by Ian Marshall, ITTF Editor

Well, the decision will be made next year at the 2019 World Championships to be staged in Budapest from Sunday 21st to Sunday 28th April, during that period of time the Annual General Meeting of the Swaythling Club will be held.

Furthermore, there is no shortage of applicants and very different in nature.

On the one hand there is a the bid from the small Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, cross the Atlantic Ocean and then journey through Europe and you arrive in Hungary; they are also candidates. Continue your travels east, you arrive in Oman, likewise they are bidding, as further east are Malaysia and the Korea Republic. Now change direction, travel south and you will be “Down Under”, Australia has applied.

The possible destinations are wide and varied; that has been the history of the World Veteran Championships.

In addition to Gothenburg, the tournament has visited the European cities of Helsinki, Rimini and Zagreb as well as well as Dublin, Lillehammer, Manchester, Bremen, Lucerne, Stockholm and Alicante-Elche; in two years’ time Bordeaux will be the destination.

Also, the tournament has been staged in North America in Baltimore, Vancouver and most recently Las Vegas. Equally Latin America has played host in Rio de Janeiro, as has Asia in Yokohama and Hohhot; meanwhile, to complete the global travels, the veterans have been welcomed in Oceania, both Melbourne and Auckland have played hosts.

Now in 2022 will it be to the Caribbean, to Europe, to Asia or Oceania; wherever the journey ends be assured the veteran players of the world will be welcomed with open arms.