Recently, an uproaring table tennis incident has sparked heated discussions in the sports world. Wang Chuqin, a top table tennis player in the mainland, withdrew from an important event due to injury, but was severely punished by the International Table Tennis Federation, and his personal world ranking points were cleared at one time. This practice undoubtedly dealt a heavy blow to Wang Chuqin's career, and also made the sports world question the ITTF's punishment system. Aruna and Qiu Dang, two veteran table tennis veterans, were even more outspoken, criticizing the lack of humane consideration of the ITTF's approach and calling for attention to the protection of the legitimate rights and interests of athletes.
Wang Chuqin, a young man from a Chinese sports family, has been highly anticipated since he was a child. He is very talented, and when he plays, he twists the backhand and changes the line of the puller, which makes people unguardable, and he is even more accurate and sharp when serving, so that many masters are losing in front of him. In 2019, Wang Chuqin made great progress in the World Cup in Doha, Qatar, and finally defeated the German star Ocharov in the final to win the world championship, becoming another rising star in the Chinese table tennis world after Zhang Jike and Ma Long.
In 2022, Wang Chuqin and his teammates broke into the World Team Championships in Houston, and played well at key moments, earning valuable singles points for the national team and helping the Chinese team finally defend the world championship. After the game, Wang Chuqin held the trophy high on the podium, with a vigorous posture and full of energy, and was considered the future leader of Chinese table tennis.
Who would have thought that in a recent World Tour event, Wang Chuqin's career suffered a heavy blow. Before the race, his old injury recurred, and his lower back and knees continued to hurt, but with tenacious perseverance, he gritted his teeth and persevered to play. However, not long after the start of the race, the pain completely exploded, and he had to withdraw in the middle of the race. I thought this was just an episode, but I didn't expect the ITTF to give him a heavy hand - to clear his hard-earned world ranking points to zero at one time!
This penalty is a blow to any professional athlete. Points rankings are critical to eligibility and future earnings, and if they are cleared, an athlete's entire career will be severely impacted. It can be said that for a young player like Wang Chuqin, the punishment of the ITTF is tantamount to a slap in the face, which is simply worse.
For veteran players, ranking points are an important bargaining chip in their careers, directly related to qualification and event exposure. Once it is cleared, it will undoubtedly make matters worse. This practice immediately aroused strong dissatisfaction and doubts in public opinion.
Among them, Aruna, the veteran coach who has led the Chinese team to win multiple world championship titles, is outspoken and sharply criticized the ITTF's approach. Aruna said: "Athletes are injured on the field, and it really needs to be dealt with accordingly, but it would be too cruel to wipe out their hard-earned world ranking points at once, right?
As a veteran coach with three national team coaches, Aruna certainly understands the importance of ranking points for athletes. "The ranking determines whether an athlete can qualify for the competition, which in turn affects their income and livelihood, which is the capital that professional athletes rely on for a living! "
Another veteran coach, Qiu Dang, criticized the ITTF's approach from the perspective of safeguarding the rights and interests of athletes. Qiu Dang said bluntly: "As the highest governing body, the ITTF should always protect and attach importance to the legitimate rights and interests of athletes, rather than simply punishing them. You have to put yourself in the shoes of the athletes! Retirement due to injury is a last resort, and if even the points are ruthlessly deprived, it will be too hard for the athletes. "
"Athletes have very short careers, and we should give them the care and care they deserve, rather than hitting them harshly. Qiu Dang was righteous and eloquently expounded his views, "International sports organizations should improve the relevant systems and give reasonable leniency to such special circumstances, instead of simply punishing them." "
In terms of public opinion, many netizens have also expressed doubts and dissatisfaction. Some people believe that the ITTF's approach lacks humane considerations and is too blunt and simplistic. There are also calls for international sports organizations to manage and supervise in a more humane way based on the principle of fairness and justice, and to give athletes the care and protection they deserve.
Through this incident, we can clearly see that there are indeed serious deficiencies in the institutional design of international sports organizations. As the highest governing body, the International Sports Federation should always put the rights and interests of athletes first, rather than making such a blunt punishment decision as hastily.
The core spirit of sports is fair competition and the pursuit of excellence. But fairness is not the same as rigidity, and an overly rigid system can be contrary to the original purpose of sport. In the case of withdrawal due to injury, simple punishment is somewhat simple and harsh, and appropriate relief or alternatives should be considered to avoid irreversible damage to the athlete's career.
After all, athletes are the protagonists on the field and the core of sports events. Without humane care and care for them, any system will lose its vitality and eventually become a dead letter. We should listen to the voices of athletes with a more open and inclusive mindset, so that their reasonable demands are taken seriously and protected.
As professional athletes, they not only shoulder the heavy responsibility of winning glory for the country, but also carry the sports dreams of countless ordinary people. If there is no humane care for them, the system will lose credibility and will also greatly discourage the enthusiasm of athletes. We should build a warm professional environment for them, so that they can prepare for the competition with peace of mind and display their talents to the fullest, rather than being bound by institutional injustice.
We hope that international sports organizations can learn from this experience and manage and regulate in a more humane, fair and reasonable way, so that the sunshine of sports can shine everywhere.
The essence of sport is fair play, but fairness should never be equated with rigidity. In addition to penalties, consideration should be given to giving appropriate relief or alternatives to the athlete's career in the event of a retirement due to injury. At the same time, the design of the system should also fully listen to the voices of athletes, so that their reasonable demands are taken into account.
The incident was a wake-up call for international sports organizations. Only by continuously improving the management system and protecting the rights and interests of athletes can sports truly continue to move forward on a healthy track. As for Wang Chuqin personally, I sincerely hope that he can regain his form as soon as possible and continue to write a wonderful legend in the table tennis world. After all, the brilliance of a generation of talent will always win understanding and respect.