The International Table Tennis Federation announced that Doha will host the General Assembly meeting of the International Federation in 2025, alongside the World Championships Qatar 2025. This decision was made during the regular General Assembly meeting of the International Federation held on the sidelines of the ITTF summit in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting was chaired by Petra Sorling, the President of the International Table Tennis Federation, and attended by Khalil Al Mohannadi, the First Vice President of the International Federation, and the Qatar Arab and Asian Federation.
The Qatari delegation, represented by Chairman of the Appointments Committee Abdullah Yousuf Al Mulla, and a member of the International Federation's Executive Council, and Assistant Secretary-General of the Qatar Federation Ali Sultan Al Muftah also attended.
During the meeting, it was agreed to merge the General Assembly meetings of the International Federation to be held annually in the same country hosting the World Championships for the sport. This decision aims to reduce costs and provide an opportunity for more countries to participate.
This proposal was put forward by Qatar, alongside Algeria, Austria, Panama, Cameroon, Cyprus, Djibouti, India, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Maldives, Mauritania, Nepal, Oman, Somalia, Sierra Leone, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Yemen.
The proposal received a majority of 77 votes, representing 85.56%, in favor, compared to 13 votes against, representing 14.44%. The resolution will take effect immediately, starting from the 2025 edition in Doha, where the elections for the International Federation's presidency for the next four years until 2029 will take place.
It is worth noting that the 2024 World Championships in Busan will also host the annual General Assembly meeting, a decision that was made a long time ago.
This decision has been well-received among the General Assembly members, as they see it as highly beneficial for the sport. It offers an opportunity for all countries to be present at the meeting and discuss the future of table tennis annually.
The meeting also included a vote to choose the host country for the 2026 Team World Championships, won by London after competing with Bangkok. The British bid received 67 votes, representing 63.81%, surpassing the Thai bid, which received 38 votes, representing 36.19%.
This championship will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the first World Championship held in 1926 and will be hosted at Wembley Stadium.
Furthermore, the World Championships will return to London after a long absence since the last time Britain hosted it in 1954.
The General Assembly approved an increase in the number of teams in the World Championships to 64 countries, up from 40. This change will be implemented in the team event starting from the 2026 World Championships in London. This decision is considered a significant victory for many countries that struggle to participate regularly due to strong competition in their regional or continental qualifiers.
During the meeting, a considerable number of General Assembly members praised the significant role played by Khalil Al Mohannadi, the First Vice President of the Qatar Arab and Asian Federation, in developing and promoting the sport. They thanked him for his clear and tangible efforts. He is one of the most senior officials in international table tennis at present and possesses extensive experience spanning many years.
