China’s top table tennis players Ma Long, Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin failed to turn up for their round against their Japanese counterparts at the ongoing 2017 World Tour China Open in the city of Chengdu in southwest China’s Sichuan Province Friday night.

Another two coaches also forfeited without permission.

Screenshot from ITTF website

The move came just a few days after Liu Guoliang was removed as the head coach of the national table tennis team, a post he has held since 2013. 

It is seen as a protest of the removal. The players posted identical messages on Weibo, China's answer to Twitter, which said "we have no desire to fight… all because we miss you, Liu Guoliang." 

Screenshot from Xinhua.net

The posts have been deleted as of Saturday morning. 

International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) President Thomas Weikert said “The ITTF is very disappointed that the three best players in the world have forfeited their matches at such a big event…”

Screenshot from the website of the State General Administration of Sport of China 

At the same time, the State General Administration of Sport of China said pulling out without authorization "is wrong and we are strongly against it," adding that it would seriously investigate and deal with the incident.

According to reports, Liu Guoliang is among the more than a dozen vice presidents of the Chinese Table Tennis Association. 

Liu Guoliang (3rd R) with the men's team. /CFP Photo

Liu coached the national team for about 14 years, helping bring home 27 gold medals for men, and 10 titles for women. 

Liu Guoliang (L) and Kong Linghui as coaches of the national team. /CFP Photo

This is the second reshuffle in the national table tennis team within a month. In late May, another world champion Kong Linghui was suspended from his position as head coach of the women’s team after he was sued by a Singaporean casino for gambling debt. Kong is now under investigation.

Table tennis is regarded as the national sport in China.