Browsing: ITTF

December 11, 2025 | Paul Stimpson

The ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026 will be the biggest Worlds ever staged.

Two iconic venues, 128 teams, hundreds of athletes, officials and volunteers – and not forgetting thousands of spectators at every session, creating an incredible atmosphere to inspire the players to produce their best!

A total of 64 menâ€s and 64 womenâ€s teams will compete. They have booked their places via the continental championships or the world rankings.

The menâ€s and womenâ€s tournaments will run alongside each other – hereâ€s our guide to the Championships format.

Every match in the tournament is best of five individual matches (first to three wins). The playing order is:

• Player A vs Player X
• B vs Y
• C vs Z
• A vs Y (if required)
• B vs X (if required)

Each match is best of five games to 11 points.

The tournament begins with groups of 4, played on a round-robin basis (three matches per team).

Stage 1a (OVO Arena Wembley, 2-3 May)

The top seven ranked teams, plus England as hosts, drawn into two groups (Group 1 and Group 2). The purpose of this draw is to determine seedings for the Main Draw – all teams in Stage 1a will progress to the Main Draw.

Stage 1b (Copper Box Arena, 28 April to 1 May)

The remaining 56 teams will be drawn into 14 groups (Groups 3-16).

The teams finishing first in each of the 14 Groups will advance into the Main Draw at OVO Arena Wembley. Six second-placed teams will also qualify directly to the Main Draw, with selection based on the best ratio of wins to losses (first in team matches, then individual matches, then games and points, as far as is necessary to resolve the order).

The remaining eight second-placed teams will play a single Preliminary Round knockout drawn at random, with the four winners progressing to the Main Draw.

In total, 24 teams in each gender will qualify from Stage 1b to the Main Draw.

Stage 2 (OVO Arena Wembley, 4-10 May)

The 24 qualifying teams from Stage 1b will join the seven highest-ranked teams, plus hosts England) in the Main Draw, which begins with the Round of 32 and then progresses in straight knockout format until the Finals on 10 May, when the world champions will be crowned!

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December 9, 2025 | Paul Stimpson

Tickets for the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026 will go on sale from Monday 15 December to Table Tennis England members.

Members will be first in line for the chance to book their seats during a priority window before they go on general sale. They can also take advantage of the 10% earlybird discount.

Tickets will start from £5 for children and £15 for adults, ensuring affordable access for families and fans across the community.  

Table Tennis England CEO Sally Lockyer said: “The ticket on-sale moment is a major milestone on the journey to this landmark centenary World Championships. London 2026 will celebrate 100 years of global table tennis, and we are proud to be bringing the sport home for such a historic edition.  

“Tens of thousands of fans will have the chance to watch the worldâ€s greatest players compete at two iconic London venues, creating an unforgettable atmosphere throughout the Championships.

“We are committed to delivering a world-class event that not only showcases elite sporting drama, but also leaves a meaningful and lasting legacy through our social impact initiatives nationwide.â€â€¯â€¯

How will ticketing work?

Tickets will be released in phases to ensure that supporters from around the world have a clear pathway to secure their seats.

Table Tennis England members will receive priority access to purchase tickets from 10am on Monday 15 December until 11.59pm on Wednesday 17 December.

During this window, members will also be able to take advantage of earlybird pricing, with a xf10% reduction available for a limited time.

Table Tennis England members will receive a link to buy tickets via email shortly before the window opens.There will be separate links for tickets at the Copper Box Arena and OVO Arena Wembley, which are hosting different stages of the competition.

This early access is one of the core benefits of being a member – offering the first opportunity to secure seats for this milestone event.

Ticket sales will open to the wider public at 10am on Thursday 18 December. The earlybird discount period will remain open until 11.59pm on Friday 16 January, 2026.

Full ticketing details, prices, session schedules and venue guidance will be shared shortly.

Supporters can stay updated by checking the Table Tennis England website and following official London 2026 channels.

Become a Member and Secure Early Access

Fans who wish to guarantee early access, earlybird pricing and first choice on seating options can do so by becoming a Table Tennis England member ahead of the priority window.

Those who join before 15 December will automatically receive access to the Members†priority window.

Membership is quick to set up and provides a range of year-round benefits – find out more here.

About London 2026

London 2026 will be the centenary edition of the World Championships – a once-in-a-generation event that brings the worldâ€s best players to the capital to compete to lift the iconic trophies.

