introduction
Table tennis has always been regarded as China's "national sport" and "gold medal special zone". In recent years, with the continuous advancement of the professionalization of this sport, the income level of domestic table tennis superstars has also increased significantly.
In May 2023, at the WTT Saudi Arabia Grand Slam, Chinese player Wang Chuqin won the men's singles, men's doubles and mixed doubles championships in one go, with a total prize fund of 530,000 yuan; The women's singles champion Chen Meng received a bonus of 500,000 yuan. This undoubtedly set a new record for the personal income of table tennis players in a single station.
Behind this scene, it reflects the great progress made by Chinese table tennis in the development of commercial value. Compared with the generally limited income of table tennis players in the past, the current income of some top players has exceeded the million mark, which is undoubtedly encouraging.
But at the same time, we also need to be soberly aware that even after rapid development in recent years, there is still a gap between the overall income level of Chinese table tennis players and some traditional strong sports such as football and basketball. The reason for this may not only stem from the characteristics of the market itself, but also from the characteristics of table tennis itself.
So, how to further enhance the commercial value of Chinese table tennis superstars in the future has become an important topic worthy of in-depth consideration.
First, the professional development process of table tennis
In order to fully understand the current situation and future trend of the current income level of Chinese table tennis players, it is necessary to review the overall process of the professionalization of this sport.
It can be said that the professional exploration of Chinese table tennis began in the early 90s of the 20th century. During that period, as the Chinese table tennis team continued to dominate the international arena, the domestic table tennis association also began to gradually try to commercialize the sport. The holding of the first National Table Tennis League in 1992 marked a new stage of professional development of Chinese table tennis.
However, in this initial exploration, the income level of table tennis players did not increase significantly. At that time, the focus was more on cultivating and training outstanding young players for the subsequent development of the national team through leagues and other forms.
Until the beginning of the 21st century, with the continuous development and improvement of the International Table Tennis Federation, the Chinese Table Tennis Association also began to set its sights on the operation of international events. In 2001, the World Table Tennis Team Championships were held in Fukuoka, Japan for the first time, which also marked the establishment of a new international professional competition system. Since then, more and more world-class events have been launched, bringing new revenue opportunities for table tennis players.
At this stage, although the income level of some top stars has increased, in general, the overall income of Chinese table tennis players is still not optimistic.
It wasn't until 2018, when Liu Guoliang, then president of the ITTF, took office that this pattern began to change radically. As a veteran who is well versed in the development of table tennis in China, Liu Guoliang clearly put forward the goal of making this sport "professional, international and commercial".
Under his guidance, the ITTF has successively launched professional-level tournaments such as the WTT Series and the Champions Challenge, and has continuously optimized the prize money setting and event system. At the same time, through in-depth cooperation with major enterprises, considerable commercial resources have been introduced for these events.
This all-round effort has greatly increased the income level of Chinese table tennis players. Whether it's a top star or a rookie power, it's paid off handsomely. At the WTT Saudi Arabia Grand Slam that just ended in May 2023, Wang Chuqin and Chen Meng's outstanding performances set a new record for personal income in a single stop, which undoubtedly marks another important milestone in this process.
2. Comparison with other sports
Through a historical review of the income level of Chinese table tennis players, it is not difficult to find that this sport has indeed made great progress in the professional development in recent years. But at the same time, we can't ignore that compared with some other mainstream sports, there is still a big gap in the overall income level of these table tennis superstars.
Let's start with football. As the most watched sport in the world, the income level of football players has always been regarded as a role model in the industry. Taking the Chinese Super League as an example, the annual salary of some top stars can easily exceed 100 million yuan. Even Chinese internationals have many people with an annual income of more than 100 million yuan. This objectively leaves the high single-station income of Chinese table tennis first-line players far behind.
Let's look at the NBA. The world's top basketball league also has very strict requirements for income levels. Even rookie players can easily reach tens of millions of dollars on their first-year contracts. And those players who have risen to stardom often earn hundreds of millions of dollars a year. This gap once again highlights the relatively weak commercial value development of Chinese table tennis.
We can also turn our attention to sports such as tennis and golf. As a so-called "aristocratic sport", the top players in these sports also have surprisingly high income levels. In terms of the prize money of Grand Slam tournaments such as Wimbledon and the US Open, it is enough to make China's first-line table tennis players unreachable.
