"One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter," said Yasser Arafat in a 1974 speech to the UN. The former Chairman of the Palestine Liberation Organization was seen as both, depending on one's political affiliation. This underscores the very human tendency to view freedom and oppression in terms of their relation to one's own interests. For example, the world of table tennis is currently either undergoing the greatest quantum leap in the annals of athleticism or suffering the most insidious coup attempt in the history of skullduggery, depending on whom you ask. The issue at hand is the debut of World Table Tennis (WTT), the new commercial vehicle of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). Last week in Macao, China, WTT hosted its inaugural tournament, a splashy, big-money affair with an emphasis on style. In addition to the redesigned tables and playing courts, the five-day contest featured enough rule changes for a separate article. The intended effect of these innovations is to maximize the commercial appeal of table tennis in order to sell TV rights and expand into untapped markets around the world. For WTT Director and ITTF CEO Steve Dainton (pictured, right), the driving force behind the rebranding of the sport, WTT Macao represented the culmination of years of planning. "We are looking forward to entertaining our millions of fans around the world, who have heard so much about WTT," said Dainton. Dainton's right hand man, WTT Council Chair Liu Guoliang (pictured, left), shares his enthusiasm. "We are elevating table tennis into one of the greatest sporting properties on the planet," says Liu, winner of every major title in the sport. "This has always been my dream, ever since my playing days, and now is our chance to start making this dream a reality." While such encomium is to be expected from the suits behind the corporate venture, the perspective of players is perhaps slightly more telling. According to China's Ma Long, the winner of the inaugural WTT men's singles title, the changes are welcome. "WTT Macao put players at center stage," said Ma, who won $72,500 USD. "It drew audiences’ attention onto the match and players themselves, which is important for a brand-new competition." In the interest of full disclosure, it is worth noting that Liu Guoliang was Ma Long's coach for many years, and Liu remains his boss in his capacity as President of the Chinese Table Tennis Association. Others outside of the Chinese sphere of influence might see things differently. For instance, the German Table Tennis Federation (DTTB) has issued an open letter warning of a "takeover" of table tennis. The DTTB alleges that WTT now exerts "full control" over international competitions, operating without the "essential principles of good governance and transparency." The letter further asserts that national members have been kept in the dark about the "degree of influence and power and freedom of decision transferred to WTT... WTT, led by salaried ITTF staff, in turn refuses to disclose the details of its agreements with marketing companies, consultants and licensees. "This concentration of power by a small group of salaried ITTF staff, located in Singapore instead of Lausanne where ITTF has its legal and historical basis, should be thoroughly investigated by independent economic and legal experts that could check the transparency, legality and legitimacy of the ongoing processes," the letter concludes. This fall, the DTTB lost its privilege of hosting the ITTF Men's World Cup in Düsseldorf when the prestigious tournament was moved to China as part of the ITTF's #RESTART series. They then lost the bid to host the 2023 Championships. While the DTTB might be accused of making accusations out of resentment, they are not the only national governing bodies voicing their concerns about WTT. French Table Tennis Federation President Christian Palierne has also gone on record in support of the DTTB's accusations and recommendations. In the eyes of the German and French national governing bodies of table tennis, the rise of WTT represents less of an opportunity for our sport, and more of a threat described long ago: "One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; One makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship," wrote George Orwell. Like most matters, whether Steve Dainton and Liu Guoliang are revolutionary freedom fighters or dictatorial terrorists hinges principally on how you make out in the deal.

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