Chinese table tennis champion stripped of US$45,000 prize after 'shameful' celebration
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 28 October, 2014, 1:19pm
UPDATED : Tuesday, 28 October, 2014, 6:53pm
James Griffiths [email protected]
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A Chinese world and Olympic table tennis champion may face further action after being stripped of US$45,000 in prize money for damaging advertising hoardings during overenthusiastic victory celebrations at a tournament in Germany.
Reigning men’s singles world and Olympic champion Zhang Jike kicked an advertising hoarding next to the court, breaking it, after beating fellow Chinese player Ma Long in the Liebherr Men’s World Cup final in Dusseldorf on Sunday.
He than ran to the opposite side of the arena and shattered a second advertising board with a flying kick, before stripping off his shirt and throwing it into the crowd.
Zhang fought back from three games down to overcome Olympic teammate Ma in a seven-game match, handing Ma his first defeat this year.
China's Zhang Jike during the Table tennis world cup final match against Ma Long at the ISS Dome in Duesseldorf. Photo: EPA
While the International Table Tennis Federation described the match as being “of the highest quality,” it was less impressed by Zhang’s celebration, deciding to withhold his US$45,000 prize money as punishment for the display.
“I am very sorry for what I did,” Zhang said following the ITTF’s decision. “It was not acceptable behaviour and I am sorry.”
Liu Guoliang, head coach of the Chinese men’s table tennis team, said he was shocked and shamed by Zhang’s actions.
“No matter what his reason was, it was the wrong thing to do,” Liu told Chinese media. “As head coach, I apologise on behalf of the association to all spectators, sponsors and fans.”
A spokesman for the Chinese Table Tennis Association on Tuesday told the South China Morning Post that it will decide if further punishment is necessary after the national team returns from Germany later this week.
China's Zhang Jike celebrates winning during the Table tennis world cup final match against Ma Long at the ISS Dome in Duesseldorf. Photo: EPA
Chinese table tennis fans were less judgmental. In a poll on Sina Sports, 30 per cent of more than 12,000 respondents said Zhang’s behaviour was the result of passion and there was nothing wrong with it. Another 30 per cent said they felt his actions were wrong, but understandable, while 38 per cent felt kicking the hoardings was completely wrong.
More than 64 per cent of respondents said the ITTF’s decision to withhold the prize money was acceptable, however.
Zhang, 26, is the reigning world and Olympic champion, and the only man in history to achieve a career grand slam simultaneously, winning the World Table Tennis Championship, World Cup and Olympic titles in the 2011-2012 season.
Additional reporting by Chris Luo
