In the 2023 World Table Tennis Professional League (WTT) Nagoya Women's Finals, an incident of Chen Xingtong, the main player of national table tennis, looking at his mobile phone, caused an uproar. In the women's singles semifinals, in the fierce duel between Chen Xingtong and Wang Yidi, she looked at her mobile phone for a few seconds during the pause of the match, which not only made her lose to her opponent, but also pushed her to the hot search list after the match. We will take an in-depth look at this mistake and how it could have affected the outcome of the match.
In the semifinals on the 17th, Chen Xingtong and Wang Yidi competed for a place in the finals. Although Chen Xingtong fell behind 1-3 in the first four games, he led 5-4 in the fifth game, and the game went into a timeout. Since this was a game of the same association, no coach was sent off the field, and Chen Xingtong and Wang Yidi made adjustments on the field. However, Chen Xingtong lost her mind for a moment and looked at her mobile phone for a few seconds, which eventually led to her losing to Wang Yidi with a big score of 1-4.
According to the WTT World Table Tennis Federation 2024 manual, athletes are not allowed to use devices such as mobile phones to transmit data before or during the competition, and violators will face fines and other penalties. However, some professionals pointed out that the 2023 version of the manual does not mention relevant penalties, and during the pandemic, some international sports organizations allowed athletes to use mobile phones to communicate with off-field coaches. This may explain Chen's behavior.
Professional analysts believe that Chen Xingtong's look at his mobile phone may be an unintentional move, and the relevant regulations during the epidemic may have caused some Xi between athletes and off-site coaches. Although the referee has the right to show a yellow card and a penalty of one point in the most serious cases, the incident may have been more of an unconscious mistake. However, this mistake had a substantial impact on the outcome of Chen Xingtong's match, and it also cost her a lot.
In the face of the fermentation of the incident, Chen Xingtong issued an explanation statement on December 19, saying that it was a temporary negligence to look at his mobile phone during the game, and he had explained to the national table tennis and promised to pay more attention to these details in the future. "We'll see you next time," she said in a statement, expressing her anticipation for future competitions.
Overall, Chen's mistake left a regrettable mark on this match, but her positive response and commitment also left a glimmer of hope for future matches. This incident also triggered an in-depth reflection on the rules and regulations of the competition, which made us pay more attention to the focus and discipline of athletes on the field.