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SINGAPORE: China’s national table tennis team has decided to disband all its athletes’ official fan clubs on social media to curb toxic fandom, spotlighting an issue that has reared its head not just in sports, but entertainment as well.
The Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA) and the country’s national team “unanimously decided” on the move, citing how such “fan circles” have negatively affected the sport, local news site China Sport Daily reported on Saturday (Jan 25).
According to the association, fans have “torn each other apart”, provoking fights and confrontation, engaging in insults and slander, as well as spreading rumours and attacks.
Such aggressive behaviour has “seriously deviated from the original intention of sports and caused a bad social impact”, CTTA said.
“The internet is not a lawless place,” the association further remarked. “We must respect (the) coaches, athletes and referees. We should not do whatever we want under the guise of ‘support’ and ‘love’.”
The statement by CTTA did not single out specific cases. However, it comes after several Chinese paddlers complained about over-zealous fans and also follows several high-profile incidents during the Paris Olympics last year.
Chinese table tennis star Wang Chuqin was surrounded by fans at Beijing Capital Airport on Dec 28, local news outlet China Daily reported on Jan 15. Cameras were thrust in his face and the situation left him visibly frustrated, according to the report.
His compatriot and fellow star paddler Fan Zhendong posted a video on microblogging site Weibo on Dec 15, showing throngs of supporters surrounding an elevator as they attempt to take photos and videos of him.
“Thank you all for your support, but there are better ways and occasions to show it. Stay true to your path and respect others' boundaries. I earnestly ask for fans' understanding and respect,” Fan wrote.
The 28-year-old previously told state broadcaster CCTV he has been “harmed by fan culture”, which also undermined the national team’s solidarity, the state-run Global Times reported in August last year.
Another notable incident of misbehaving fans happened when world No 1 Sun Yingsha lost to her Chinese compatriot Chen Meng at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Throughout the game, there were audible cheers for Sun and boos directed at Chen whenever she scored, according to a broadcast of the event.
Sun later appealed to fans to “view the win or loss rationally” in an interview.
"It's not just about complimenting me, my coach, my friends, my teammates, and even my family members when I win, like everything is good. But when I lose, I too hope they can show more concern and tolerance and be more rational about it. I think it's better," she added.
In its Saturday statement, CTTA noted that some table tennis fan clubs have already proactively disbanded, “saying no to the chaos of ‘fan circles’ with a clear attitude and taking effective measures to resist abnormal ‘fan culture’”.
Similar actions have already been taken in other sports.
In August last year, China’s swimming champion Pan Zhanle disbanded his only official fan group on Weibo, winning him praise from many Chinese netizens.
Chinese tennis champion Zheng Qinwen later did the same in November, having previously mentioned that it would be “nice to return to a normal person’s life”.
Chinese sports authorities are also keeping tabs on the matter.
The General Administration of Sport of China held a special meeting on Jan 14, focused on addressing the disruptive behaviour associated with fandom culture, according to local news reports.
Emphasising the urgency of tackling the issue, the agency’s chief Gao Zhidan outlined the need for stronger management, public awareness campaigns, and enhanced risk prevention strategies to protect athletes' rights and ensure the continued healthy development of Chinese sports, according to China Daily.
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