Hello from ITTF President

[Mighty]

Zitat von buddywow

...Why doesn't tt reach the status of a fancy sport? ...

A cool thing that I saw at last years' Austrian Open:
they had a VIP area right next to the main table serving champagne for the guests with Timo Boll playing regular matches just a few meters from them. Maybe that's the solution!

Any comments?

Till

Yes, champagne, that's the right direction!

Why not half dressed women announcing the next set, like in boxing?

[buddywow]

Zitat von Mighty

Yes, champagne, that's the right direction!

Why not half dressed women announcing the next set, like in boxing?

actually I find that a lot of female tt players are quite good looking - thank god -, so no need for half dressed women

about the VIP lounges: every sport has it, why not tabletennis?
every sport tries to attract companies which donate money or book space for advertisement to gain popularity
like it or not

to me one of the good achievements of ITTF was to change the appearance of the ProTour and the other major tournaments into professional presentated events suitable for tt appearances and not like some back-room happenings for extreme tt insiders who want to keep the sport like it is: a sport that is of no interest to people who don't play it

[adham]

Hey guys and gals,

First of all HAPPY NEW YEAR !

very interesting posts. I will try to address lot of the points here. But I would like to apologize to Noppen-Lord for what seemed to be a condescending remark from my part. Sorry about that. Of course we can have a drink together anytime you like. But I was annoyed to be told that he joined the rule breakers because of a lack of control at the event. Yes, of course I broke the speed limit and sometimes got away with it and sometimes I got a ticket (when police caught me). But my point is that we should find ways to discourage those that do not follow rules instead of joining them. We are all human and we all break rules sometimes, I fully accept this.

All of you are right about the Boosters and Tuners. The ITTF was very slow in reacting to these substances. Any kind of additive was always illegal. It was NEVER legal. But because it was produced by respectable companies and ITTF let it happen, then many assumed it was OK to use. When ITTF woke up and made it clear that it was not legal, then many players became angry. I fully understand. But now we are trying to get back on track. In the future, maybe additives such as boosters and tuners that are completely safe (biologocal products) could be allowed if the national associations propose and support such a move. But until then we need to respect the current rules, of which I just broke my own rule about not discussing Boosters and Tuners. But I am the president and it's new Year's eve, so please allow me to say the last thing about it: the ITTF analyzed in the lab 5 boosters/tuners on the market and found ALL to contain VOCs and at least 2 containing poison (if injected by a child would have serious consequences). We reported to the 5 companies and at least 4 of them (maybe all now) stopped producing these substances. I know that there are claims of fully safe and biological "oils" that are not harmful and would be applied only on the sponge and would not affect the rubber, and would pass the Enez test. Maybe in the future we could look at these substances.

People who are mad at the ITTF do not make sense to me. It;s like being mad at the Government, or being mad at the World. The ITTF may not be the most brilliant organization in the World, but it is also not the most stupid. All rules have reasons behind them, and no matter how long one explains a reason, someone will not accept, may not understand, and may not like it; so the reaction "ITTF is stupid". OK, this is normal and we must live with it. But in fact everyone in the ITTF tries his/her best to make our sport the best it could be. Yes, it is getting more popular, just this forum is proof to me. Yes, it is more on TV and we still have a long way to go. But we try every day. Yes, we have big compnaies interested in our sport now, and we try every day to get more. And, yes, we do care about ALL players, but we can only control the ITTF events. Every player is important in Zimbabwe or in Solomon Islands. The ITTF now has 205 member national associations and we have delivered free equipment and technical courses to more than 120 of our members associations.

Let's find together the right way forward. Let's respect the rules, let's understand the flexibility in some rules, let's be logical, let's be sensible, and let's enjoy the game of ping pong or table tennis the best we can without obsessing about equipment and about cheaters. If you want to make a change, lobby on the right way and go through your national association.

By the way, some of you like to criticize the German TTA (DTTB). I have constant contact with them and I can assure you that it is one of the best associations in the ITTF. The presdient of the DTTB is young and dynamic, he loves to play TT himself, he fully understands the needs of the average player, he is positive, had great ideas, he is very positive, he is a problem solver and he is surrounded by experienced and TT loving people. I wish he would be on my team at the ITTF. The DTTB works very hard in making TT more popular and they have many challenges, but they will succeed with persistence and hard work.

I also would like to congratulate Contenthouse a company working close with the DTTB in getting more TT on German TV and in transmitting league matches on the Internet. This is all great progress and the ITTF supports these actions.

Let's be positive, let's find solutions and let's look more at the big picture and make our sport the greatest in the World. But the most important thing I can say to you all: get out and play Table Tennis !

Happy New Year to each and all of you !!

[adham]

Zitat von noppen-lord

Congratulation Adham i am sure you never drive faster than the speed limit is,you never drive over a red sign,you never drink some beer at lunch and sit in your car,you never get a ticket for wrong parking,you never drive train or bus without a ticket.............. so you followed all the rules in this world and you never make misstakes.
I want follow the rules you and your comitee did.
Dont understand me wrong I want SOLUTIONS to controll your rules for all players.Thats fairness!
For me this is my last article to this thems (gluing/frictionless long pimples).
So long hope to see you in Lousanne in January (tt master) and we can have a beer together....

With best wishes for you and your family and really RESPECT for beeing here and answer all this questions

I am sorry, I apologize to you. I did not mean to offend you. I was just very disappointed that you gave in. Yes, let's have a beer and I will show you, if you allow me, how to beat this guy that has more spin. Remember if he produces more spin it also means he is more sensitive to spin, and definitely more sensitive to spin variations. Aha!

