Hello from ITTF President

[adham]

Zitat von powerpaul

1. EVERYBODY had to change his racket, some only the rubbers, some only the blade, a few had to change the hole racket. But this is not the problem.
The Speed glue is forbitten, because it wasn´t very good for health. OK, no Problem. The Players took the Solution called Boosters or Tuners, which are in fact Names of Phantasie. After a while, ITTF banned the Boosters, not founded in attidude of health oder the Olympic Spirt. The REASON? Tell me, why?
YES, ok, you told the Player, that each rubber should be used as he is approved. Right? A LOT OF Rubbers will not be used, as they were approved, you know this too.

2. The second Problem is very small at the first look, but in the Future it could be very, very big.
End of the Year 1992, Beginning of the Year 1993, ITTF has banned Speed Glue at first time - for a few weeks. The Players Association wasn´t agree.
Now, the ITTF banned all VOC-Glue, Tuner or Boosters.
Some Players has accepted and plays with Rubbers "like approved by the ITTF", but nearly 80% (thats what J. Roßkopf means at the Liebherr European Championship 2008) uses Tuner, Boosters.
What kind of Consequenses for those players are possibel? 2 Tournaments without them? A half Year NO Turnament? Disqualification?

1. Yes, many players had to change, I'm sorry about that. Regarding Boosters and Tuners they were NEVER legal. But now the ITTF made very very clear that they are NOT legal. We analyzed 5 different brands of Boosters and Tuners and they all contained harmful material and even poison which is very dangerous for children. But the main reason is that it was never in ITTF rules legal to add anything to the rubber after approval. Yes, I agree many players change their rubbers, they are cheating. But because some are cheating, then ITTF should make cheating legal?

2. Starting January 1 2009 the ITTF will be very strict at international tournaments. Yes, a racket control failure will mean out of the tournament. The second time will mean out of the season, something like that.

Thank you for your questions.

Adham

[adham]

Zitat von ksg9-sebastian

Good evening together,

first of all it's very, very nice to see such a valueable member in this community and also to see him involved in such contrary, important discussions.
I can't remember any other sport where something happens, so really nice, again

I want to tell one more time about the friction level:

I know much people playing these rubbers and they had really great success. But after all changes, training and testing there are two categories of long-pimple-players:

1. The players who are really good and know how to use the pimples. They have tested some new rubbers and are nearly as good as with the "old" rubbers.

2. The players who played low-frinction-rubbers cause they had some bad technics and need a rubber to protect their "bade side". Much of these players are really blamed cause of the change in friction level.

After all, I can truely say that the new rules blame the players who hadn't been "really good players" in past. Much of them were only good cause the rubbers do the work for them.
I never had problems playing again long pimples, I had much fun against these players and I was really successful against them. Now it's often easier to win against this players. On the other side its more dificult to win against the "good players" who changed the rubbers cause they now have much more possibilities through the "new" rubber.

But for now, I will follow your interesting discussions and perhaps post sometimes

kind regards,
sebastian

Very interesting comments. I agree with your assessment. Usually the good players will be good regardless of the equipment.

I have one question for you (Ich habe eine Frage) -
- do you think in Germany, if you take ALL levels, the majority of the players are in favour of the low-friction long-pimples ban, or are against the low-friction long-pimples ban?

[adham]

Unfortunately my mother had an unfortunate accident today. I spend most of my time in the hospital, I canceled all my travel, so I will not be able to visit Forums for a while.

Sorry about that. I hope to come back soon.

Adham

[No_Name_Surfer]

Zitat von adham

Unfortunately my mother had an unfortunate accident today. I spend most of my time in the hospital, I canceled all my travel, so I will not be able to visit Forums for a while.

Sorry about that. I hope to come back soon.

Adham

Oh,
hopefully everything is going to be alright.
Good well soon for her!

[powerpaul]

Zitat von adham

1. Yes, many players had to change, I'm sorry about that. Regarding Boosters and Tuners they were NEVER legal. But now the ITTF made very very clear that they are NOT legal. We analyzed 5 different brands of Boosters and Tuners and they all contained harmful material and even poison which is very dangerous for children. But the main reason is that it was never in ITTF rules legal to add anything to the rubber after approval. Yes, I agree many players change their rubbers, they are cheating. But because some are cheating, then ITTF should make cheating legal?

2. Starting January 1 2009 the ITTF will be very strict at international tournaments. Yes, a racket control failure will mean out of the tournament. The second time will mean out of the season, something like that.

Thank you for your questions.

Adham

Thank your for your answers

At first, i want to say,that in my opinion, all dangerous chemicals have to banned out from table tennis. At this point i agree with you.
The rule at itself isn´t bad, but the following work to reach was very poor. It´s fact, you and the Technical Leader of ITTF KNEW, that a lot of players all over the world uses not legal boosters and tuners, even at the moment, when they start at a major tournament. You can see it, you can hear it. But their are no consequences till now. THAT is the main problem in my opinion. In the Future, possibly someone will found a new solution, to brake the rules. Each manufacturer will work to find the most sucessfull Rubber - new ways are needfull, maybe new brands will founded. No Problem, perhaps a good way.
The Problems will beginn, when some "established brands" will lost her users/players.
Such this Situation will be a reason, to don´t hesitated, to ignore the actually rules. Look at the further High-Tune Rubbers from Butterfly, if you look very strange at it, they were NEVER be approved. It´s right?

