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Historic year for female Olympic leaders sees table tennis president face election challenge

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  Published in Sports and Competition on Monday, August 25th 2025 at 19:45 GMT by Associated Press
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Table Tennis Board Re‑elected, Olympic Spot Allocation Finalised Ahead of Paris 2024

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The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) announced the outcomes of its 2024 Board election and confirmed the qualification framework for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on Thursday. The vote, held during the ITTF Congress in Abu Dhabi, UAE, was closely watched by national federations, athletes, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as it determines not only who will steer the sport in the next Olympic cycle but also how 104 players – 52 men and 52 women – will earn the right to compete in Paris.

Board Election and Leadership Changes

In a 9‑to‑7 vote, the ITTF Board elected new members from all five continental confederations, with the exception of Asia which retained two of its incumbents. Thomas Sorling, a long‑time board member from Europe and a former world‑champion, was elected as the new Vice‑President of the ITTF, a role he will hold until the next congress in 2028. The election saw the arrival of two newcomers: Dr. Amina Khatib of Africa and Chen‑Wei Lee of Asia‑Oceania. Both are veterans of national‑level competition and will bring fresh perspectives to the board’s focus on development programmes and anti‑doping measures.

The newly reconstituted Board will work with the ITTF’s Executive Committee to oversee the sport’s governance and to align the Olympic qualification schedule with the IOC’s “Olympic Agenda 2020+5” guidelines. “Our mandate is to safeguard the integrity of the sport while making Olympic participation more transparent and merit‑based,” said Sorling in a statement released after the vote.

Olympic Qualification System Unveiled

The ITTF’s key announcement was the finalised qualification system for Paris. The governing body will award a total of 104 spots—52 per gender—through a blend of continental championships, world rankings and a final Olympic qualification tournament (OQT).

The qualification framework is as follows:

• World Ranking (2023‑2024) – 24 men’s and 24 women’s spots each will be allocated based on the ITTF world rankings as of the 15‑June 2024 cut‑off. The top‑ranked players who have not yet qualified through other channels will secure a berth.

• Continental Championships – 12 spots per gender will be awarded to the winners of each of the five continental championships (Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania and the Americas). Each champion’s national Olympic committee will receive the berth.

• Final Olympic Qualification Tournament – 8 spots per gender will be contested in a single‑day event scheduled for 17‑November 2024 in Berlin, Germany. The tournament will feature 16 athletes per gender, selected through a ranking pool that includes all players who have yet to qualify through the aforementioned pathways.

• Host Nation Allocation – France will receive a guaranteed berth for a male and a female athlete, subject to them meeting the minimum performance standards set by the ITTF.

• Tripartite Commission Invitations – Two additional spots per gender may be allocated by the IOC Tripartite Commission to ensure universal representation, but only if the athletes meet the ITTF’s minimum qualification standard.

The new qualification system is designed to create a more level playing field and to reduce the over‑representation of traditionally dominant nations. It also introduces a “balanced” approach, with a mix of ranking‑based and tournament‑based selection, thereby rewarding both consistent performance and the ability to perform under pressure.

Impact on National Federations

For many national federations, the new system signals a shift in strategy. The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) stated that it would now focus on preparing athletes for the November OQT, which it considers the most decisive stage of the qualification path. The Asian Table Tennis Union (ATTU) emphasised the importance of the 2023 Asian Games as a gateway for many athletes to secure a ranking‑based berth.

“We’ve always been proud of our athletes’ resilience,” said ETTU President Jürgen Schaefer. “This new system demands that we invest in peak‑performance camps and ensure that our players can handle the pressure of a one‑day qualification event.”

Looking Ahead

With the Board election and the qualification system in place, the ITTF’s next steps will involve disseminating detailed rules, conducting training workshops for national Olympic committees and athletes, and ensuring compliance with the IOC’s Anti‑Doping Code. The federation will also work with the Paris 2024 Organising Committee to coordinate logistics, venue preparations and athlete accreditation.

The Paris Games will take place from 26 July to 11 August 2024, with table tennis scheduled to occupy the historic Olympia Stadium in Paris. The sport’s inclusion in the Games remains a core pillar of the Olympic programme, and the ITTF’s recent decisions are seen as a step toward increasing global participation and maintaining the sport’s integrity.

The full qualification system documents are available on the ITTF website, and further details can be found in the IOC’s Olympic Qualification System for Table Tennis PDF. As the Olympic calendar approaches, athletes and federations worldwide will be watching closely to ensure they align their training and competition schedules with the new timeline.