A New Generation of Change is Born! Six New Projects supported for the Dream Building Fund Generation 2026!
After a comprehensive review of all 85 submitted applications in 4 languages, across 52 different countries and territories, with our expert jury members, the ITTF Foundation is excited to announce the final 6 recipient projects for the Dream Building Fund (DBF) Generation 2026!
This edition of the DBF Open Call received 85 applications in 4 languages, across 52 different countries and territories. After hosting a Q&A session with 13 shortlisted candidates, our panel of experts have selected 6 projects as the most qualified based on assessment criteria related to the context of the project, quality of project design, implementation proposal, impact, dissemination, and sustainability of the project. Additionally, each project was chosen based on their commitment to using table tennis activities as an entry point to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), as well as alignment with our biennial theme of “Health & Well-Being" for the years 2026 and 2027.
We express our deepest thank you to our jury panel below, whose contribution and extensive experience and input to this selection process have deeply helped us identify the most promising projects that will embark on the journey of using table tennis as a tool for transformative and meaningful change:
- Petra Sörling (President of ITTF and ITTF Foundation, and IOC Member)
- Leandro Olvech (Director, ITTF Foundation)
- Karine Teow (Head of Sustainability, ITTF Group)
- Sharath Kamal Achanta (ITTF Foundation Ambassador and 5-Time Olympian in Table Tennis)
- Marisa Schlenker (Senior Programme Manager, Adidas Foundation)
- Dr. Ben Farai Sanders (Executive Director, International Platform on Sport and Development)
Let's have a look and meet the following six projects as recipients of the Dream Building Fund Generation 2026 below:
Project: Mesas de Sueños: De los Andes al Mundo
Organisation: Club Deportivo Team Talentus SACS (Peru)
Duration: 2 Years
Children and adolescents in the Andean provinces of Tarma, Junín, and Concepción face significant social and educational challenges due to limited access to organised sports and cultural opportunities. As a result of insufficient resources and spaces for extracurricular activities – especially those beyond football – there is the threat of increased school dropouts, a rise in alcohol consumption among youth populations, and a disparity in equitable opportunities for girls.
Through already established relationships with local schools, municipalities, and the Peruvian Table Tennis Federation, Club Deportivo Team Talentus SACS aims to use its community position to continue ongoing programmes and conduct new comprehensive and inclusive sports training and talent development programmes as entry points for education and youth development.
Project: Table Tennis Leadership Program
Organisation: Sportathon Foundation (India)
Duration: 2 Years
The Table Tennis Leadership Program, designed by Sportathon Foundation, is a 2-year initiative that uses table tennis as an avenue for leadership and inclusivity training to assist in reimagining local cultural norms and overcoming embedded systemic challenges related to gender inequality in Gondia, Maharashtra. Through safe and inclusive spaces, girls and boys will develop leadership skills to become role models in their communities and take agency over their own lives.
Project: Better Aging With Table Tennis: Enhancing Mind, Memory, and Mental Well-being
Organisation: The Table Tennis Association of Thailand (Thailand)
Duration: 2 Years
As Thailand approaches the status of a “Super-Aged Society”, where over 20% of the population will be aged 60 and above, this creates significant strain on families, communities and healthcare systems. Families are now forced to adapt to the associated challenges related to this demographic shift, including depression, memory decline, and social isolation among older adults.
Better Aging with Table Tennis is a novel, evidence-based approach to promote autonomy and social engagement for older generations. Through structured table tennis programming, the Table Tennis Association of Thailand seeks to enhance mental, cognitive and social well-being of older adults, while collecting actionable data to inform policy recommendations and ultimately scale table tennis activities beyond the current scope.
Project: Ping! For Health
Organisation: Table Tennis England (England)
Duration: 3 years
80% of disabled people aspire to lead more active lives in England and Wales. However, a lack of access to inclusive recreational spaces, self-doubt and overall support have created barriers for participation. As a result, the more than 10 million people living with a disability in these regions are twice as likely to be inactive as non-disabled people, not only impacting individual well-being, but costing society an estimated £11 billion each year in lost social value.
The Ping! for Health project is tackling this challenge head-on with an inclusive and broad design aligned with UN SDG 3 and UN SDG 10. With adaptable equipment, inclusive training, and robust evaluation, the programme aims to boost mental and physical well-being, while strengthening community bonds through social interactions. Through partnerships with Parkinsons UK and Activity Alliance, local health partners and communities, Table Tennis England is integrating fun and engaging table tennis sessions in a variety of safe spaces, from care homes and stroke groups to community centres, enabling healthier and more prosperous communities across the country.
Project: Shaping an inclusive future through Table Tennis
Organisation: Special Olympics Chile (Chile)
Duration: 2 Years
Table tennis is a low-impact, accessible and engaging activity to promote healthy aging, especially for adults living with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). Special Olympics Chile is a champion of inclusive sports programming, and through partnerships with the National Table Tennis Federation in Chile, the local government of Melipilla community and the Local Sports Association of Table Tennis Clubs in Melipilla, this project aims to expand its reach to other at-risk demographics, including younger and older adults.
The Shaping an inclusive future through Table Tennis project will connect students with and without IDD and athletes with and without IDD, to compete at the community level. The introduction of table tennis and social sports experiences works to improve overall mental and physical well-being of participants, as well as opportunities to form new friendships and increase community collaboration, while even opening pathways to compete at national and international levels.
Project: Serve, Learn, Lead: Empowering Mukuru Youth through Table Tennis and Education
Organisation: AmericaShare (Kenya)
Duration: 3 Years
Serve, Learn, Lead: Empowering Mukuru Youth through Table Tennis and Education is a 3-year initiative dedicated to using table tennis as a tool for creating safe and inclusive environments in Nairobi’s Mukuru settlement in Kenya. As the nonprofit arm of Micato Safaris, AmericaShare is committed to ending cycles of poverty, specifically by removing barriers to learning and assisting girls in their pursuit of education. In partnership with Huru International, AmericaShare’s sister organisation, this project will deliver more than 5,000 table tennis play sessions and annual community events to enable community cohesion, gender inclusivity and overall youth development over the next three years.
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The varied and unique elements of the selected 6 projects demonstrate the power of table tennis as a cross-border tool for change and how intentional table tennis programming can be adapted and localised to address specific community objectives. We look forward to working with these organisations in upcoming capacity building and programme design workshops to ensure the effective implementation and evaluation of their projects.
The ITTF Foundation would like to once again thank all applicants for taking the time to participate in the call for Dream Building Fund Generation 2026. Stay tuned for upcoming news and developments regarding how you can help us continue to create meaningful global change through table tennis!