With 64 menâ€s and 64 womenâ€s teams in the field, this is set to be the biggest World Championships ever, held over 13 days from 28 April to 10 May 2026.

The Copper Box Arena will host Stage 1B, including teams ranked from nine to 64, from 28 April to 1 May.

OVO Arena Wembley will host Stage 1A – the eight seeded nations, including hosts England, playing for position in the draw – on 2 and 3 May, before Stage 2 begins with the Round of 32 from 4 May.

More information is available at London-2026.com. 

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November 23, 2025

(By Steve Hopkins, photo USATT)

Today was the first day of action at the ITTF World Youth Championships in Cluj Napoca, Romania.  A number of American players are participating in the 16-event Championships. Team events are held first, followed by Singles and Doubles later in the week.

In early action, TeamUSA’s U15 Boys Team defeated Germany 3-1.  USA’s Kyler Chen won the first match over Tien Nghia Phong 3-2.  Kef Noorani then added to the TeamUSA lead with a 3-1 win over Jonas Rinderer.  Germany’s Lukas Wang won the next match 3-0 over Maxim Mouchinski.  Kef Noorani then shut the door with a 3-1 win over Phong.

In the Quarterfinals, TeamUSA’s U15 Boys Team lost to Korea 0-3.  Kef Noorani fell to Lee Seungsoo 3-1, Kyler Chen lost to Ma Yeongmin 3-0, and Jayden Cai lost 3-1 to Kim Jihu.

The TeamUSA U15 Girls also played today.  They won their opening match over host Romania 3-1.  Irene Yeoh started TeamUSA off with a win – 3-0 over Maya Madar.  Romania won the second match when Patricia Stoica defeated Abigail Yu 3-0.  USA’s Satya Aspathi then defeated Kariss Serban 3-1.  And USA’s final point came when Irene Yeoh topped Patricia Stoica 3-0.

The TeamUSA U15 Girls then progressed to play Team China in the Quarterfinals and lost 3-0.  In the opening match, Irene Yeoh came out on fire winning the first two games before falling 3-2 to Liu Ziling.  Satya Aspathi then fell to Zhu Qihui and Tashiya Piyadasa lost to Zhao Wangqi.

Much more action is scheduled over this week, with the Finals for Singles scheduled for next weekend.

Visit ButterflyOnline.com for the latest in table tennis news and results.

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November 12, 2025 | Paul Stimpson

Table Tennis Englandâ€s Ping! For Health project has been selected as one of only six recipients worldwide of one of the ITTF Foundationâ€s Dream Building Fund Generation 2026 projects.

It was chosen by an expert panel, including ITTF President Petra Sorling and ITTF Foundation Director Leandro Olvech, from a total of 85 applications from 52 different countries and territories.

Also selected were projects in Peru, India, Thailand, Chile and Kenya.

Ping! For Health is a three-year project which will help Disabled People lead more active lives by breaking down barriers to inclusion and encouraging participation. It will draw on partnerships including with Parkinsonâ€s UK and the Activity Alliance, as well as local health partners and communities.

Table Tennis England will now work with the ITTF Foundation to confirm the details and funding of the project, and more information will be revealed in the coming weeks. 

In announcing the successful projects, the ITTF Foundation said: “The varied and unique elements of the selected six 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.â€

Jenny Leach, Senior Programmes and Partnerships Manager at Table Tennis England, said: “Table tennis is an incredibly inclusive sport — it can be adapted for all abilities and brings people together in a fun, social, and accessible way.

“We know what a huge impact Ping! For Health will have in helping more Disabled People and people with long term health conditions lead active and connected lives.

“Weâ€re really looking forward to working with our partners and the ITTF Foundation to make this vision a reality.â€

Find out more about each of the projects here.

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October 29, 2025

The Puerto Rico national team had an outstanding performance at the 2025 ITTF Pan-American Championships, held in Rock Hill, South Carolina, reaffirming the growth and strength of our table tennis at the continental level.

Our delegation completed its participation with extraordinary results and multiple medals:

• Gold in women’s singles: Adriana Díaz
• Gold in women’s teams: Adriana Díaz, Brianna Burgos, Alondra Rodríguez, and Fabiola Díaz
• Silver in mixed doubles: Steven Moreno and Brianna Burgos
• Bronze in women’s doubles: Adriana Díaz and Brianna Burgo

Beyond the medals, the most important achievement was Puerto Rico’s qualification for the 2026 World Championships, both in the women’s and men’s categories a reflection of the effort, discipline, and unity of our entire national team.

