by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
One million Sina Weibo followers raises the International Table Tennis Federation’s global social media following to 1.77 million; the third highest of any Olympic International Federation. It is a fact that underlines the global popularity of table tennis.
“Over the past three years, we have invested a lot into our Chinese social media promotion. Table tennis is the national sport in China with a huge fan base, it was important for the ITTF to maximize and service these fans to further develop and promote our products within China. We are satisfied to reach this important milestone, but we are determined to keep aggressively building our social media presence in China and the rest of the world”, Matt Pound, ITTF Promotion and Media Manager
In addition to the one million followers on Sina Weibo, the world’s best table tennis players also have a phenomenal following on the Chinese platform.
Currently, a combined 27 million follow our table tennis stars, with twice world champion and London 2012 Olympic Games gold medallist, Zhang Jike, topping the charts. He commands a staggering eight million followers alone.
Notably, the 28 year old’s popularity has transcended table tennis, the superstar now appears on covers of fashion magazines. Recently he received the Sina Weibo most popular personality award for the whole of China, not just in sport!
The International Table Tennis Federation will continue its social media promotion both inside and outside China to increase numbers to new heights.