Editing Table tennis (section)

== Naturalized players in international competition ==
{{see also|List of naturalised Olympic table tennis players from China}}
[[File:Li Jiao Li Jie NK Tafeltennis 2014 2.jpeg|thumb|right|upright=0.9|[[Li Jiao (table tennis)|Li Jiao]] and [[Li Jie (table tennis)|Li Jie]], representing the Netherlands, [[Table tennis at the 2015 European Games – Women's singles|finished in the top 2 at the 2015 European Games]]. To date, all six women's singles medalists in the history of the [[European Games]] have been Chinese-born.]]
According to the ''[[New York Times]]'', 31% of the table tennis players at the [[2016 Summer Olympics]] were [[Naturalization|naturalized]]. The rate was twice as high as the next sport, [[basketball]], which featured 15% of naturalized players.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/18/sports/olympics/at-least-44-table-tennis-players-in-rio-are-chinese-born-six-play-for-china.html|title=At Least 44 Table Tennis Players in Rio Are Chinese-Born. Six Play for China|last1=Keh|first1=Andrew|last2=Quealy|first2=Kevin|date=18 August 2016|access-date=17 February 2020|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

[[Feng Tianwei]], a Chinese-born player representing Singapore, has medaled in three Olympic table tennis events, more medals than native Singaporeans have won in all other sports combined (two). These successes have been somewhat controversial in Singapore.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aseantoday.com/2016/11/whats-next-for-singapore-on-the-international-table-tennis-sports-scene/|title= What's next for Singapore on the international table tennis sports scene? |date=8 November 2016|access-date=17 February 2020|website=ASEAN Today}}</ref> In 2014, Singapore Table Tennis Association's president [[Lee Bee Wah]] quit over this issue;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theindependent.sg/lee-bee-wah-quits-because-of-foreign-talent-issues/|title=Lee Bee Wah quits because of foreign talent issues|date=17 August 2014|access-date=17 February 2020|newspaper=The Independent}}</ref> her successor, [[Ellen Lee]], later favored the application for citizenship of [[Zeng Jian]], a China-born paddler.<ref name=passport>{{cite web|url=https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/stta-seeks-spore-passport-for-zeng|title=Table tennis: STTA seeks Singapore passport for Zeng|newspaper=[[The Straits Times]]|date=7 March 2017|access-date=17 February 2020|last=Chen|first=May}}</ref>

The rate of naturalization accelerated after the [[International Table Tennis Federation|ITTF]]'s 2009 decision (one year after China [[Table tennis at the 2008 Summer Olympics|won every possible Olympic medal in the sport]]) to reduce the number of entries per association in both the Olympics and the [[World Table Tennis Championships]].{{citation needed|date=October 2020}}

In 2019, the ITTF adopted new regulations which state that players who acquired a new nationality may not represent their new association before:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019_rc_0057_ALL.pdf|title=Eligibility regulations in place effective from 3rdMay 2018–practical implementation|date=1 April 2019|website=[[International Table Tennis Federation|ITTF]]|access-date=17 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200218065755/https://www.ittf.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019_rc_0057_ALL.pdf|archive-date=18 February 2020|url-status=live}}</ref>

*1 year after the date of registration, if the player is under the age of 15 when registered and has never represented another association
*3 years after the date of registration, if the player is under the age of 15 when registered and has already represented another association
*5 years after the date of registration, if the player is under the age of 18 but at least 15 years of age when registered
*7 years after the date of registration, if the player is under the age of 21 but at least 18 years of age when registered
*9 years after the date of registration, if the player is at least 21 years old when registered