Through these comparisons, it is not difficult to find that even with the great progress made in recent years, the overall income level of Chinese table tennis players is still in a relatively low position in the entire sports industry pattern. Compared with some traditional strong projects, there is still a significant gap.
This gap may be related to the characteristics of the sports market itself, or it may be closely related to the characteristics of the sport itself. Therefore, how to narrow this gap has become a major issue that needs to be solved urgently.
[Strategies to deal with gaps]
Now that it is clear that there is still a big gap between the income level of Chinese table tennis players and other mainstream sports, how should we take effective measures to narrow this gap?
First of all, we need to work on the construction of the competition system. As mentioned above, since Liu Guoliang became the president of the ITTF, the continuous improvement of the professional competition system is undoubtedly the key to the increase in the income level of table tennis players. Therefore, in the future, we should continue to promote this trend, continue to optimize the existing WTT Series, Champions Challenge and other key events, and further improve the scale and quality of the prize money.
At the same time, we should also vigorously develop some new forms of professional events, so as to create more revenue space for table tennis players. For example, learn from the team competition model in the field of tennis to establish a table tennis professional league with more commercial value; Or for different segments of the population, to create a more suitable market demand for professional events. Only by constantly enriching the format of the event can more outstanding table tennis players benefit from it.
In addition to the construction of the event system, we also need to focus on optimizing the entire sports industry ecology. On the one hand, it is necessary to continue to deepen cooperation with major enterprises and attract more business resources into this field. Through sponsorship, endorsement and other forms, we will create more revenue channels for athletes. On the other hand, the overall management and service of athletes should also be strengthened, and more professional and systematic training and operation should be provided for them.
In this process, the relevant management departments and club institutions have an unshirkable responsibility. They should not only create a good development environment for athletes, so that they can give full play to their strengths and get the rewards they deserve; It is also necessary to take effective measures to prevent some unreasonable income distribution mechanisms and ensure that benefits can be distributed more fairly.
At the same time, we also need to pay attention to the media communication and brand promotion of table tennis itself. After all, only by continuously improving the social visibility and influence of this sport can we attract more commercial resources to invest, thereby driving the development of the entire industrial chain. Therefore, relevant departments and institutions should also increase the publicity and promotion of table tennis, so that more ordinary people can understand and love this sport.
In general, to close the gap between the income level of Chinese table tennis players and other mainstream sports, it is necessary to start from many aspects. It is necessary to further improve the competition system and create more revenue opportunities for athletes; It is also necessary to optimize the entire sports industry ecology and provide them with more professional and intimate service support; At the same time, it is also necessary to pay attention to the brand building of the sport and enhance its social influence.
Only through comprehensive efforts can we finally promote the income level of Chinese table tennis players and gradually integrate with other mainstream sports, so that these outstanding athletes can truly obtain the social status and economic rewards they deserve.
【Conclusion】
Looking back on the professional development of table tennis in China, it is not difficult to find that the income level of this athlete has undergone a transformation process from low to high. Especially in recent years, under the active promotion of the International Table Tennis Federation, through the optimization and upgrading of a series of professional events and the deepening of cooperation with enterprises, the income level of these top table tennis players has been unprecedentedly improved.
But at the same time, we are also clearly aware that compared with some other mainstream sports, there is still a big gap in the overall income level of Chinese table tennis players. This is not only related to the characteristics of the sport itself, but also to the development pattern of the sports industry.
To close this gap further, we need to work on multiple levels. First, it is necessary to continue to promote the construction of the professional event system, continuously optimize the existing events, and at the same time develop new forms of events to create more lucrative income space for athletes; Second, it is necessary to optimize the entire industrial ecology, strengthen in-depth cooperation with enterprises, and provide more professional management services for athletes; The third is to pay attention to brand promotion, enhance the social influence of the whole project, and attract more commercial resources to enter.
Only through these comprehensive measures can we truly promote the income level of Chinese table tennis players, in line with other mainstream sports, so that these outstanding athletes can finally obtain the social status and economic rewards they deserve.
This will undoubtedly inject new impetus and vitality into the high-quality development of China's overall sports industry. We look forward to the future of Chinese table tennis players, the income of Chinese table tennis players can undergo more tremendous changes, so that these athletes can truly become excellent representatives of society.