Two-time Olympic gold medalist Ma Long has withdrawn from the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) rankings, it was revealed on Tuesday when the World Rankings were updated.
He became the third Chinese paddler to take the decision after Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng quit months after winning the Paris 2024 men’s and women’s singles events respectively.
The decision was taken after the ITTF declared that players who did not participate in World Table Tennis (WTT) events could be fined US$5,000.
Liu Guoliang, president of the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA), who is also the ITTF deputy president and chair of the WTT council, defended their individual decisions while questioning the new rule.
“Ma Long, Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng have made outstanding contributions to table tennis in China and across the world, winning gold and silver at the World Championships and competing for their country,” Liu said.
“They are meritorious athletes, great athletes and will surely become legendary athletes. I fully understand, support and respect their personal choices and decisions.
“As president of the (CTTA), I fully support the athletes in defending their rights and safeguarding their interests.
“I also think that the rules, such as WTT mandatory participation, assigning zero points, and fines, are really questionable.”
He also suggested that the WTT look into allowing a “participation exemption” clause to ensure the best players stay in the world rankings but can opt out of competitions.
Fan, meanwhile, on Tuesday evening said that he is focused more on competing in national events.
“I know that everyone has been paying attention to these things in the past few days,” Fan said. “For me, there are many things I want to say.
“I will also communicate with everyone without reservation, including on my own social media. There is a plan to communicate with everyone, and I hope to receive everyone’s blessings.”