The ITTF Group Chief Executive Officer Steve Dainton recently concluded a productive visit to Japan, including discussions with the Japan Table Tennis Association (JTTA), key local stakeholders, and business representatives.

Joining Dainton was ITTF Executive Vice President Masahiro Maehara and World Table Tennis Japan General Manager Ai Fukuhara, who attended the All Japan National Championships 2023, where Hina Hayata and Shunsuke Togami emerged victorious.

“It was a fruitful visit, and I would like to thank the Japan Table Tennis Association for all their support, as well as congratulate them on their successful national championships. Japan would make a perfect host for a World Table Tennis event, and I am optimistic we will see one soon. We are committed to further growing table tennis together in Japan as we know there are many opportunities from both the perspectives of sport and commercial development” – Steve Dainton

The delegations held discussions with several local municipalities in the country to explore the possibility of hosting international table tennis events in the future. The meetings were aimed at identifying potential venues and discussing necessary preparations to ensure the successful hosting of these events.

Dainton also engaged in productive talks with various businesses and equipment companies to explore new opportunities for collaboration. The goal is to drive innovation and raise the profile of table tennis in Japan, building on its popularity from the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, where the sport reached a maximum audience of over 21 million and a TV reach of 54.4% of the population.

With Japan’s unwavering commitment to the growth of table tennis, the future of the sport holds immense promise. and the ITTF Group CEO left the country eager to see what the next chapter holds.