As a national coach and a coach sponsored by Butterfly America, I am proud to see how the dedication of our athletes, the work of the coaches, and the commitment of the Puerto Rico Table Tennis Federation, under the leadership of its president Iván Santos, continue to elevate Puerto Rico’s reputation on the international stage.

I am deeply grateful to Butterfly America and Butterfly Global for their continued support of our federation, their trust in our development processes, and their commitment to the growth of table tennis throughout the continent. Thanks to this backing, our athletes can compete at the highest level and continue to inspire new generations.

We continue working with passion, purpose, and Puerto Rico pride. The best is yet to come.

 

  Stay “In The Loop†with Butterfly professional table tennis equipment, table tennis news, table tennis technology, tournament results, and We Are Butterfly players, coaches, clubs and more.

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October 24, 2025 | Table Tennis England

International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) President and International Olympic Committee member Petra Sörling is very confident that London will stage the “best-ever†ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals in 2026.

On Wednesday, Sörling, alongside an ITTF delegation including Steve Dainton, ITTF Group CEO, and Bart Vermoesen, ITTF Event Director, visited the capital to see how preparations are progressing with the sport already transforming lives in local communities.

Next yearâ€s tournament, 100 years on since London hosted the first edition, acts as a powerful full-circle moment which celebrates the sportâ€s heritage. Returning to its birthplace makes London 2026 a once-in-a-century celebration of the sportâ€s history, excellence and evolution.

Sörling said: “Iâ€m very confident that London will host the best-ever ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals next year. The city truly understands what it means to host great sporting moments, and the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships will not only celebrate the sport at the highest level but also leave a lasting legacy for its future by inspiring the next generation of players.â€

In the morning, Sörling visited OVO Arena Wembley, the main venue and centre stage for the main draw from 2-10 May, to see the progress already being made as London prepares to welcome table tennis home. Londonâ€s Copper Box Arena and OVO Arena Wembley will host 64 menâ€s and 64 womenâ€s national teams, the largest and most inclusive edition in the eventâ€s history.

ITTF President Petra Sörling (centre) at OVO Arena Wembley (Photo by Harry Murphy/Getty Images for Table Tennis England)

The centenary ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals offers the opportunity to not only reflect on the sport but also celebrate its future – as the worldâ€s best athletes compete in the UK.

With unprecedented global demand expected, fans are urged to register now at London-2026.com to ensure they donâ€t miss out on this historic return of the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals to London – 100 years on from where it all began.

Sörlingâ€s visit comes as WTT Star Contender London 2025 takes place between 21 and 26 October at the Copper Box Arena, showcasing the readiness of Table Tennis England as preparations for the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals 2026.

Steve Dainton, ITTF Group CEO, highlighted: “What we are witnessing in London is a perfect example of synergy between the WTT Series and the ITTFâ€s most prestigious event. Over the past few years, Table Tennis England has successfully hosted several WTT events, building valuable experience and readiness to stage the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals 2026. This will be a landmark occasion, supported by the entire ITTF Group, to ensure its success and to celebrate 100 years of table tennis.â€

The milestone visit also serves as a springboard for positivity, inspiring new players and strengthening communities. To see the impact already being made, ITTF President Sörling visited Ilford Ping Hub on Wednesday afternoon in East London, a community space that offers free tables, equipment and open access for local people. The project is part of Ping for the People, the official social impact programme for the centenary event.

ITTF President Petra Sörling visited Ilford Ping Hub in London (Photo by Harry Murphy/Getty Images for Table Tennis England)

Table Tennis is one of Englandâ€s fastest-growing and most inclusive sports, with an 11% increase in adults playing the sport regularly since 2022, according to Sport Englandâ€s Active Lives Survey 2023-24. 288,000 children and young people participate every week, with an impressive 5.2% of school-aged boys getting involved weekly. The Ping for the People project aims to deliver strong, social connections for children and young people, helping to improve the mental and physical health of everyone involved.

ITTF President Petra Sörling on the table at Ilford Ping Hub in London (Photo by Harry Murphy/Getty Images for Table Tennis England)

Sally Lockyer, Table Tennis England Chief Executive Officer, said: “The ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals 2026 is set to be a transformative moment for table tennis in the UK and globally. Participation numbers are already increasing in the UK and the landmark ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals 2026 will accelerate this trend. The UK is the home of global sports events and we are confident that the event will set a new benchmark for the sport.â€

Simon Morton, UK Sport Deputy CEO and Director Events, Sporting System & External Affairs, added: “The ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships promise to be a unique showcase for the sport and we are delighted that the event is returning to these shores for the first time in a century.

