This Monday, the first meeting of the UTTP Committee was held, the United Table Table Tennis Players Association. An association created on April 22 in order to “promote the interests” of table tennis players.
Six players from the international circuit make up the UTTP Committee, the United Table Table Tennis Players Association. Until then, all the names had not been entirely communicated. What had, we are told, pushed the WTT to criticize this “lack of transparency”. But now, after a first meeting, the members were revealed.
They are Hugo Calderano (Brazilian, 3rd in the world), Jonathan Groth (Danish, 19th in the world), Dimitrij Ovtcharov (German, 23rd in the world), Alberto Mino (Equatorian, 93rd in the world), Manika Batra (Indian, 30th world) and Bruna Takahashi (Brazilian, 16th world). All work in connection with Georg Silberschmidt, current tournament organizer in Europe and which is part of the UTTP committee but which also takes on the role of secretary general of the association.
Lebruns are members
Added to these players of the committee, a set of members who decided to join the UTTP. According to our information, six of the ten best players in the world ranking are there, notably Félix and Alexis Lebrun. The latter, contacted, wanted to confirm their presence as members.
“It is an independent association, founded by players around the world. There is no political goal. The aim of the association is only to help improve the future of long -term table tennis and defend our interests. We are very happy to contribute to what players from around the world can come together for a common goal. We hope that many new players will be able to join this association so that we can exchange all to advance the table tennis.”
Jules Rolland, 98th in the world, has also decided to join the UTTP. “It had been a while now that there were several players of players who complained about the circuit. There was not really a unique voice to represent all the players. I think it was important that we meet and that we are all together.”
-The UTTP is still small Today, but it hopes to grow quickly. Today, it has 33 members in its ranks. “Reaching 200 members by this summer,” is the goal, we were told. The idea being to be able to have a weight in the face of the current instances. But for that, it would also be necessary to count in its ranks players of the Asian continent whose voice carries. We only know that a Japanese player whose rankings we do not know is also a member but does not want his name to be revealed. “It is sure that they are a super important voice, if they do not get involved in all that, it may not move much,” worries Jules Rolland.
“A leader of the UTTP reassured me, he told me that they were in talks with different Asian players. But it is true that they have a really different culture, they complain much less than us, that is what is positive too. But hey, if we want to advance certain things, I think that sometimes you have to fight. The best Asians, they paid everything by their federation. I have no doubt about it, I think everyone is aware that there are problems and that it is necessary to move forward, “explains Rolland.
Prize money, calendar, the first things to review
During this first meeting, many points were on the agenda. In particular, bringing in one voice for an increase in the prize money on competitions and access to housing on the sites. With the WTT, the organization is special. A player must, almost each time, take the accommodation offer offered by the WTT, in hotels, often, high standings and at high prices.
“Sometimes we have the impression of not really being respected. I am thinking in particular when we are from the 80th place in the global classification, it is very complicated. The prize money are not high, but that at the limit, I want to say that it is normal, it is the economy of ping. But on the other hand that it is us who finance the system by paying hotel nights which are extremely expensive and above all that we have no choice, So it is we who pay and that is not normal, “protests Jules Rolland.
On his social networks, he complained about it. He paid the price again last week during the story of Tunis. “There was a hotel that was a good hotel but nothing more. They billed $ 210 per person at night in a double room so doing $ 420 for a night. It’s huge. While I go to a reservation site, for the same hotel it’s 100 euros per night, something like that. So the difference it is huge and it is not normal that they are as much margin on the back of the players,” said Jules.
Problems that a large part of the players on the circuit denounce. In addition to that, the UTTP would like to review the calendar which is today too busy. Some players find themselves going back and forth between Europe and Asia, which is not necessarily good for the organization. “We should take an example from tennis,” we are told. That is to say, concentrate tournaments on a continent for several weeks in order to avoid the accumulation of travel.
