There aren’t too many sports where it’s ok to destroy advertising while celebrating your victory, and apparently table tennis is isn’t one of them. China’s Zhang Jike beat top seed Ma Long and proceeded to go to town on the advertising hoardings. Needless to say, Jike’s celebration didn’t go over too well with the powers that be, so he was subsequently stripped of the $45K prize money he had just won.
“I am very sorry for what I did,” Zhang was quoted afterwards on the International Table Tennis Federation website. “It was not acceptable behaviour and I am sorry.
“This was a perfect victory, I have been under a great deal of pressure, with people questioning my form.”
I think Jike might’ve learned his lesson.
[h/t Bleacher Report]