Member Associations | 4 Dec 2022

ITTF Summit Starts New Era for Federation

For the first time in two years the international table tennis community has gathered in Amman, Jordan ready to tackle big questions facing the sport over the next half century. The first-ever ITTF Summit starts tonight in Amman, a gathering of as many stakeholders as possible to make up for time lost from not being able to meet in person due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

"I could not be more thankful for our Jordanian hosts stepping up and ensuring such a wonderful first-ever ITTF Summit is happening," Petra SORLING, ITTF President, said. "When I was elected to my position, I envisioned events like this bringing together such a wide variety of stakeholders to challenge each other and think through new solutions to grow the sport we love. Seeing you all for the first time in two years will be a pleasure, and not something I take likely as your President."

ITTF leadership will also speak at the welcome session kicking off their goals for the Summit and the full schedule. Immediately following the welcome session will be a panel discussion entitled "Growing the Table Tennis Industry." Special attention will be paid on the growth of World Table Tennis as the commercial arm of the ITTF Group, and how the sport has innovated the way it is presented drawing top tier athletes to a professional circuit.

The panel will also look at the rise of how athletes have marketed themselves and how their journeys fit into this industry growth, with Sharath Kamal ASHANTA, Chair of the ITTF Athletes' Commission, Claudia HERWEG, President of German Table Tennis Association, HE Xiao, Deputy Secretary General of the Chinese Table Tennis Association.

This morning, just before the Summit opens, the ITTF Board of Directors met to make some key decisions about the hosts for future events. The board awarded Nova Gorica, Slovenia and Helsingborg, Sweden hosting rights for the World Youth Championships in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Both events will carry the championships' vibrant history as the ultimate platform for up-and-coming players from all over the world to compete and show their skills.

Slovenia will provide a strong foundation for next year's championships, having been actively involved in the development of elite youth table tennis, hosting several key events in the WTT Youth Series. As 2024 host, Helsingborg will provide a fitting location for the stars of tomorrow in a country with a rich tradition of table tennis legends. The board also selected Roma, Italy as the host for the ITTF 2024 World Veteran Championships.

The ITTF Summit will concludes on 6 December with the Annual General Meeting.