World Championships | 1 Jun 2017

IOC President Thomas BACH visited LEBHERR 2017 World Championships

Just a day after Tomas WEIKERT become elected ITTF President, he and the DTTB highest officials led by President Michael GEIGER, as a members of the Organising Committee, welcomed IOC President Thomas BACH at the venue of the LIEBHERR 2017 World Championships. Before BACH took the tour around the venue and watched some matches, IOC President made a stop and talked with JHA Kanak of USA and Romania’s Bernadette SZOCS. All three of them joined by Tomas WEIKERT played a doubles TTX match.

 

Journalist also had an opportunity to talk with both Presidents. Main topic was the introducing the Mixed Doubles Event at the Olympic Games.

 

“I just enjoyed the mixed doubles game, few minutes ago. Personally I think that mixed events can give the great contribution to the development of the sport, particularly the women sport. However, with the program for Tokyo you have to wait eight more days. Then the IOC Executive Board will have the meeting and come out with the decision,” said BACH.

 

Asked for the comment of the fact that ITTF become no. one International federation with 226 members, BACH said:

 

“It is very impressive figure, but most important thing is that we see that most of them are very active. They do not exist only on paper; they are working on organising the competitions and developing the sport. ITTF is very active and doing a lot to develop the sport for the children and even if you can see the elder people like me,” joked BACH.

 

Asked about future actions of ITTF, regarding Olympics, President WEIKERT said: “Our next step is to make a chance to have the fifth event at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020. Mister BACH told us that we are already very strong. The data from Rio works in our favor, speaking about social media and TV. He said in Tokyo we would be even stronger. We hope we will have Mixed doubles in Japan.”