Plans to 'sex up' table tennis rebuffed

A table tennis official's bid to "sex up" the sport to attract more spectators has angered some fans.

The vice president of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), Claude Bergeret, wants ping pong's women to polish their appearance and wear more flattering clothes at competitions.

"We are trying to push the players to use skirts and also nicer shirts — not the shirts that are made for men, but ones with more curves," she said.

Ms Bergeret referred to an expression used in France which translates to "You don't want to be dressed like a sack of potatoes."

"It's just a question of being well-dressed," she was quoted as saying in The International Herald Tribune.

China’s table tennis legend Zhang Yi Ning, who has put herself in front of the lens for glamorous photo shoots, backed Bergeret but hoped the revamp would also "maximise speed and spinning the ball".

"I'd love to see tighter and shorter sleeves," she said.

The contrast in competition attire was seen at the Games last week when America’s Gao Jun sported a pair of baggy shorts while her opponent, Eva Odorova of Slovakia, played in a mini-skirt.

There have been previous attempts to combat the event’s lack of television coverage — including speeding up the scoring system and using bigger balls — and not everyone agrees adding sex appeal is best for the game.

"The only reason the ITTF wants to sex it up is to try to get the attention of ignorant and arrogant Americans who insist on believing it's just a basement game for kids and drunks," one wrote on USA Today’s 'Game On' blog.

Others branded the idea "degrading".

"I would agree on giving them shirts made for women ... but 'sexier' ping pong?

"Personally, I get terribly annoyed at the skimpy bikini bottoms the women wear for beach volleyball … it seems to be more about the teeny tiny outfits than the sport, " another reader said.