The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), through a dynamic collaboration between ITTF Sports Development, ITTF Education, and the Umpires and Referees Committee (URC), is proud to announce the launch of the fourth edition of the Young Umpires’ Project (YUP), a global initiative designed to identify, mentor, and elevate emerging talent in match officiating.
This edition will support a historic moment: the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026, the first Olympic event ever hosted on African soil. Building on the legacy of previous editions in Singapore (2010), Nanjing (2014), and Buenos Aires (2018), the ITTF is committed to using this milestone to educate and empower the next generation of elite match officials.
Running from August 2025 to October 2026, the project features a blended pathway combining online mentorship, practical workshops, international assessments, and on-site experience. Structured in two main phases, YUP will offer:
- Phase I (August – December 2025): Online mentorship guided by ITTF experts, equipping selected National Umpires (NU) and International Umpires (IU) with the needed knowledge and skills.
- Phase II (January – August 2026): Online workshops, project assessments, and match officiating practice in real-time settings for the top performing candidates.
In October 2026, final on-site training will be offered in Dakar and an opportunity to officiate at the Youth Olympic Games for the top performing candidates.
To ensure a truly global and inclusive platform, ITTF invites Member Associations to nominate up to two candidates (one male and one female) who meet the following criteria:
- Aged between 20 and 30 at the time of nomination
- Fluent in English (project conducted entirely in English)
- Certified as an ITTF International Umpire (IU), or National Umpire under the ITTF or the member association’s own umpire education and qualification programmes
- At least two years of national officiating experience
Gold badge umpire Ehsan Ahmed (EGY), who started her international journey as a participant in the 3rd edition of the Young Umpires Project, continued to advance to the advanced level, obtaining her blue badge status in 2022 and ultimately reaching the highest level of umpiring by earning the gold badge in 2024, recalled:
“I have learned a lot from the project instructor and I have got a great experience. The Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018 was a dream come true, the spirit of the Youth in every corner in Buenos Aires made the event so special and unforgettable” .
Patricia Maiz Calle (SUI), an active International Umpire who also started her match officiating journey as part of the 2018 YUP, said:
“When I started the Young Umpires Project, I was just a national umpire. I didn’t have big expectations, I just wanted to become internationally certified. I realized there were so many young people who shared the same passion as me. YOG in Buenos Aires was my first international experience, and honestly, I was pretty nervous at first. But I met some amazing people there, and that made things so much easier. After that, I couldn’t wait to keep going and travelling for table tennis. Since then, I’ve gone to many tournaments around Europe, sometimes even with friends I met in Argentina.”
Applications must be submitted by 31 July 2025. A project fee of US$ 100 will apply to the selected candidates. The program will emphasize gender balance, universality, and regional representation, with final selection conducted by the ITTF Sports Development team and URC.
The Young Umpires’ Project is more than just a training programme, it’s a movement to inspire excellence and inclusivity in officiating. As Dakar prepares to make Olympic history, the ITTF is proud to ensure the voices of young match officials are part of the celebration.
Join us on the journey to Dakar 2026 and shape the future of officiating!