| Ping Pong Chief Aims High
View PDF | Print View
by Zhao Rui
Total views: 29
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 Time: 3:17 PM
0 comments
 |
China's table tennis chief Cai Zhenhua
AFP |
China's table tennis chief Cai Zhenhua believes the popularity of the sport can launch the country's Super League (CSL) into a successful sports brand in the near future, just like the United States' National Basketball Association (NBA). "We aim to develop our table tennis league into one of the best sports leagues in the world, just like the NBA," said Cai, assistant to the director of China's General Sports Administration. "We have the widest fan base here in China, and we have the best players so it is my expectation in the long run. I feel we are moving closer to it."
Celebrating its fifth anniversary, the league tees off this Sunday in 20 cities around China with 10 men's and 10 women's teams joining the rivalry for the champions' trophies, which will be decided in August.
A series of top-notched foreign players have confirmed their participation in CSL, including Athens gold medallist Ryu Seung-min, Oh Sang-eun, Joo Se-hyuk, Timo Boll, Ai Fujinuma and Tamara Boros.
"We have gained increasing recognition from around the world, and I am confident to make it the No 1 brand in the table tennis scene," said Cai.
Despite being the strongest country in the world of table tennis, China once struggled in establishing the popular domestic league, as its previous editions, whose popularity lagged behind the national teams, drew little public attention since it was first launched in 1998.
Frequent postponements occurred due to the schedule that conflicts with international competitions, leading to a series of problems, including teams' home venue changes, absence of top players and deteriorating sponsorship circumstances.
The 2003-04 season saw that the originally-planned 22 rounds had to be reduced to 10, and the tournament lasted an exhausting 14 months.
But Cai said the situation is set to be improved in the new season.
"For sure we have met with some problems before, but we have been making some progress. With the new regulations this year, CSL will be getting better and better," he said.
Along with the joining of international big names, the upcoming new league is fixed with a tight schedule with three sections playing in three months.
According to Cai, the national teams will quit five overseas ITTF Tournaments to guarantee the participation of the country's world champions.
China Central Television (CCTV) has promised to provide more live coverage than before, which is expected to reach over 40 hours, while local televisions will cover all the matches of their own teams.
China took centre stage in the 25th World Table Tennis Championships in Dortmund, Germany in 1959. It pocketed all five titles at the 28th World Championships in 1965 in Yugoslavia.
Moving into the 1990s, China's unassailable advantage pinnacled, when it swept titles in two Olympic Games (Atlanta and Sydney) and one world championships (Tianjin).
Earlier this month, the sizzling Chinese paddlers captured two titles at the World Team Championships in Germany.
First published on Oct. 22, 2006
About the Author
 Zhao Rui joined the country's sole nation-wide English newspaper China Daily in 2004 and has been the sportswriter for the paper and Chinadaily.com.cn since. Having footed in the heart of the sports-crazed nation, he works closely with Chinese athletes of all sports and the authorities and shares his view with readers on the nation's zealous preparation to the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Zhao had some authentic taste to China's mysterious sports regime that keeps on generating Olympic champions, as he spent four years in his childlihood receiving pro tennis training at a state-run physical school in Beijing, the grass-root level of the country's sports pyramid-shaped system. The experience, in his own words, always brings him something in common with Chinese athletes. Zhao is a Play Station II nut in his spare time (unfortunately, he has little of that now), and his favourite games? No joking, it's all sports-related, NBA Live 2006 and Tiger Woods PGA Tour especially. He can be reached at zhaorui@chineseathlete.net
Rating: Not yet rated
Comments 
No comments posted.
Add Comment
|
|
