
https://web.archive.org/web/2013031...orld_events/wttc_2013/Prospectus_WTTC2013.pdf
WTTC 2011
https://web.archive.org/web/2011032...orld_events/wttc_2011/Prospectus_WTTC2011.pdf

Not sure which world you see that players as delegate for agm (that is really wishful thinking, but hardly happens)

What I see is, 3 player go, and you get around 3 to 5 or even more, delegates.
There is money to fly delegates, but there is no money to fly more players.

This was the case before the new structure teams (finals). Old day, teams can't pitch due to funding, but delegates are always there in style.

So player goes as delegate to fit 3rd spot? I don't think they are that kind to players

at least I'm happy you agree your statement

with free hospitality provided for the players, coaches and staff.

is inaccurate

 

[zeio]

Then that's your problem of interpretation. It's been that way for 8 years now. The statement is accurate as it applies to WTTC AND ATTC in a general way and the word "ALL" was not used. Your association can nominate players, coaches and staff for the free spots.

If you have had the chance to read the AGM and/or BOD meeting minutes, they have mentioned how the costs and complexities of the old WTTC model (with nearly all member associations attending all at once in different divisions) have scared away potential hosts, leading to the reform.