WTT Removes Mandatory Participation Requirement, Awards Wildcard For Olympic Champs

(MENAFN- IANS) Beijing, Feb 11 (IANS) World Table tennis (WTT) announced on Tuesday a host of significant changes to the WTT Series' rules, showcasing its commitment to offering a better playing environment for athletes. One notable change is the removal of the mandatory participation requirement for all WTT Grand Smashes, effective immediately, aiming at providing greater flexibility for athletes.

It means that players will be invited to the remaining three WTT Grand Smashes in 2025 - the United States Smash (July 3-13), Europe Smash (August 14-24), and China Smash (September 25-October 5). In addition, players will be granted two annual exemptions from WTT Champions event participation, allowing them to better manage their schedules and planning, commencing from the 2025 WTT Champions Incheon to be held from April 1-6, reports Xinhua.

WTT will grant Olympic gold medallists the opportunity to compete in all four WTT Grand Smashes and six WTT Champions events, which will be valid for four years following their Olympic triumph.

WTT said it is finalising the implementation of this rule in the WTT Handbook, with the first eligible event being the 2025 WTT Champions Incheon.

The WTT Board has approved an additional one million U.S. dollars in prize money - 500,000 allocated to the men's, women's, and mixed doubles events across the WTT Series, and 500,000 added to the WTT Finals, bringing the total prize pool of the season-ending event to 1.3 million. Moreover, the prize share for singles champions will rise to 15% of the total event purse.

As for the competition format, the WTT Board is also exploring the incorporation of more best-of-seven matches into the event format to enhance the competition experience.

WTT said by increasing the number of best-of-seven matches, it aims to deliver high-intensity battles from start to finish, provide players with greater playing opportunities at events, and enhance storytelling and audience engagement.

Following the withdrawal of China's Olympic champions Ma Long, Chen Meng, and Fan Zhendong from world rankings at the end of 2024, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) set up a dedicated task force to gather feedback from players and review existing regulations.

The task force has gathered feedback from all key stakeholders in the table tennis community over several weeks, including holding a dedicated meeting with the Chinese team and the Chinese Table Tennis Association. A dedicated Players' Forum was also held during the WTT Singapore Smash.

"Players are at the heart of everything we do, and we are committed to listening to their feedback. I am delighted to see World Table Tennis implementing these positive changes, demonstrating our collective ability to address concerns genuinely, collaboratively, and swiftly," said ITTF president Petra Sorling.

Liu Guoliang, WTT Chair of the Board, said the feedback from players and stakeholders "has been invaluable, reaffirming our commitment to continuously evolving the WTT Series."

"These changes reflect our dedication to making table tennis more exciting, rewarding, and player-focused," he said.

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