The Chinese duo have both enjoyed a superb year which has seen them earn singles and team Olympic gold medals atRio 2016, as well as the Team World Championship title.

Both players have also earned two International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Tour Super Series titles over the course of the season.

Ma is one of four contenders for the male honour with his compatriot Fan Zhendong also among the nominees.

Fan was part of China’s Team World Championship success, while he also secured the World Cup title and two World Tour Super Series wins.

Olympic singles bronze medallist Jun Mizutani boasts three Super Series wins in 2016, which aided his nomination for the honour, as well as his key role in guiding Japan to a Rio 2016 team silver medal.

Nigeria’s Quadri Aruna is also in contention after becoming the highest ranked African player ever by rising to 25th in the world rankings, as well as having becoming the continent’s first Olympic singles quarter-finalist.

Ding will have to contend with competition from Japan’s Miu Hirano and Mima Ito for the women’s award, as well as North Korea’s Kim Song-I.

Hirano secured the nomination after winning the 2016 Women’s World Cup, as well as earning victory at the World Tour Polish Open.

Her compatriot Ito made history at Rio 2016 when she became the youngest ever Olympic table tennis medallist, having been part of the Japanese team which earned team bronze.

She had also been part of their team which had earned World Championship silver earlier in the year.

Olympic singles bronze medallist Kim completes the nominees having contributed to her country’s Team World Championship bronze, with the North Korean having also won her home World Tour event, the Pyongyang Open.

The nominees for both awards were decided by the ITTF Athletes' Commission, with the winners set to be crowned at the 2016 ITTF Star Awards in Doha on December 8.

The Sheraton Hotel will host the fourth edition of the Awards, celebrating the best of the sport in 2016.

Fans are able to vote for their star player of the year at ITTFStarAwards.com, with voting due to end on November 13.

The votes will then be combined with a judging outcome, which will consist of a panel of the players’ peer and the media.

Five rallies have also been nominated for the Star Point of the Year award, while the contenders for further honours will be announced in the coming weeks as the event draws closer.