Claudia Herweg was elected President of the German Table Tennis Association (DTTB). She is the 13th person to hold this office and the first woman since the DTTB’s founding in 1925.

“I would like to congratulate Claudia on her election,” said ITTF President Petra Sörling. “Claudia was the Head of the ITTF Equipment Department and has built a strong team around her. She is a key member of the table tennis family, and we are certain her dedication and leadership will deliver lasting benefits to our sport in Germany.”

“I am looking forward to collaborating with Claudia in her new role. Unity was also one of my campaign’s pillars. I want to unite the membership and engage in discussions with the Member Associations to secure table tennis’s position as one of the world’s leading sports.”

ITTF Group CEO Steve Dainton added, “I have known Claudia for several years and it is my great pleasure to congratulate her for becoming the President of DTTB. I have no doubt she will do a fantastic job in leading our sport in Germany, and she can count on our full cooperation.”

Herweg has worked full-time in table tennis for 30 years. As an active player, she used to play in the 2nd Bundesliga and worked as a coach with one of the biggest German regional associations.

“We have to improve in many areas, and this can only be done together,” said Herweg. “I feel that unity is essential because we have very challenging tasks ahead of us. Together we are much stronger, and we can better market our incredibly fascinating and diverse sport.”

The five DTTB regional associations with the largest membership proposed Herweg as a candidate. She was elected on Saturday 11 December during the DTTB Annual General Meeting with 204 votes in favour, two against and no abstentions.