[buddywow]

first reaction to my inquiry of the second German national tv station (in German):

vielen Dank für Ihre E-Mail an das ZDF und Ihre inhaltliche Auseinandersetzung mit unserer Sendung, die wir aufmerksam gelesen haben.



Ihre Anmerkung und Kritik zu unserer Planung für die Sportart Tischtennis haben wir der zuständigen Redaktion zur Kenntnis gebracht. Dort wird sie in unserer internen Auseinandersetzung mit unserem Programmangebot bzw. im Rahmen unserer Nachbesprechungen zu den Sendungen zusammen mit anderen Zuschauerreaktionen berücksichtigt.



Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Torsten Schütz

ZDF, Zuschauerredaktion

[buddywow]

part 2:

Sehr geehrter Herr J,

herzlichen Dank für Ihr Interesse am Programm des Ersten Deutschen Fernsehens.


Ihre Kritik an unserer Sportberichterstattung bedauern wir sehr.

Das Erste berichtet in seinem Programm insgesamt über mehr als 30 Sportarten. Leider kann dabei nicht jede Sportart in gleichem Umfang berücksichtigt werden, weil die Sendezeit für Sport begrenzt ist. Fußball und Wintersport liegen in der Gunst der Zuschauer nach wie vor ganz vorne.

Um auch den etwas weniger populären Sportarten Übertragungszeit einzuräumen, versucht die ARD, die Berichterstattung sinnvoll zwischen dem ARD-Gemeinschaftsprogramm und den acht dritten Fernsehprogrammen aufzuteilen.

Öffentlich-rechtliches Fernsehen ist ein Drahtseilakt. Damit die Gebührenzahler den öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunk auch weiterhin finanzieren wollen, muss es ein Ziel unserer Arbeit sein, den Bedürfnissen unseres Publikums möglichst umfassend gerecht zu werden. Die Zuschauer zahlen nicht nur dafür, dass Das Erste seinen Informationsauftrag im Bereich der aktuellen Sportereignisse wahrnimmt. Diese Aufgabe ist selbstverständlich sehr wichtig, aber sie ist nur ein Teil des Programmauftrags. Daher können wir auch in Zukunft nur eine Auswahl von Sportereignissen im Ersten übertragen.


Mit freundlichen Grüßen,

Thomas Kneißl
ARD-Zuschauerredaktion

[nevada]

@buddywow:

Perhaps you could be so kind to translate the answers you received into english so that everybody can understand it.

I think that the "ZDF-answer" is an automatic-reply. ARD-answer looks quite better, because somebody has really read your message but the answer is not really satisfying.

But if raindrops are falling on the same stone again and again they will cause a hole

regs nevada

[Nullinger]

Zitat von nevada

I think that the "ZDF-answer" is an automatic-reply. ARD-answer looks quite better, because somebody has really read your message but the answer is not really satisfying.

But if raindrops are falling on the same stone again and again they will cause a hole

The thing about Table Tennis on German TV is that either people here complain that it is not shown, not enough or - if the report from TT events - that it is done badly. Or the the commentators are bad.

My opinion is that the majority of people (who don't play TT themselves) doesn't like to watch TT on TV. Then, many TT players tell others that they could do a "noble deed" by watching TT on TV although it could be boring. I guess, that's the wrong way.

We should acknowledge that some channels do report TT. The commentators do their best and in my opinion a good job for TT newbies. We should actually WATCH TV when they show TT to increase the audience which would then result in higher priority for the channels.
But to be honest: most people prefer football, skiing, boxing and formula one. And as it is stated in the reply of the ARD: they can't show sports all the time, so they have to figure out ratios which satisfy the majority most of the time and then show other events for other groups. But would you like to watch 3 hours of water polo a day?

Personally, I like to watch TT on TV, but I think the only way to achieve more TT on TV is by increasing the demand. If people REALLY want to watch it and actually do it whenever they get the opportunity, that could work!

[buddywow]

Zitat von nevada

@buddywow:

Perhaps you could be so kindly to translate the answers you received into english so that everybody can understand it.

I think that the "ZDF-answer" is an automatic-reply. ARD-answer looks quite better, because somebody has really read your message but the answer is not really satisfying.

But if raindrops are falling on the same stone again and again they will cause a hole

regs nevada

this an opportunity to ckeck the quality of google translator:

Dear Mr. J,

Thank you for your interest in the program of the First German Television.


Your criticism of our sports coverage, we regret very much.

ARD reports in his program over more than 30 sports. Unfortunately, not every sport to the same extent taken into account, because the airtime for sport is limited. Football and winter sports are popular with viewers still very front.

To even the somewhat less popular sports broadcasting time to attempt the ARD, reporting meaningful between the ARD program and the eight third split television programs.

Public Television is a tightrope. In order to counter the charges of public broadcasting continue to fund them, there must be an objective of our work, our needs the broadest possible audience needs. The spectators paid not only ensure that the information its first contract in the current sporting events is responsible. This task is obviously very important, but it is only a part of the program contract. Therefore, we can in future only a selection of sporting events in the First transferred.


Yours sincerely,

Thomas Kneissl
ARD viewers editorial



---------------

Dear Mr. J,



Thank you for your e-mail to the ZDF and your substantive discussion with our program that we have read carefully.


Your comment and criticism regarding our plans for the sport of table tennis, we have competent editorial on the subject. There is in our internal confrontation with our program offer or during our meetings with the consignment, together with other audience reactions into account.


Yours sincerely

Torsten contactor

ZDF, viewers editorial

[nevada]

Thanks a lot,

I changed your contribution slightly, because I don't believe that you wanted to post your real surname If I'm wrong I beg your pardon.

regs nevada