Relive the vibes of Diversity and Inclusion: World Table Tennis Day 2024 Leipzig event after-movie released!

Exactly 3 months ago, on 23 April, World Table Tennis Day (WTTD) 2024 concluded with a new record of over 800 registered events across 121 countries, territories, and Member Associations celebrating altogether worldwide. Today, just 3 days ahead of the first-ever gender-balanced Olympic Games, Paris 2024, we are delighted to unveil the after-movie of the WTTD 2024 Leipzig event. Alongside the Olympic values, let's cheer for the spirit of diversity and inclusivity in sport! We warmly invite everyone to spread the joyous message of playing, showing camaraderie, and championing equality through our beloved sport.

Walking down memory lane of this first WTTD event hosted by the ITTF Foundation at its headquarters city, Leipzig, let’s take a look back at the highlights and relive all that happened on the day through this after-movie:

The first-ever WTTD event held by the Foundation in Leipzig

Embracing the theme of Diversity and Inclusion and coinciding with the 5th anniversary of the Foundation, the Leipzig event was a vibrant display of openness and belongingness. It featured key activities including an inclusive TTBelongsToYou Teams Tournament, a legendary mixed doubles showcase match, and a pioneering round table discussion focusing on the future of promoting Diversity and Inclusion through table tennis.

The TTBelongsToYou Teams Tournament stood out, promoting participation from people with disabilities, refugees, and individuals from various backgrounds, gender identities, and ages. A mixed doubles showcase match further emphasised the event's inclusive spirit, with an impressive lineup that included Egyptian Paralympic legend Ibrahim Hamadtou, 7-time Croatian Olympian Zoran Primorac, German youth champion Mia Griesel, and Ukrainian refugee players Mariia Vassikieva and Tetiana Bairak from the deaf-mute national team.

In addition to the various activities at the Leipzig central train station, the round table discussion brought together stakeholders and decision-makers from global, continental, national, and municipal levels within the table tennis and broader sports community, fostering important conversations about the role of sports in promoting social cohesion. Esteemed attendees included Petra Sörling, President of ITTF and ITTF Foundation; Pedro Moura, President of the European Table Tennis Union; Andreas Hain, President of the German Table Tennis Federation; Game Mothibi, Senior Manager at TAFISA; Jens Elsner, Head of Programme (Sport for Development) at GIZ; Manuela Andrich, Head of Department and Commissioner for Migration and Integration in Leipzig; and Zoran Primorac, a distinguished table tennis legend and President of the Croatian Table Tennis Association.

A call to embrace Diversity and Inclusion in everyday life

As we rewind the memories and cheerful atmosphere of the Leipzig event and celebrate the approach of the socially and environmentally sustainable Olympic Games in Paris, we are reminded of the power of sport to unite people across different backgrounds. The Leipzig event after-movie is not just a recollection of the past, but an invitation for everyone to embrace the principles of Diversity and Inclusion in their daily lives. Let's continue to build a world where everyone feels valued and included, both on and off the table tennis court!

Click here to watch the after-movie of the WTTD 2024 Leipzig event