Liu Guoliang Photo: Xinhua

 
Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA) Secretary-General He Xiao has dismissed online rumors about former CTTA chief Liu Guoliang, Table Tennis World magazine reported on Wednesday night.

"We have noticed the public opinion caused by the backflow of this false information," He was quoted as saying by the magazine, which is operated by the General Administration of Sport, China's top sport authority.

Rumors have swirled since Wednesday morning that Liu had been detained, triggering extensive debate on social media about the fate of the 49-year-old.

Liu, who remains a deputy president with the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), the sport's world governing body, stepped down in April as the president of the CTTA.

"On the eve of the world championships and the ITTF presidential election, we will fully isolate the impact of such malicious rumors that smear the image of Chinese table tennis," He was quoted as saying. 

Currently, the Chinese national table tennis team is having a training session in Doha, Qatar in preparation for the world championships. 

He also called for the fans not to believe or spread rumors but focus on the performance of the Chinese national table tennis team.

The report said Liu will travel to Doha to attend the ITTF meeting on May 21.