“We are looking forward to seeing the event positively impact lives of people in London and beyond and are committed to continuing to bring events to the UK that reach, inspire and unite the nation.â€

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said: “London is the sporting capital of the world and I am delighted that we will be staging the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals in 2026.

“London hosted the first-ever World Championships a century ago and it is fitting that this prestigious tournament will be staged here in the capital on its 100th anniversary.

“We look forward to welcoming the worldâ€s best players, who will delight Londoners and fans while inspiring the next generation of champions, as we work together to build a better London for everyone.â€

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October 15, 2025 | Paul Stimpson

Young English trio Jayden Xuan Chen, Dimitar Dimitrov and Amber Lemmon (pictured above) have joined 37 of the worldâ€s best 12-year-olds at ITTF World Hopes Week at the Elite Training Centre in Sheffield.

The players and their coaches arrived from all over the world on Sunday and started training on Monday morning with a welcome from the ITTF lead coaches.

The first exercise was a ‘top table†to establish the respective levels of the players and they have also undergone multiball training, with all the coaches supporting, including GB talent coaches who are also gaining experience during the week.

Dave Hembrough from our sports science partners Sheffield Hallam University has delivered a coach development session which also helped to break down language barriers and foster connections between the different nationalities. Dave will deliver a player session on Thursday.

Coach Ben Barlow has been asked to support the warm-ups with the players every day, while the delegations have had free time on Wednesday afternoon to look around the city.

Further training and education sessions will take place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning, building up to the Challenge event on Saturday afternoon and Sunday.

Players, officials and sparring partners prepare for ITTF World Hopes Week

The coaches from around the world

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Du 12 au 19 octobre 2025, Rock Hill, en Caroline du Sud, deviendra le cœur du tennis de table des Amériques en accueillant les Championnats Panaméricains ITTF 2025.

Cet événement continental majeur réunira les meilleurs joueurs dâ€Amérique du Nord, dâ€Amérique centrale et dâ€Amérique du Sud, qui sâ€affronteront pour lâ€honneur national, des points précieux au classement mondial et des places de qualification pour de futures compétitions internationales.

Les amateurs de tennis de table peuvent sâ€attendre à une semaine de compétition de haut niveau, incluant les épreuves par équipes, en simple, en double et en double mixte — un véritable spectacle de talents établis et émergents qui façonneront lâ€avenir du sport.

Suivez lâ€Action en Direct

Consultez les résultats, les horaires quotidiens et le suivi en direct sur la plateforme officielle de lâ€ITTF :
Résultats ITTF – Championnats Panaméricains 2025

Regardez certains matchs en direct sur YouTube :
Regarder sur ITTF Americas YouTube

Pour les rapports de matchs, les listes de joueurs et les informations sur les têtes de série, visitez la page officielle de lâ€Ã©vénement :
🌠Page Officielle – ITTF Americas

Rock Hill est prête — et les meilleurs des Amériques aussi.

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October 12, 2025

(by Steve Hopkins, photo USATT)

The 2025 ITTF Para Pan American Championships wrapped up this weekend in Sao Paulo, Brazil.  It delivered four days of fierce competition among the Hemisphere’s best para athletes with players from the US battling the top players from Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Costa Rica and many others.

Winners qualified directly for the 2026 World Para Championships – and that was the case for three Americans: Jenson Van Emburgh, Ian Seidenfeld, and Tahl Leibovitz.  In Men’s Singles Class 3, Van Emburgh logged a 3-1 win over Gabriel Copola of Argentina in the Semifinals and a 3-1 win over Brazil’s Welder Camargo Knaf in the Final.  Ian Seidenfeld upset the top seeded Ignacio Torres of Chile in the Semifinals before blanking Chile’s Matias Pino 3-0 in the Final of Class 6.   And in Class 9, Tahl Leibovitz defeated Argentina’s Eithan Skliarsky 3-0 in the Semifinals and then topped Lucas Dos Santos Carvalho of Brazil in the Final.  Each of these three has now punched their ticket for Glasgow, Scotland – the host of the World Para Championships this Summer.

