Paris Olympics Table Tennis - The Underdog Qualifications

Most of the attention at the Olympics will be focused on the athletes and teams with high medal hopes. For many of the athletes competing in Paris though, just qualifying for the games may be a highlight of their sporting career. Qualifying may also be a major achievement for their nation.

[@vinhziger6968]

I hope you get more followers soon

[@TableTennisOpinionswithAsh]

Thanks! That means a lot. I'm happy that anyone watches my videos and enjoys them

[@pansarbobo7477]

It's good for the player himself/herself but I wonder if it is actually good for the sport in general. Many dream of going to Olympics but only a few make it in the end. For example, Patrick Franziska who is playing superb recently but didn't get to go. Or Liang Jingkun and Lin Gaoyuan who are also not bad but doesn't get to go.

[@TableTennisOpinionswithAsh]

Yeah, it certainly isn't fair and does reduce the overall quality of the overall competition. Got to feel for players like Franziska. But it may help encourage the sport in new parts of the world. I imagine the profile of table tennis in Madagascar has been increased.

[@starking1187]

Looking on the "bright side", Olympics bring "inclusivity". A lot of the players mentioned in this video is would probably not even clear the qualifying rounds of a feeder event and yet they are at the Olympics. Your Olympic fate heavily depends on where you are on the globe. If you reside in a region where the level of table tennis is very low, you get to go to the Olympics even if you're not really that good. But if you reside in the Asian region or Europe, you'll probably still won't make it even though you are a world champion. I wonder how many good players in the world who did not get the Olympic slot and would probably not get the slot in their entire career is able to beat these players who get to go. No wonder people compare the Olympics with Feeder events.

[@TableTennisOpinionswithAsh]

Only just over half the top 10 world ranked players will be playing in the singles in Paris, so the overall quality is definitely lower than a world championship. With this said, the Olympics really is, as you say, inclusive. And I do love this. The Olympics is more like a festival. There's no other event quite like it!