Mumbai:The current landscape of world table tennis is marked by significant upheaval. Three of the sport's most distinguished athletes and leading Chinese competitors—2024 Paris Olympics singles champions Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, along with the legendary Ma Long—have withdrawn from the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) world rankings and the World Table Tennis (WTT) tour. This decision stems primarily from a disagreement over fines imposed for non-participation in tournaments.

These athletes are not just any players. Fan, at 27 years old, is a multiple Olympic and World Championship gold medallist and a former world No. 1. Similarly, Chen has achieved back-to-back Olympic singles victories in Tokyo and Paris. Ma Long, a six-time Olympic champion, is widely regarded as the greatest player in the history of the sport.

Their exit has sent shockwaves through the table tennis community, prompting other players, such as France’s Simon Gauzy and Nigeria’s Aruna Quadri, to express similar grievances. In response, the ITTF established a task force on Friday to collect player feedback and assess current regulations. This panel includes India’s Sharath Kamal, who also serves as co-chair of the ITTF Athletes Commission.

“It’s not a favorable situation for the sport,” he remarked to HT. “We had an outstanding Olympics in Paris, where table tennis was a significant success according to the IOC. Increased funding was anticipated, and the sport enjoyed heightened visibility. From that perspective, this situation arises at an inopportune time. It also serves as a crucial wake-up call.”

The crux of the issue stems from the mandatory tournaments that top players are required to play (10 on the WTT tour), and the fines imposed if they don’t. The WTT — formed by ITTF to run commercial tournaments — in its 2025 regulations has increased the overall prize money pool for players, but also introduced higher fines for those “who choose to participate in non-WTT events taking place during WTT events they have withdrawn from”. These sanctions, it is learnt, can go as high as $5,000, although WTT maintains that imposing penalties is not new.

In his post on Weibo, Fan said he could not afford to pay such fines, while Chen stated that her body could not withstand the number of tournaments. A lot of top paddlers from China, the TT powerhouse, compete only in select tournaments on the WTT tour. Other world’s top paddlers also play club TT in Europe, where they have proper contracts.

The core of the problem lies in the compulsory tournaments that elite players must participate in (10 on the WTT tour), along with the penalties imposed for non-compliance. The WTT, established by the ITTF to oversee commercial tournaments, has revised its 2025 regulations to increase the total prize money available to players, while simultaneously implementing steeper fines for those who opt to engage in non-WTT events during the periods of WTT events from which they have withdrawn. Reports indicate that these fines can reach as high as $5,000, although the WTT asserts that the practice of imposing penalties is not a recent development.

In a post on Weibo, Fan expressed his inability to pay such fines, while Chen remarked that her physical condition could not endure the frequency of tournaments. Many leading players from China, a dominant force in table tennis, participate only in select events on the WTT tour. Additionally, top players from around the world often engage in club table tennis in Europe, where they have established contracts.

"The primary concern is the mandatory tournaments. Fines are a consequence of this requirement," Sharath stated. "A new tournament structure has been introduced, offering increased prize money. However, the expectation is for top players to continue competing. Players argue that they do not have contracts with the WTT. Conversely, the WTT contends that without the participation of top players, attracting sponsors becomes challenging. Both parties need to appreciate each other's perspectives."

Sharath referenced the WTT Star Contender Goa as an example, noting a significant increase in sponsor interest for the 2023 edition, in which Ma Long and Fan had registered, compared to the previous year. He also mentioned that the Covid-19 pandemic and the conflict in Europe had disrupted the tournament calendar, resulting in fewer high-tier WTT events, such as the Grand Smash, being held until this year. This situation forced top players to participate in lower-tier events to maintain their rankings, leading to a recurring issue of player burnout.

As a member of the ITTF task force, Sharath aims to connect with leading players, including Fan, this month to gather their perspectives and present them to the relevant authorities in an effort to establish a compromise.

“The situation is quite serious. Currently, there are three players involved; this number may increase in the future as many are expressing their concerns,” Sharath remarked. “It is crucial to reestablish a sense of harmony.”

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