Data map: 2019 China Table Tennis Open, Liu Guoliang attended the award ceremony.
China News Service, June 29, 29th Beijing time, ITTF officially announced that Liu Guoliang, the president of the China Table Tennis Association, will serve as the chairman of the newly established WTT Council. In the face of new institutions established less than a year ago, as well as ITTF's new attempts and expectations in the competition system and table tennis promotion, how will Liu Guoliang, who is on the shoulders, develop the future of world table tennis?
During the Men’s Table Tennis World Cup held in October last year, the reform of the international table tennis tournament system and the concept of establishing a Grand Slam tournament were first mentioned by ITTF CEO Steve Denton to the domestic media. At the time, he said that the current competition system was not ideal either in quality or quantity.
At present, the international table tennis tournament system is led by the Olympic Games, the World Table Tennis Championships and the World Cup, plus the intercontinental events, it will also host 12 tournaments and T2 leagues each year. "There are only three more important singles international events every four years. We think this is too few. And we are not satisfied with the current tournament." He said.
According to Steve's vision, ITTF plans to launch a new professional tournament after 2021 to create a Grand Slam tournament that belongs to table tennis. ITTF's move is undoubtedly aimed at benchmarking international tennis professional events that already have a brand effect. After years of operation, the latter has achieved a high degree of commercialization and marketization of sports events, and the sports event market system is relatively mature.
For this, Steve Denton did not conceal it at the time: "In the future we expect to be able to launch a new professional event. Like the tennis professional event, there are also brand events such as the "Four Grand Slams". Conducive to the development of table tennis."
Therefore, WTT World Table Tennis Professional League came into being. In August 2019, WTT announced the establishment of the organization, which aims to help athletes and fans as the core to help ITTF's competition system and business system to fully upgrade and transform, fully exploit the potential of table tennis, and further promote the world influence of table tennis Strength, so as to stand out from the competition with other sports.
Data Map: On October 9, 2016, Liu Guoliang (center), the head coach of the Chinese table tennis team, took the edge in the men's singles finals of the 2016 China Open in Beijing. China News Agency reporter Hou Yushe
In March this year, the ITTF published relevant information about WTT World Table Tennis Company. According to the plan, they will re-plan the structure of the international table tennis tournament. For example, from 2021, four Grand Slam tournaments will be set up each year, and the prize money for the sub-station will be as high as $3 million.
Since its establishment, WTT World Table Tennis Company has been endowed by ITTF with the mission to create a global table tennis industry and to lead table tennis into a new era. At the same time, in the face of restructuring of a complex and complex event system that started from scratch, ITTF is also thinking about who is the best person to lead all this work.
It was at this time that Liu Guoliang, chairman of the China Table Tennis Association, entered the ITTF's vision.
In fact, since Liu Guoliang took over as chairman of the China Table Tennis Association, the two parties have communicated several times on issues related to the development of table tennis. Also during the Men’s Table Tennis World Cup last year, the China Table Tennis Association and the ITTF representatives conducted in-depth exploration and advancement in the marketization of table tennis.
At that time, Steve Denton told reporters that after many exchanges with the China Table Tennis Association, it was found that the two sides were in agreement on many ideas. At the beginning of June this year, Denton was still praising Liu Guoliang, chairman of the China Table Tennis Association, saying that the latter had a very different way of thinking and was looking forward to creating a new era of table tennis in the world.
Looking back now, Denton's voice half a month ago also laid a near-clear foreshadowing for Liu Guoliang's appointment as the chairman of the WTT Council today. After the official announcement, the International Table Tennis Federation also expressed its belief that under the leadership of Liu Guoliang, the WTT World Table Tennis Professional League, the world table tennis people will work hard for a common goal and will promote the WTT Council and the entire table tennis project to more. High Point.
ITTF CEO Steve Denton expressed his expectations for Liu Guoliang to lead WTT for the first time: "Liu Guoliang is not only in China, but also the most influential person in the world table tennis world. We hope that he can use his influence Strength and appeal, promote table tennis in the world, let more young people like it, and show the power of sports."
After Liu Guoliang took office, both the table tennis circle and the netizens who sent me the blessing sent him blessings:
Regarding his new identity, Liu Guoliang said frankly: "Life is constant self-challenge. Athletes want to become grand slams, and then become head coaches, head coaches, and chairmen. They constantly change their positions. Changing positions must continue. Change your mindset. I think this is the biggest change."
From the head coach of the national team to the chairman of the China Table Tennis Association, and then to the chairman of the WTT Council, although the "fatty man who does not understand the ball" has changed his identity, he is still the backbone of the national table tennis and an indispensable mainstay of the international table tennis world. . Now coming to the world stage, Liu Guoliang has a clear understanding of his mission.
"It turned out to lead the Chinese team to win the championship, to the world stage of WTT, is to pass on a Chinese table tennis culture. Tell a good Chinese story on the world stage." He said in an interview.
Data Map: Coach Liu Guoliang, a member of the Rio Olympics Mainland Olympic Elite Delegation, made his appearance at the Hong Kong press conference. China News Agency reporter Hong Shaokui photo
Affected by the new crown pneumonia epidemic, the world sports are shut down, and table tennis is no exception. In the face of the predicament, Liu Guoliang believed that the key lies in how to turn the crisis into an opportunity. "It is also an opportunity to pass the danger. How to restart and reshape the table tennis is very important. The more this difficult time, the more the world is needed. Table tennis people unite as one and work together to shape the world stage together."
Liu Guoliang believes that in order to promote table tennis in the world, the most important thing is to pay attention to players: "Players are real productivity. How to cultivate more champions and create more stars through this platform. Through this platform for everyone More exciting games, through such platforms, let the stars and fans have close contact, which are challenges beyond the gold medal. But it is precisely because of such opportunities and platforms that this sport can be pushed to the world. "
It is reported that the WTT Council led by Liu Guoliang will be composed of the main participants in the world table tennis, including but not limited to: retired and active athletes, important contributors to the world table tennis, event organizers and ITTF personnel. The WTT Council will be the representative and leading body of WTT for the public and the market in the future.
Compared with being the chairman of the China Table Tennis Association, Liu Guoliang now undoubtedly has a few more responsibilities on his shoulders. Especially in the face of the innumerable new tasks, how to complete the idea of leading a team to lead the development of the world table tennis and the change of working mode will be the challenge that Liu Guoliang needs to face directly. (Finish)