Olympia 2008 – Interview J.M Saive: “ We should not be treated like that”

In Beijing, andro Star Jean-Michel Saive could play the Olympic Games for his 6th time. But the Belgian is in conflict with the International Table-Tennis Federation (ITTF) because they refused his permission for a direct qualification.

Jean-Mi, first of all congratulations for your performance at the Europe Top12.
Thank you.

Now you will climb up even higher in the World Ranking, but that seems to be a bit too late...Is it true that you plan to go with the ITTF to the international sport tribunal CAS to raise your claim for a Olympic start?
The ITTF have answered the Belgian Association that they are prepared to go in front of CAS. But they also set conditions.

What kind of conditions?
It is better, if I wait a bit more, before I tell you more details. I want to be as diplomatic as possible and I don’t want to add fuel to the fire.

After Jörgen Persson and you have been equal on points and at the same position in the World Ranking for a long time, they gave the 20th Start permission for a direct Olympia qualification to him and explained that you have to play the European Olympic qualification tournament. Is there any obvious reason?
They just told me that this is the ranking and from now on they also count the points behind the comma. Basically I think that is fine, but not, when the decision has been made after. On the 9th of December the ITTF has declared that we have to play a decision-match. At that time the ITTF knew already that Jörgen and me would be equal on points in the January ranking. Otherwise there would have been no need to decide for a decision-match. But suddenly they changed their plan and they counted the points behind the comma.

Now Jörgen Persson is in front of you with 0,25 points?
In one of the January rankings he has 0,25 points more than me.

In one of the rankings?

Yes, three different world rankings have been published in January: one is from the 3rd, one from the 4th and another one from the 5th of January.

How is this possible?
The ITTF have to give this answer, not me. Fact is: in the ranking of the 3rd we are equal on points. On the 4th of January a world ranking was published for a few hours, where Jörgen had suddenly a whole point more than me! And finally on the 5th of January a version with points behind the comma where shown. Furthermore, all reports about our equality of points, which were written, disappeared from the homepage of the ITTF.

This sounds unbelievable.
I have the printings, also the ones of the world rankings. I can prove this beyond doubt. I can just say: It is very sad what happened. Jörgen and me have given a lot to the table tennis sport. We should not be treated like that.

Did he give a statement regarding this?
Jörgen still says, I should also be qualified. I am number 20, like him.

In future, it is planned, in case of equal points, that the last ranking counts when one of the players is better than the other one.
Yes and the interesting point is: André Damman, chairman of the ITTF ranking Committee has assured that in case of doubt, it would be possible to take the last ranking, but not to the points behind the comma.

Did he really say this?
Yes, I have a written statement from him. And the last ranking, where Jörgen and me were not equal of points, were the ranking of November. In this one, I was in front. I was totally sure, that I would be definitely qualified, otherwise I would have played the last ProTour tournament of the year in Finland.

What does Damman say now?
He says that it is unbelievable what the ITTF do with the computer. They deliver me all arguments for protest. And there is something else, what is strange.

What is it?
In the new world ranking from February, Jörgen lost 1,5 points, but he neither played in December, nor in January.

Probably he lost these points because he had to defend them from last year.
No, he also has no results from last year. The difference is inexplicable. By all means, I don’t understand it. 1,5 points is not much, but if Jörgen wouldn’t have had them in January, I would have been in front of him. It is really a sad story: The ITTF established a rule, then they changed it and after all they did not follow this rule.

Why not?
The rule says: the Olympia direct qualification will be made with the first ranking of the year 2008. The first ranking was published on the 3rd of January and here were no comma behind the figure. At this time Jörgen and me were equal on points.

What will future bring?
I don’t know. Now it is the turn of ITTF. I don’t want to bring trouble, I just want to be treated by respect. My life will not be strongly changed, if I have only played just 5 times at the Olympic Games instead of 6 times. But, of course, I am still hoping for a fair solution.

Not only we from andro, for sure all your fans around the world wish you all the best for a happy end in this matter and cross fingers for you.
Thank you very much.