The English Table Tennis Association (ETTA) were last week forced to reshuffle their team after two of its top players, Liam Pitchford and Paul Drinkhall, had to pull out due to clash with ties for their respective German clubs.

There is now growing backing for the event, which was first held in Singapore in 1971, to be rescheduled in the future so it avoids events like the World Championships, which are due to begin in Paris on May 13, just three days after the Commonwealth event finishes.

Other top players who have pulled out include Singapore's Gao Ning, who has won the singles tournament twice.

Just 14 countries have entered this year's event, compared to 33 who competed at the Commonwealth Games in the Indian capital three years ago.

"I feel people get confused between Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Championships," said Jens Lang, Australia's German-born coach.

"This is a good tournament but it needs to be promoted better.

"Especially, it needs to be marketed better in Asia where the game is hugely popular.

"The timing too should be changed to the second half of the year when there aren't many club competitions."

Dhanraj Choudhary, secretary general at the Table Tennis Federation of India, claimed that the cost of sending a team to the Commonealth Championships was a major factor in why so few countries had entered.

"Some countries can't afford to go to two international events scheduled in the same month," he said.

"As far as the timing goes, our suggestion to the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) will be to host Commonwealth Championships in the same year when individual World Championships are organised.

"This will take load off the players as they won't have to play in the team championship."

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April 2013: England question need for Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships as Pitchford and Drinkhall withdraw