MKS sports Japan, on November 24, 2024. Photo: VCG" src="https://www.globaltimes.cn/Portals/0/attachment/2024/2024-11-24/3ee07a64-ff19-499c-b432-b3a52996beb8.jpeg" />

Chinese paddler Wang Chuqin (left) celebrates victory over Japan's Tomokazu Harimoto at the WTT Finals Fukuoka 2024 in Kitakyushu, Japan, on November 24, 2024. Photo: VCG

A debate between two former Chinese national table tennis team coaches dominated social media on Sunday, as one of them, Wu Jingping, claimed that "the national sport" has been hijacked by capital investors to serve commercial interests while the other, Yin Xiao, defended the commercial operation of the national team.

Wu, a former coach of the national team whose proteges include Qin Zhiji, Ma Lin, Wang Hao, Xu Xin and Fan Zhendong, took to social media on Saturday to express his dissatisfaction with the recent rule changes undertaken by World Table Tennis (WTT).

"It is very sad to see the mess that table tennis has become," wrote Wu, who coached the Chinese national team from 1991 to 2019, on Sina Weibo on Saturday.

"Once this 'national sport' was ensnared by capital to act as a platform for commercial matches, its essence was distorted," Wu said. 

Recent changes in WTT rules have led to a situation in which some players like Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, who are among the leading figures in the sport, had to make the decision to step away from the world rankings. This development caused a stir in the table tennis community and became the trigger for the subsequent debate.

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has been using WTT to force players worldwide to participate in commercial events since its inception, with penalty regulations even forcing Olympic champions to withdraw from the world rankings, Wu said. 

Currently, Wu holds no role on the Chinese national table tennis team, while Yin served as the general coach for the fourth and fifth phases of the 2024 National Youth Table Tennis Training Camp and the National Youth Team Training Program of the Chinese Table Tennis Association.

Yin, a coach whose protege include Olympic champions such as Zhang Jike, stated that Wu's claims were inconsistent with the facts. He emphasized that WTT events are commercial events that serve as an effective supplement to the Olympics and world championships. 

Yin said that although there were some unreasonable aspects in the early stages of WTT's operation, the ITTF has been making efforts to improve, as evidenced by the optimizations made after the Singapore Smash. 

Wu also said he is worried that the men's team is facing a serious talent shortage, especially with the departure of Fan during a period of transition from the older generation to the younger. 

In terms of talent reserve, Yin pointed out that the Chinese table tennis team's youth training has achieved remarkable results. He pointed out that in the Asian junior championships in 2024, the Chinese team won 11 out of 13 titles in the U19 and U15 categories. 

Other figures in the table tennis community have also joined the discussion. 

Zhang Jike, a former table tennis star, supported Wu, saying that Wu's views were reasonable. Meanwhile, Wang Hao and Ma Lin, the current coaches of the national team, liked Yin's Sina Weibo post, which was seen by some as siding with the management.

On Sunday, Wu posted a calligraphy work with the line "With pure conduct, good fortune will naturally come your way," which was deemed as a response to Yin's criticism of him.

Zhang Bin, a Beijing-based sports commentator, said debate is necessary to find the way forward.

"This controversy not only reflects the different views of the two coaches on the direction of table tennis, but also raises important questions about the commercialization of table tennis and the protection of athletes' rights," Zhang told the Global Times.