My Take | Table tennis will not be the same without three Chinese superstars

Table tennis has a special place in China’s history and culture, from the ping-pong diplomacy of the early 1970s, to the five gold medals won at last year’s Paris Olympics.

The sudden withdrawal of three star Chinese players from international rankings and tournaments has, therefore, come as a shock. It is not surprising their fans are in uproar.

Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, both Olympic gold medallists, revealed on social media late last month they were pulling out of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) rankings. When the new list was published, it emerged Ma Long, one of the sport’s greatest ever players, had also quit.

Fan and Chen revealed their decision was prompted by rules set by the ITTF’s commercial arm, World Table Tennis (WTT), imposing fines on players who miss its tournaments. Changes to the rules for 2025 provided for fines of US$5,000 for top players who skip a WTT competition and play in a different one instead.

The WTT defended its new rules, pointing out that similar penalties have existed for years and highlighting an increase in prize money.

But the withdrawal of the three Chinese superstars, it seems, is too much for the sport to bear. A rethink was needed and it is now on the way. An ITTF Executive Board meeting last week resolved to set up a task force to conduct “extensive consultation” with players, coaches and other members of the table tennis community and to review the regulations. A players’ forum will also be held at the Singapore Smash tournament this month. The WTT has backed these moves.

Consultation of this kind should have taken place before the new rules were announced. The controversy, which has seen strong support for the Chinese stars, not only from their fans but also top players overseas, has damaged the sport’s reputation. French star Simon Gauzy called for: “REAL change.”