On Tuesday 23 June 2020 also marking Olympic Day the ITTF Executive Committee met to discuss the latest situation for international table tennis amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Upon receiving a comprehensive update report from the COVID-19 Task Force which was set up to monitor the global situation closely and after deliberations with key stakeholders here are the key outcomes reached during the meeting:
• The Executive Committee agreed with the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of Busan that the Hana Bank 2020 World Team Table Tennis Championships will be postponed to the early months of 2021 due to the fact it would be unlikely that the majority of teams would be able to travel to Korea Republic for the previously agreed provisional dates in September 2020. The exact date of the Championships will be decided at the next Executive Committee meeting on 10 July 2020.
• In terms of the 2020 calendar the ITTF is exploring the possibility of staging alternative events which could be implemented for the remainder of 2020 in case the COVID-19 pandemic does not allow the staging of full open international events as originally planned. Given the ongoing development of the virus the Executive Committee will wait for the situation to improve further before final decisions are made.
• The ITTF is monitoring the situation closely with regard to staging this year’s Men’s and Women’s World Cups.
• The ITTF is looking into the possible options for staging the 2021 World Singles Table Tennis Championships in USA but it will not be possible to host the Championships on their original dates (17-26 June 2021) pending the final dates of the Busan event.
All events held will follow a strict COVID-19 protocol which prioritises the health and safety of all participants.
GENERAL UPDATES
• The ITTF will go ahead with holding its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 28 September 2020 but in an online format.
• The Executive Committee received the 2019 Audited Financial Statements and agreed for them to be submitted to the Member Associations and for approval at the AGM.
• The Executive Committee recommended Mr Khalil Al-Mohannadi to be on the World Table Tennis (WTT) Board.
• The Executive Committee were informed that the Selection Panel for the Home of Table Tennis project will meet in the coming weeks to determine a revised timeframe for the tender process.
The ITTF Executive Committee will meet again on 10 July 2020 and will continue to provide further updates on all upcoming decisions in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
