On April 21, Li Xiaoxia, a national table tennis grand slam winner and former women's table tennis captain, officially appeared in the ITTF World Ranking Working Group. On April 22, the World Table Tennis Federation officially confirmed Li Xiaoxia's new identity and introduced the ins and outs of this matter. Li Xiaoxia was able to enter the leading group of the International Table Tennis Federation this time because of the recommendation of Liu Guoliang, chairman of the Chinese Table Tennis Association. Liu Guoliang recommended his own people to join the Table Tennis Federation, which also helped to strengthen the discourse power of national table tennis, so he placed a heavy responsibility on Li Xiaoxia. As a former Grand Slam winner, I believe that Li Xiaoxia can do this job well.
Although the national table tennis has long been in the hegemonic position of the world table tennis, in fact, our voice in the International Table Tennis Federation is not very strong. In order to prevent the emergence of a dominant situation in the national table tennis, the International Table Tennis Federation will also constantly change some rules to restrict the national table tennis. For example, the singles quota of the Olympic Games has been reduced again and again, and the national table tennis can only have 2 participants, which has led to too cruel competition within the team. Another example is that each association in the Mixed Doubles Event of the Olympic Games can only have one pair of combinations to participate, which increases the contingency of the competition. Another example is the change of the world ranking system, the greater emphasis on the number of entries, and so on.
Although every such reform is difficult to fundamentally affect the national table tennis, we also need to strengthen the voice in the world table tennis. Retired players like Deng Yaping, Wang Nan, Zhang Yining, and Li Xiaoxia are often able to play a very critical role. Li Xiaoxia chose the life of a husband and son after retiring, but she did not leave table tennis, or often participate in activities related to national table tennis, and give some suggestions to her former teammates and juniors. It can be said that Li Xiaoxia should continue to shine where she needs to be.
And this opportunity finally came, on April 22, the World Table Tennis Federation issued a document, officially confirming Li Xiaoxia's new job. She appeared as a member of the working group at the online exchange seminar of the ITTF World Ranking Working Group held on the afternoon of April 21, and began her new journey. The World Table Tennis Federation also detailed the ins and outs of Li Xiaoxia's ability to obtain this new job, she was recommended by the Chinese Table Tennis Association, approved by the Executive Committee of the International Table Tennis Federation, and finally became a full member of the group as an expert representative.
Li Xiaoxia also thanked Liu Guoliang for her recommendation, and she said that she hoped to stand in the perspective of athletes, fight for more rights and interests for athletes, and let more low-level players participate in high-level events. Li Xiaoxia's joining the work of the Table Tennis Federation is a very good thing from the perspective of safeguarding the rights and interests of athletes or enhancing the right to speak in national table tennis. Liu Guoliang's move can be described as a beautiful job, which can not only allow Li Xiaoxia to play her role, but also further enhance the discourse power of national table tennis in the world table tennis, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone.
The world ranking system is also a system that has been criticized more, and Li Xiaoxia's joining this time may promote the Reform of the Ranking System by the International Table Tennis Federation. This system is obviously not good for veterans whose physical fitness is declining and the number of participants is difficult to guarantee, and now Liu Shiwen is ranked 17th in the world, which has the reason for the small number of participants. It is expected that Li Xiaoxia can promote the further improvement of the ranking system and strive for more rights and interests for athletes.