Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha are two of the biggest names in table tennis, national idols in China. But being a superstar has its drawbacks. Both have now asked fans not to celebrate their birthdays. Wang made his appeal last May. Sun followed suit in recent days, bringing fresh attention to a phenomenon that has spread from China’s entertainment industry into elite sport. Known as fanquan, it revolves around organised fan communities whose devotion to their idols can go well beyond the usual expressions of support.
The birthday celebrations can be elaborate affairs. Fans form groups, pool their money and coordinate campaigns around the person they admire. They buy advertising space on giant screens in shopping centres, pay for installations and decorations in public spaces, organise coordinated social media campaigns and, sometimes, put on light shows with drones. The sums involved can be considerable. Fan groups compete to outdo one another, each keen to make a bigger show of its devotion than the next. What began in celebrity culture has spread into sport, bringing athletes into a world of fandom that can be difficult to contain. Wang and Sun have both taken to social media to ask their supporters to stop organising birthday festivities. Wang’s message on Weibo was unequivocal: “I do not support or participate in any form of fan-organised birthday celebration. Paying more attention to the matches is the best way to support me.”
China’s sporting authorities have stepped in, too. Shortly after Wang’s post appeared, the General Administration of Sport of China, the state body overseeing sport in the country, issued a statement explicitly asking fans not to organise birthday celebrations for athletes. There are commercial considerations: images of athletes are often used in fan campaigns without permission. But the concern goes beyond the unauthorised use of their likenesses. China’s leading athletes are regarded as a national asset, and anything that interferes with their training, preparation or concentration is a concern.
Sun made her position even clearer a few days ago. Her 26th birthday falls on 4 November, and the table tennis player wrote: “I will not organise, participate in, authorise or encourage any organised birthday support activities. I urge you not to do so either.” Only a few months have passed since Wang’s comments prompted debate about fan culture in Chinese sport. Sun’s statement suggests the problem has not gone away. Both players have made their position clear: they appreciate the support, but they do not want birthday celebrations organised in their name. They would rather their fans concentrated on the matches.