Table Tennis will be played on the greatest stage once more at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is proud to announce. Confirmation has arrived from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) which included Table Tennis among the 22 sports to feature between 28 August and 8 September 2024 in the French capital.
Table Tennis is one of the founder Paralympic Games disciplines having been included among eight sports at the first ever event held in Rome in 1960.
“The ITTF is delighted to enjoy a close relationship with the IPC having included Table Tennis in its Paralympic sport programme since 1960. Nowadays there is strong competition among the different sports to be part of the programme but Para Table Tennis remains a key focus area of the ITTF. We are determined to cooperate ever more closely with the IPC on the integration of Para athletes into the global sports arena as one of the first international federations to tackle this subject and prioritize the opportunities provided to its Para athletes ” said Raul Calin ITTF Secretary General.
The ITTF Para Table Tennis programme is constantly on the rise with currently 1 260 active players worldwide representing 91 national associations. The professionalisation and presentation of all Para Table Tennis events are also witnessing a sharp upturn with approximately 20 top-level events in store for 2019. Moreover the growth of Para Table Tennis is clearly demonstrated by the fact that it boasts the third-highest number of athletes (280) competing at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games with only athletics and swimming attracting more participants.
Next year’s Paralympic Games will also see Para Table Tennis gain two more medal events in the Women’s Team and Men’s Team events.
“I would like to send my warmest congratulations to the 22 sports that will form part of a mouth-watering Paris 2024 Paralympic Games sport programme. I think the final programme is extremely attractive and exciting. It features 22 Para sports that have strong global appeal support gender balance and offer athletes with a wide range of impairments – including those with high support needs – opportunities to compete on the biggest stage of all in the French capital ” said Andrew Parsons IPC President.
The process to decide the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games sport programme had started with applications in November 2017.
Now Para Table Tennis athletes can look forward to competing on the biggest stage in Paris between 28 August and 8 September 2024. Before that of course the sport will be featuring at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games between 25 August and 6 September of next year.
