The recent withdrawal of China's Olympic table tennis champions Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng from the world rankings has sparked significant debate within the sport.
World Table Tennis (WTT) released a statement on Saturday, expressing deep respect for the contributions of both athletes. WTT acknowledged how Fan and Chen have inspired countless fans and aspiring players globally. The statement also tackled several concerns related to the WTT handbook.
WTT clarified that the disputed rules are not newly introduced and detailed the process of automatic qualification. The organization reiterated its stance on imposing fines for non-participation and provided clarity on several updates from the 2025 edition of the handbook.
In their statement, WTT emphasized the immense impact Fan and Chen have had on table tennis. They extended their best wishes to the athletes and welcomed them, along with all players, to return to WTT events in the future should they choose to do so.
Fan announced his withdrawal on Friday, citing his inability to comply with WTT's new regulations that impose fines on players for not participating in events.
Chen shared that WTT's new regulation regarding fines for withdrawing from competitions presented a difficult decision for her, especially given the ongoing physical challenges that prevent her from competing in every high-intensity tournament.
Reference(s):
WTT responds to withdrawal of China's Fan and Chen from world rankings
cgtn.com
