The debate about the 11-points versus the 21-points has subsided somehow. I know that there are still many who are against the 11-points system. Of course this is their right and they have good reasons. I like the procedure you used in the Netherlands. It seems to me very democratic and a smooth transition into a new way of scoring table tennis but respecting the desires of the members. Congratulations for having a stubborn but successful democracy.

It is appropriate to state at this point that the ITTF moved to new headquarters near Lausanne, and the street address is 11 Chemin de La Roche. I am not sure that we would have moved in if the address were 21 Chemin de la Roche.

Adham Sharara


ITTF President







Dear mr. Sharara,

This message may surprise you, as you might have thought the discussion about the 11-point games was finished. However, in the Netherlands, the 21-point games were not extinct yet. This has changed on December 3rd 2003. On this day, the district Middle-Netherlands (the area around the cities Utrecht, Hilversum and Almere with 3000 active players) has decided to switch to 11-point games in their competition leagues

The Netherlands Table Tennis Association decided in 2001 to switch to the 11-point games in the national leagues and all events for youth players. However, many districts were afraid to switch, as there was a lot of opposition against the 11-point games among district clubs and players.

In the Netherlands, the usual solution for these kind of situations is the so-called Polder Model. The discussion about 11 or 21 points continued, and in the mean time the Association allowed all districts to make their own choise. Several districts soon dediced to switch to 11-point games, some decided to keep the 21-point games. From the start of 2003, the district of Middle-Netherlands was the only one in the Netherlands still using 21-point games. As far as I know, all ITTF-Association are playing 11-point games for at least a year.

If this is true, the decision taken on December 3rd is a historical one, as from this moment, the 11-point games are being played all over the ITTF. I hope you can confirm this, I might have overlooked one of the almost 200 Associations.

Also, if this is true, the last official match ever played in 21-point games within an ITTF-Association has been played on November 29th 2003, in the city of Utrecht between mr. Leon Brunneberg and mr. Misja Heller, won by mr. Brunneberg 21-16, 21-16.

Although this information is merely statistical, it proves that the 11-point games are an improvement in table tennis, as it even convinces the complicated and sometimes reluctant Dutch democracy.

Sincerely Yours,

Igor Heller

Secretary Rules Committee NTTB.