On August 19, the Oriental Sports Daily published an article titled “We’ve Suffered From Fan Culture For Too Long,” written by Zhu Runyu. The article claims that after being plagued by fan culture for a long time, the Chinese Table Tennis Association has spoken out against it. Signs point to the fact that fan culture, which is currently causing negative impacts, will no longer be a matter of just verbal reprimands if it crosses the line and violates the law. It is very likely that those involved will be convicted and sentenced.
The author writes that fan culture, as a product of the entertainment industry, is simply a term for fan groups. Compared to the entertainment industry, which “holds” these fan groups, the core of the sports world lies not in entertainment but in the understanding of a specific sport, and even the understanding of sportsmanship as a whole. Sports fans can become fans of a sport because of an athlete, and vice versa.
In the author’s opinion, China’s strongest sport, table tennis, has been hit hardest by the impact of fan culture. Because of the absolute dominance of Chinese athletes in this sport, those with fan culture mindsets believe they can act as they please in the table tennis circle, just like they would when arguing with fans of opposing groups in the entertainment industry, and even get away with it.
Therefore, the table tennis association’s statement, along with previous cases where individuals were convicted, serves as a warning. The essence of sports is not about inciting conflict between different fan groups. The Olympic motto of “faster, higher, stronger – together” is not born out of thin air. This is why some athletes disbanded their so-called fan groups after the Olympics. After all, these fans can be a source of motivation for athletes, but they can also become a burden one day.
It is naturally a good thing for sports to gain popularity and reach a wider audience. However, how to manage this popularity needs to be considered. “We’ve suffered from fan culture for too long,” is the best answer the sports world can give to fan culture.
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