It was an epic game. Chinese Ping-Pong player Zhang Jike beat his compatriot Ma Long and won the 2014 Liebherr Men's World Cup final on October 26 in Germany. For table tennis fans who follow Zhang's career, it was a return-of-the-king victory. Unfortunately, Zhang couldn't benefit from the prize money after his erratic and exuberant celebrations after winning the final point. He kicked an advertising board and sent pieces of debris into the air, and repeated the same trick on another board at the other end of the court and then took off his shirt in celebration. He had the $45,000 prize revoked by the International Table Tennis Federation.

I am not sure whether the Federation has specific rules about how to punish Ping-Pong players if they vandalize facilities at the arena, but withholding the entire prize money is not an appropriate punitive measure.

It seems that the Federation has confused a fine with a prize. The $45,000 should have been awarded to Zhang for his excellent performance at the game, and the authorities could then have written out a ticket to Zhang for his vandalism.

It appears to be an impulsive decision to strip Zhang of the prize money. The Federation must realize that impartiality is important not only during the game but after the game.

Unlike football or basketball, which requires heavy physical engagement, there is little violence on the table tennis court. It is really unnecessary to give excessive punishments to someone as a warning to others. Besides, Zhang did not have a record of any violations like this before, and he soon gave a sincere apology, saying that his behavior was "not acceptable," and he was very sorry for what he did.

Thus, it is a questionable penalty. The Federation has failed to show transparency and convince the majority of viewers and table tennis players that the decision was fair.

It is also fair to say that we cannot judge a person by his occasional behavior under some intense circumstances. As Zhang said, he has felt a great deal of pressure over recent years with people questioning his form. This outburst, with no real threat posed and nobody getting hurt, is not enough to prove that he "tainted China's reputation," "shamed his country," and "cannot be forgiven," as some Chinese media stated in excessive and judgmental language.

Zhang should be punished for what he did, but the punishment must be given based on the severity of his violations. There is no reason to defend him or defame him without sorting out the facts first.

Liu Daming, a freelancer writer based in Shandong