USA had a number of other participants as well.  Samuel Altshuler was 1-1 in Men’s Singles Class 6, losing in the Semifinals.  Logan Watson also fell in the Semifinals of his event – Men’s Singles Class 9.  Randall Medcalf was less fortunate in Men’s Singles Class 10, losing in the Quarterfinals to second-place finisher from Chile.

Another  American Gold Medal went to Tahl Leibovitz and Logan Watson in Men’s Doubles Class MD 18 as they defeated the top seeded Brazilian team in the Semifinals and the second seeded (also) Brazilian team in the Final.

Solid results across the board from TeamUSA – and one more step for three great candidates for Medals at the World Para Championships next Summer.

For full results and match details, visit the official ITTF results page.

Visit ButterflyOnline.com for the latest table tennis news and results.

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October 9, 2025 | Paul Stimpson

The worldâ€s best under-12 players will arrive in Sheffield over the weekend ready for the prestigious ITTF World Hopes Week & Challenge.

England was chosen as host nation of one of the foremost youth development events in global table tennis, and will welcome players from five continents to the Elite Training Centre in Sheffield from 13-29 October.

The World Hopes Week & Challenge is the pinnacle of a journey, following National and Continental Hopes events. Players who reach Sheffield have already demonstrated exceptional promise and earned their place through rigorous international qualification.

Among the 20 boys and 20 girls, born in 2013 or later, who are attending are Englandâ€s Dimitar Dimitrov, as well as Jayden Xuan Chen and Amber Lemmon, the latter two having won boys; and girls†competitions in England Hopes Week to book their places.

List of players

Boys:Joseph Sebatindira (UGA), Joshua Samson (NGR), Chirag Pradhan (USA), Jacob Kordus (USA), Daniel Liang (Can), Yasin Shoaritehrani (IRI), Anders Zhen Hong Goh (MAS), Krish Vinodh (IND), Filip Arosell (SWD), Reah Krol Shahar (ISR), Nicolai Bucur (MDA), Lucas Alexandre (NZL), Jayden Xuan Chen (ENG); wildcards: Pietro Campagna (ITA), Oscar Pan (AUS), Umar Ayoola (NGR), Leo Sayegh (PYF), Dimitar Dimitrov (ENG), Valentino Marcial (ARG), Pitiyage Silva (SRI)

Girls:Patience Anyango (UGA), Malak Zaki (EGY), Olivia Wang (CAN), Osmari de la Caridad Rosquete (CUB), Karina Xiao (USA), Kaede Neya (JPN), Zhi Yu Eng (MAS), Xintian Gu (SGP), Bianca Toma (ROU), Teodora Sardeni (ROU), Lara Monteiro (POR), Ariel Li (AUS), Amber Lemmon (ENG); wildcards: Adriana Ivan (ROU), Alissa Yeung (AUS), Andreea Prohorovici (MDA), Emma Yang (USA), Serena Rossati (ITA), Karen Looi (NZL), Chanuki Karawayasam (SRI)

They will take part in a week of intensive training and international collaboration, culminating in the Challenge competition on the final two days.

With around 40 coaches also in attendance, plus sparring partners, it promises to be a busy and fulfilling week for all involved.

England performance coaches Charlotte Carey, Antony Constantinou and Ben Barlow will be playing their part in the week and the coach development team will also be on-site to learn from some of the best coaches of young talent.

Coaches from the wider talent network have also been invited to experience the week and use it for their own development – they are Paul Johnson, Olly Tyndall and Eva Toth.

 Sparrers helping out for the week at various points include: Zac Greenhough, Peadar Sheridan, Olly Cornish, Rebecca Savage, Jake Davidson, Rebecca Savage and Rachel Iles.

Activity is not just confined to the training hall – on Tuesday, our S&C partners Sheffield Hallam University are delivering a workshop to the incoming coaches from around the world on the physical determinants of success of the youth table tennis athlete– a co-produced workshop for coaches to share experiences, insights and philosophies around the physical preparation of table tennis players.

And on Friday 17th, the ITTF are delivering a workshop on food sustainability to the players, centred around how to avoid food waste.

Emma Vickers, Head of Pathway Development at Table Tennis England, said: “With World Hopes Week due to start in only a few days, we feel we have made all the necessary preparations and are looking forward to the week starting.

“We have personally invited several coaches and sparrers to support us across the week, and we hope they are able to gain a valuable learning experience from their time in Sheffield.â€

Look out for updates throughout the week on our channels.

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