China wants service rules simplified in table tennis

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, March 02, 2004

China wants service rules simplified in table tennis

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China is pushing for simple service rules during the world team table tennis championships as they fear the complicated service rules might be used as an excuse to hinder China's gold quest in major events.

China proposed an easy-to-judge above-the-head serving to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). The proposal, once passed, will require the players to toss the ball above the head while serving.

ITTF President Adham Sharara said earlier that the ITTF Executive Committee is prepared to back this proposal together with China, Germany and the Rules Committee.

The current rules have caused much trouble to both players and umpires because of its complexity. According to the rules, service shall start with the ball resting freely on the open palm of the server's free hand and the server shall then toss the ball near vertically upwards, without adding spin, so that it rises at least16 centimeters after leaving the palm of the free hand.

The rules also mandate that from the start of service, the ball shall be above the level of the playing surface and behind the server's end line, and it shall not be hidden from the receiver by any part of the body or clothing of the server.

The current rules stirred up controversy on the opening day of the world championships on Monday as world top-ranked Ma Lin's service was twice ruled illegal in his game against Frenchman Damien Eloi during China's 3-0 victory over France.

"The rules are too complicated for umpires to implement and they need to be simplified," said China's head coach Cai Zhenhua, who is deputy chief of the Chinese delegation vowing to defending men's and women's crowns here.

Cai said the umpire decided a few of Ma's serves were not vertical enough and he complained that in terms of the verticality, Eloi's serves were more problematic.

"One or two points deducted won't affect China's play against an aging team like France," said Cai. "What I worry most is that in the clutch moments of a final, a wrong ruling by an umpire might be deadly."

Cai ordered Chinese players to prepare a least two sets of service during the Chinese teams' secluded training last months. "If one set is ruled illegal, you can always use the other set," Cai explained to reporters on Monday.

Chinese coach Liu Guoliang advised Ma Lin to use high-toss serves to avoid controversy after the serving incidents happened on Monday.

ITTF chief admits there are problems with the correct implementation of the current service rules.

"Logically the problem could be solved by better training the umpires. But we have over 4,000 umpires all over the world and that takes a long time. So, our preference is that while training and educating umpires, we also must make their task easier, hence, the modifications proposed (above-the-head serving)," Sharara said on the ITTF website.

Cai Zhenhua stands with Sharara on the simplification of the service rules, but that's their only common ground.

As a vocal critic of ITTF decisions, Cai has been blasting at the world table tennis body for "intentionally chipping at China's dominance in the sport by changing the rules."

"ITTF doesn't want to see an all-mighty Chinese team and so they keep changing rules to stop China," Cai told the Xiamen Evening News last month. "Chinese are resourceful and adaptable. We have got used to large balls, 11-point scoring and all-to-see serves. ITTF is bent to stop China but we are not afraid and we are always the winners."

China's opening victories at Ping Pong Worlds

Defending champions China has scored opening victories at the World Table Tennis Team Championships, which kicked off in Doha, the capital of Qatar on Monday.

The Chinese women's team made short work of their German counterparts and came away with a 3-0 victory.

Featuring world No. 1 Zhang Yi'ning and Olympic champion Wang Nan, the star studded Chinese team is considered the tournament's favorite.

Also on the opening day, the Chinese men's team claimed their first victory over the French team 3 nil.

On Tuesday, the Chinese women's team will play Russia and Chinese Taipei, while the men's team will be up against Japan.

The week-long team tournament provides a timely warm-up for this summer's Athens Olympics.

Source: Xinhua/CRI

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