'Is the table tennis table a podium?' Romanian women's Tak Gu (CEO) team sparks 'unbelievable' ceremony controversy → Fans worldwide 'furious'

*This content was translated by AI.

The scene of the 2026 London World Table Tennis Championships has been heated not by the joy of victory, but by a 'bad manners' controversy. The Romanian women's Tak Gu (CEO) team, which won a medal for the first time in 26 years since the 2000 tournament in Malaysia, found itself at the center of international criticism after performing a ceremony in which they climbed onto the competition table.

On the 9th (Korea time), Romania was defeated 0-3 by China in the women's team semi-finals of the '2026 International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Championships' held at the OVO Arena Wembley in London, England, and was eliminated from the finals. However, the issue did not concern the match result but arose immediately after their victory over France in the quarter-finals on the 8th.

At that time, under tournament rules that eliminated a bronze medal match for a 3-1 comeback victory, the Romanian players secured the bronze medal as soon as they reached the semi-finals. As soon as the victory was confirmed, they poured out from the bench. The problem came next. All five members of the team, including ace Bernadette Szocs (31), climbed onto the competition table with their shoes on and waved to the spectators.

When the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) posted the photo on its official SNS, fans around the world could not contain their shock. The act of trampling the table, a symbol of table tennis and a sensitive piece of equipment, was criticized as directly violating sportsmanship. This is also because it is virtually unheard of for a table tennis player to climb onto the table.

Voices of criticism are rising on online communities and SNS. According to Japan's Nikkan Sports, fans said, "There is not a shred of respect for the table tennis table," "The height of rudeness, showing no consideration whatsoever for the players who will use that table next," and "An immoral act that would be unimaginable in Asian countries like Japan or Korea," raising concerns about the Romanian team's conduct.

Some netizens expressed reactions such as, "I understand the joy of victory, but it was a dangerous move that could have damaged the equipment," and "I was on edge, worried the table might collapse."

Romania secured a bronze medal for the first time in 26 years at this tournament, restoring the pride of European table tennis, but it ended up with the disgrace of losing completely in 'manners' rather than skill due to one excessive ceremony.

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*This content was translated by AI.