Xu Xin of China hits a return during the men's singles semifinal match against Liam Pitchford of England at the 2020 ITTF Qatar Open in Doha, Qatar on March 8, 2020. (Photo by Nikku/Xinhua)
Macao will stage a World Table Tennis (WTT) promotional event in November, with 16 elite players each in men's and women's singles on the cards.
BEIJING, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- World Table Tennis (WTT) announced on Friday that a promotional showcase, the WTT Macao will be staged between November 25-29, 2020, the first tournament to be held since the organization's foundation.
WTT is responsible for all the global commercial and event business, with the aim of elevating the sport to new heights. Its first annual calendar of events is scheduled to kick off in 2021.
"WTT Macao is our opportunity to show the world just what an incredible transformation our sport will be going through in the World Table Tennis era, and to demonstrate how we are elevating table tennis into one of the greatest sporting properties on the planet," said WTT Council Chair Liu Guoliang, who also heads up the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA).
"WTT Macao will be a table tennis show like no other before it. After months of waiting to see what this is all about, the time has come to raise the curtain for our first ever exhibition of World Table Tennis," Steve Dainton, WTT Director and ITTF CEO, declared.
WTT Macao will feature 16 of the world's best male and 16 of the world's best female paddlers. Participants will be announced in the coming weeks.
A brand new format will take place over five days of competition, and innovative scoring methods will be implemented.
International table tennis activity has been suspended for several months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ITTF announced a restart plan earlier this month, with the Women's World Cup, the Men's World Cup and the ITTF Finals to be staged in November. ■
