[tsb]

Die Webseite ist zwar furchtbar, aber ich habe die wichtigsten Zitate herausgesucht:

1. Zur Regionalität der Liga:

The T2 Asia-Pacific Table Tennis League 2017 will feature 24 world-class players (12 men and 12 women) hand-picked from around the world.

the Asia-Pacific table-tennis league aims to (...) captivate a global audience

The Chinese Table Tennis Super League is currently the only professional domestic competition in the Asia-Pacific region. But with no regional professional competitions to speak of, T2 APAC will fill a void in this part of the world

(...) said ITTF President Thomas Weikert: "We wish T2 APAC the best of luck with their plans to become a successful league and boost the sport in the Asia-Pacific region."

"Asia has always been at the forefront of table tennis innovation and growth. In recent times, we have seen more and more talented players emerging, even from non-traditional table tennis countries in Southeast Asia and West Asia. T2 APAC (...) will not only raise the marketability of players considerably, but will also springboard commercial value of the sport in this region to even greater heights."

Die "Asia-Pacific" Tischtennisliga soll also für Sportler und Zuschauer aus der ganzen Welt sein und dadurch Tischtennis in Asien voranbringen. Hä? Das passt nicht so ganz zusammen. Das ist noch zu intransparent.




2. Zu den Wettkampfformaten:

Competing in separate but concurrent men's, women's and mixed-team league competitions.

Season 1 will compromise 228 men's and women's singles matches played entirely in Hong Kong from July to December 2017 and during breaks in the current international and domestic table-tennis calenders.

(...) with a new host country each season thereafter.

24 players will battle for an unprecedented prize pool of USD 1.5 million in the inaugural season, and each player will have not one, but two chances to win prize money.

Also: Damen-, Herren- und Mixed-Team-Wettbewerbe. Aber wohl ausschließlich Einzel, keine Doppel.



3. Zu Personalien (z.B. Samsonov):

T2 APAC has appointed Belarusian Vladimir Samsonov as its Director of Player Operations, and former ITTF Executive Director for Education and Training, Mikael Andersson of Sweden, as Director of Competitions & Technical Operations.

4. Zu Vermarktung und Präsentation:

cutting-edge production values integrating Ultra-Slow Motion presentation

T2 APAC embraces an all-new business model that is intended to infuse table tennis with commercial innovation. (...) one of our key goals is to mould the protagonists into internationally recognisable personalities

“Simply looking at the sheer number of hobbyists and recreational players worldwide, table tennis is arguably the most highly participated sport in the world,” he added. “But most people probably can’t name many of the top players in the world today. T2 APAC aims to change that by making household names out of our select stable of elite players, and through an out-of-the-box story-telling approach that will resonate with the new generation of digital consumers and sports fans.”

Das klingt ambitioniert -- und prinzipiell richtig. Aber mir ist noch nicht klar, ob diese Marketingoffensive auf Asien beschränkt sein wird oder auch europäische/amerikanische Zielgruppen angesprochen werden sollen.



5. Zu den Wettkampfregeln:

a unique competition model (...)
a player draft system; time limit for each match; and a unique scoring system. By ensuring a level playing field and unpredictability of outcome, audiences and fans around the world can expect edge-of-your-seat competitive excitement throughout the season.

Das klingt... seltsam. Die Wettkampfregeln sollen anhand von Zeitbegrenzungen und einem neuen Zählsystem die Chancengleichheit zwischen den Spielern herstellen und damit unvorhersagbare Ergebnisse erzeugen. Aha. Warum sollen Favoriten denn nicht gewinnen dürfen? Warum können denn nicht einfach die offiziellen internationalen Tischtennisregeln gelten?