Table tennis could have a bigger ball

Delegates arriving for the World Championships were greeted with a report prepared for the executive committee by the ITTF8217;s education and research department in Ottawa.

The author of the report, Mikael Andersson, who has undertaken comparative studies between the two balls, is a firm advocate of change.

Andersson concludes: 8220;A new 40mm ball will mean a lot of positive changes for our sport. The 40mm ball is slower, generates less spin and is more visible for players, spectators and media.8221;

Citing research done in Beijing, Andersson claims the new ball is 4 per cent slower than the38mm equivalent, while similar research in Ottawa claims an 8 per cent difference.

While Andersson8217;s report is in theory supposed to be an impartial presentation of scientific facts it is presented in a brochure which leaves executive committee members little doubt how to vote on the matter.Slogans like 8220;bigger is better8221;, 8220;positive change8221;, 8220;change is good8221;, 8220;new millennium8221; and 8220;take the lead8221; should get the message across.And if any dyed-in-the-wool opponents of change remain unconvinced there remains one even more persuasive slogan 8220;more TV coverage8221;.

Seven major TV networks, canvassed on their opinion, have all come down firmly on the side of the new all-singing, all-dancing larger ball.Meanwhile, the Eindhoven World Championships have already proved revolutionary in that it is the first time the individual and team Championships will be played at separate venues.

The team championship will be held at the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. In fact Eindhoven is only staging theindividual event at very short notice.Originally Belgrade was the venue for this year8217;s tournament but the onset of the Kosovo conflict forced a switch by the ITTF.