At last, i want thank you for your time at this forum, i want thank you for your work for a better standing of table tennis in the world, at TV and so on.
But some new rules weren`t not a solution, they are or will be a new problem.

With best regards, the Don

[Mighty]

Zitat von powerpaul

... In the Future, possibly someone will found a new solution, to brake the rules. Each manufacturer will work to find the most sucessfull Rubber - new ways are needfull, maybe new brands will founded. No Problem, perhaps a good way. ...

I'm not so optimistic.

50 years ago ITTF adopted 4mm maximum thickness rule to reduce speed and spin in TT. So if new powerful rubbers come, it would be quite logical from ITTF to further reduce maximum thickness of rubbers. For example, to 3,5mm.

[RedStar]

Zitat von adham

I have one question for you (Ich habe eine Frage) -
- do you think in Germany, if you take ALL levels, the majority of the players are in favour of the low-friction long-pimples ban, or are against the low-friction long-pimples ban?

In my opinion, most people dont know the differece between low-friction pimples and high friction pimples. Most of them dont know the difference between long pimples and short pimples. If you ask them, they will say: "Pimples? Ban it! And please ban the Anti-Spin Rubbers, too!"
And if you ask them whats about the super fast Tension Rubbers, they will say: "Super fast? Please ban it!"
And if you asked them in the past, what about playing to 11 points, they had said: "No! Please lets play up to 21 points! And please do not play with 40mm Balls!"
And if you ask them, if we need the fees for the Tabletennis Federations, they will say: "No, we dont need the fees. Remove it"
And if you ask them if we need TT on TV, they say: "No, I do not want to watch TT on TV. But I can not play TT on Saturday, because I want to watch football on TV at 6pm."

You never asked this people before. Why now you want to ask them?
I think its because it just suits you.

[Mighty]

Zitat von RedStar

In my opinion, most people dont know the differece between low-friction pimples and high friction pimples. Most of them dont know the difference between long pimples and short pimples. If you ask them, they will say: "Pimples? Ban it! And please ban the Anti-Spin Rubbers, too!"
And if you ask them whats about the super fast Tension Rubbers, they will say: "Super fast? Please ban it!"
And if you asked them in the past, what about playing to 11 points, they had said: "No! Please lets play up to 21 points! And please do not play with 40mm Balls!"
And if you ask them, if we need the fees for the Tabletennis Federations, they will say: "No, we dont need the fees. Remove it"
And if you ask them if we need TT on TV, they say: "No, I do not want to watch TT on TV. But I can not play TT on Saturday, because I want to watch football on TV at 6pm."

You never asked this people before. Why now you want to ask them?
I think its because it just suits you.

You can't really criticise somebody at the same time for asking people and for not asking people.

There is IMHO a weak point in your examples. In the past, if properly asked, people would probably have said: "I don't know. I've never played to 11 points, I can't really decide, whether it would be better or not." So ITTF made some tests, as far as I understand, and then introduced this new rule.

As to pimples and antis, people have made enough "tests" and are able to decide. From my personal experience, the most players would support ban of them.

[hans5555]

Zitat von adham

Very interesting comments. I agree with your assessment. Usually the good players will be good regardless of the equipment.

I have one question for you (Ich habe eine Frage) -
- do you think in Germany, if you take ALL levels, the majority of the players are in favour of the low-friction long-pimples ban, or are against the low-friction long-pimples ban?

That is no question. The most are in favour against the lowfriction long-pimples ban. How deeper the level and how older the player , so more against.
All former low-friction-players are against, and the most pimple-in-players don't care.

I don't play pimples , but I be also against the ban.

I still lose 2 good players in my club. Now the non-pimples-players get also a problem with that ban.

Hope it will changed soon.

[PLLsystem]

Zitat von adham

I do not know. If these rubbers pass the ITTF tests then they will continue to enjoy the ITTF authorization, if they do not pass the ITTF tests then they will not be on the next authorization list. But I have no information that the rubbers you mentioned have been banned. In fact, the ITTF does not "ban" any rubbers/ What we have is a request from a rubber manufacturer to use the ITTF logo on their product. So, the ITTF first tests the samples given by the manufacturer. If they meet ITTF criteria and rules, then the ITTF "authorizes" the manufacturer to use the ITTF logo on the rubber. later, randomly, the ITTF will test the same rubber taken from the retail market to make sure that it also meets the ITTF requirements. If it passes the test, no problem. If it des not pass the test we advise the manufacturer and try to find out the problem so that it can be corrected. If we still can not fix the problem then the rubber does not receive the authorization to use the ITTF logo and it does not appear on the next list of authorized rubber coverings. The manufacturer can continue to produce the rubber and sell it, but without the ITTF logo. Nothing is banned. It is just a question of authorization to use the ITTF logo, which belongs to the ITTF just like the Olympic rings belong to the IOC.

I dont understand something. If ITTF gets only the rubber for homologization how are you able to check a covering bought from the retail market? The 90%of the coverings are assembled. Mainly the popular ones eg. Tenergy 05.

In the other hand. What do you think how long will the manufacturers spend millions for developing if ITTF found new and new criteria month by month that makes the development in vain?