Petra Sörling who is nominated by the Swedish Table Tennis as a candidate for the ITTF Presidency has been elected to serve on the Swedish Olympic Committee (Swedish NOC) executive board.
Her candidature received overwhelming support (full support 42/42) from the other Olympic sports and it is the first time ever for Table Tennis to be represented at the board level of an often winter sport dominated NOC.
Petra Sörling will bring extensive experience from the international world of sports to the Swedish NOC and there is no doubt that the many years serving as the Vice President of finance for the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) made a difference in the election. Playing an active role on the lobbying team to bring the Winter Olympics to Sweden back in 2019 also helped the cause as did attending the Olympic Academy educational programme at Olympia Greece back in 2002.
“All in all it was a fantastic experience to touch the grounds the very birthplace of the Olympic movement. I wish that all people involved in sports could get such an educational opportunity. I often think back to those sessions with a great deal of joy ” said Petra Sörling.
Petra Sörling was first elected on the Swedish Table Tennis executive committee in 2003 and took over as the STTA President in 2013. Time is now to come closer to the Olympic Movement for Sörling who is looking forward to serving her term for the Swedish NOC.
“I am very honored and especially happy that our sport – table tennis can play an active part in strengthening the Olympic Values here in Sweden. We both kind of got a vote of confidence my sport and myself ” Petra said and added “I really like how the Olympic Movement values centers around the respect for each individual and the friendship within that so efficiently has the ability to cross borders and touch all nationalities.”
The appointment of Petra to the Swedish NOC is of course applauded by the whole Table Tennis community in Sweden and by the STTA:
“It is important for Swedish table tennis to be an active player on the scene where decisions are being made both from a national as well as international perspective. As Petra Sörling now enters the Swedish NOC executive board it clearly shows that table tennis is a major player in Swedish sports. At the same time it also shows that her competence built from a variety of positions from both the business and sports side is sought after. Her long and vast experience and sound values makes her a perfect match for the Swedish NOC executive board and she will be most valuable asset in the future work ” said Thomas Buza Secretary General Swedish Table Tennis Association.
