ITTF President Petra Sörling completed an East Asian tour with productive visits to Japan and Korea Republic, advancing cooperation with national stakeholders and the wider Olympic community.
“Japan and Korea Republic are valued active members of our global family,” said President Sörling. “These visits reaffirmed our shared commitment to development, strong governance, and outstanding events.”
President Sörling began with a two-day programme in Tokyo, where she was welcomed by the Japan Table Tennis Association President Masaya Kawata, Vice President Ichiro Hoshino, and ITTF Executive Vice President Masahiro Maehara. The meeting opened with greetings and an appreciation of Japan’s long contribution to table tennis and the close partnership between JTTA and the ITTF.
Talks centred on collaboration for athletes’ wellbeing and on the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals 2028 in Fukuoka. JTTA confirmed that preparations are under way. President Sörling noted the high expectations of the global table tennis family for a major return to Japan and praised the country’s record of delivery.
“The ITTF World Team Championships Finals 2028 will be a milestone for our sport and a celebration of Japan’s table tennis tradition,” said President Sörling. “We look forward to working closely with JTTA to provide a world-class experience for players, fans, and partners.”
The visit also included a courtesy visit to the Japanese Olympic Committee. President Sörling met newly-elected JOC President Hashimoto Seiko and Secretary General Ota Yuki, learned more about the JOC’s Vision 2064, and discussed how table tennis can contribute through development programmes and additional international events in Japan. The exchanges underlined Japan’s role as a future World Championships host and opened further avenues for collaboration with the JOC and Japanese stakeholders.
President Sörling also met fellow International Federation presidents and IOC members Morinari Watanabe and Lord Sebastian Coe. At Lord Coe’s invitation she attended the World Athletics Championships 2025, commending the quality of the event and its organisers and noting useful insights for major-event operations and legacy in table tennis.
The next stop was Seoul, where President Sörling and ITTF Secretary General Raul Calin attended the 22nd International Paralympic Committee General Assembly and Conference from 24 to 27 September. The gathering brought together nearly 400 representatives from around 190 IPC member organisations, along with several IPC-recognised international federations including the ITTF.
President Sörling met Korean Sport and Olympic Committee President Ryu Seungmin and Korea Table Tennis Association President Lee Tae Sung. Discussions focused on the legacy of the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals Busan 2024 and preparations for the ITTF World Masters Championships Gangneung 2026.
“We all have vivid memories of our time in Busan last year, and the work of Korea Table Tennis has kept the momentum for our sport in the country,” said President Sörling. “We can already see this in the strong interest for Gangneung, with registrations reaching 20 percent of expected participation in just two months.”
President Sörling will next visit China to attend the WTT China Smash.