And That's a Wrap... World Table Tennis Day 2023

Every year the World Table Tennis Day 2023 celebrates the joy of playing table tennis for fun, bringing people together, focusing less on competition and more on participation and enjoyment.

For the first time World Table Tennis Day was celebrated on 23 April, a new legacy that the International Table Tennis Federation will continue. By honouring Ivor Montagu, organiser of the first World Table Tennis Championships in 1926 and the founder and first president of the ITTF, WTTD will be celebrated annually on this new date. This year’s them was , sustainability, putting it at the heart of the occasion for people, planet, and prosperity.

Celebrating the 9th edition of the World Table Tennis Day with our promoters, worldwide organisers and five continental federations to put together a total of 436 physical events in 109 countries across five continents. Being present in more than 100 countries and territories is one of the biggest achievements of the World Table Tennis Day Celebrations which makes it truly global and inclusive.

Said Petra Sörling, ITTF President, "We are thrilled to see so many people and organisations around the world pledge their support for World Table Tennis Day and planning celebrations on 23 April. It is a day that captures the joy of playing table tennis for fun, bringing people together, focusing less on competition and more on participation and enjoyment while showing how table tennis is a force for good in the world. This is a testament to the power of our sport’s ability to unite people and promote positive change. This year's theme for World Table Tennis Day will build on the ITTF's ongoing efforts to further commit to making sustainability a key part of all aspects of the sport, encouraging table tennis players and fans around the world to adopt sustainable practices both on and off the table."

 

24-hour online stream

More than 40 participants from all over the world joined our WTTD 2023 24-hour online livestream celebration. Interactive live events including workouts, Meet & Greet sessions featuring the Assar brothers, table tennis players, World Table Tennis Day promoters and IOC Young Leaders, as well as Panel Discussions with sports experts focusing on gender equality, sustainability leadership, sustainable transformation through sports and sustainability and food waste in sports events. At the end, Saurabh Mishra (Programmes Manager – ITTF Foundation) and Karine Teow (Head of sustainability – ITTF Group) conducted a chat to discuss the future of sustainability at the ITTF Group.

 

Continental Federation Celebrations

To maximise the sustainable positive impact of table tennis on society, and to respect and represent the beautiful diversity of the ITTF’s membership in the celebration of the World Table Tennis Day 2023, the ITTF Foundation supported 5 continental federations to organize a highlight event focusing on sustainability for people, planet, and prosperity through the sport.

  • African Table Tennis Federation – Table Tennis for All event, in Egypt  
  • Asian Table Tennis Union – Event on Social Integration and Energy Conservation, in Qatar  
  • European Table Tennis Union – “Spin Towards Sustainability” at the U-21 European Championships, in Bosnia
  • ITTF-Oceania – “Smash Down Barriers” to reduce social inequality, in Tonga.
  • ITTF-Americas – Table Tennis for Sustainable Health and Environment, in Argentina.

 

ITTF Group Macao Celebration

The ITTF Group and the Sports Bureau of Macao organised a WWTD 2023 celebration at the iconic Ruins of St Paul’s in Macao. The event featured Macao’s youth team, Para Table Tennis players, and Special Olympics players highlighting inclusivity is a key aspect of sustainability as it ensures all people, regardless of their backgrounds, have equal access to opportunities. ITTF President Petra Sörling, ITTF Deputy President Liu Guoliang, ITTF Group CEO Steve Dainton as well as star table tennis players attended the event.

 

"Through the far-reaching power of table tennis globally, we can promote and contribute to important social causes. This year's focus on sustainability also reminds us that we all have a role to play, in terms of environmental factors, and also in ensuring the legacy of the sport and harnessing the power of our people to create a healthy, equitable, and prosperous society." Leandro Olvech, ITTF Foundation Director

 

World Table Tennis Day Promoters help bring #sustainability on the table.

Thirty-Five promoters from four continents joined the ITTF Foundation to celebrate and promote World Table Tennis Day 2023 all around the world.

It was amazing to see people from different countries and cultures celebrating our beloved sport and promoting #sustainability in clubs, communities and organisations. Thanks to the support of our dedicated promoters, organisers, all 436 events aimed to demonstrate that table tennis is For All. For a Better Life.

 

Upload your photos and videos to show the worldwide table tennis community how your event helped bring #sustainability

 

Looking forward to seeing you next year on April 23rd, 2024!

 

CONTACT US!
For any comments, questions, advice, or feedback, please contact the World Table Tennis Day Team: mbsaibes@foundation.ittf.com

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