[vc_row type=”in_container” full_screen_row_position=”middle” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″ shape_divider_position=”bottom”][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” width=”1/1″ tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_column_text]Table-tennis needs a professional or semi-professional league in the US as all the sports that are big sports have this. If table-tennis can get on TV, then it would be much easier to get sponsors and there would be more money in the sport.
The US and Rwanda are the only two countries in the world with no government support for sports. The US Olympic Committee will only give money if the athlete or sport can win a medal for the US and even if the sport is a medal contender, not much is given. The USOC just mainly pays for training expenses. The money has to come from televised events like is the case for the big sports like basketball, baseball, and football. Right now, there is only 1 professional player in the US, 2016 Olympian Kanak Jha, and he is living full-time in Sweden. All serious table-tennis playing kids have to make a decision to continue table-tennis or focus on their education when they are in their later years in high school or in college. Since there is no money in the sport and no professional leagues, all kids quit or slow down table-tennis and focus on their career. In Europe or Asia, it’s the opposite. Players slow down on school when they get to high school, don’t go to college, and start their professional table-tennis careers.
I ran 3 seasons of a league 10 years back featuring all the top players in Northern California including all local Olympians and Olympic hopefuls. Players who played included Khoa Nguyen (2000 and 2004 Olympian), Michael Hyatt (1992 and 1996 Olympian), Ariel Hsing (2012 Olympian), Lily Zhang (2012 and 2016 Olympian and 2014 Youth Olympic Bronze Medalist), Barney Reed (1 match from being 2012 Olympian), Jackie Lee (1 match from being 2008 Olympian), myself (1 match from being 2000 Olympian), and many other local top players. I raised around $22,000 total with over half coming from the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) who was the title sponsor of the league. I had exchanged many emails with the Comcast Sports Net Bay Area programming director and she was willing to put the league as a weekly show for an entire year at a prime time slot such as 6 PM or 7 PM on weekday evenings if I produced the piece and it met broadcast quality. She was also willing to sign a long-term contract. This would have been a perfect opportunity to have more money in the sport as if sponsors see the sport televised, many more would jump on board and sponsors would give much more money. This could have led to a professional league. The ITTF was initially interested in helping with the production costs but then stopped responding. It’s possible they didn’t have the budget but I suspect the ITTF suddenly stopped responding because one guy created such a big stink that I earned $2,000/season from the league even though I did all the work for the league and I paid all the players. Now this same person is happily doing work for a guy who I heard with his brother-in-law’s company has kept $80 million to himself. Now the CSN Bay Area programming director has changed and I’m not sure if they would or I would have interest in being involved anymore. Instead of a pro league, now all the players are quitting when they reach college.
All-Star Game Highlights
