DOHA (Qatar): The new table tennis season will kick off with the qualifying rounds of the WTT Middle East Hub at the Losail Multipurpose Sports Arena on Sunday.
Top International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) officials were upbeat over the radical rebrand of the sport’s international calendar.
“It is very important for us to get back to the table tennis tables and the competition start again, it is first event since the beginning of December 2020 and our first event of 2021 so we are superbly excited to be back on the table tennis table,” ITTF World Executive Director Steve Dainton told www.khelupdates.com after the customary launch.
The Middle East Hub will feature two tiers of the new WTT event structure and will take place from March 3 to 13 and will be staged without fans, the Local Organising Committee said on Saturday.
Daiton said a lot of planning has gone into new tournament organizational set up.
“Secondly it is first ever world table tennis event something which we have working for the last several years and something which we have been dreaming off and to be at eh venue a day before the championship begins, I am superbly excited about it,” said the Aussie.
Dainton praised the role of Qatar Table Tennis Association (QTTA) President Khalil Mohannadi and Qatar for hosting the twin events during this challenging time when most of the sports activities have come to halt in a number of countries throughout the world.
“ITTF is fortunate to have someone like QTTA President Khalil Mohannadi who is passionate about Table tennis. We are extremely grateful to Qatar for hosting the WTT Middle East Hub during this Covid19 pandemic,” added Dainton.
The WTT Contender event will get the 2021 calendar under way before players move to the first WTT Star Contender event the following week, providing the perfect setting for some of the world’s leading stars to be challenged by the best up-and-coming players.
Dainton said the entire sports industry family are thankful to Qatar for hosting several international sports events during this pandemic times.
“We are super, super thankful to Qatar, it is rally complicated times for the world and the pandemic times is still ongoing and to take a small risk to host events is quiet special. It is important for us and important for the sports world and for the sports industry. So, all the whole sports industry re superb thankful to Qatar and Doha for hosting all the international sports event,” added Dainton.
