Our mission

The world has grown fast, natural and man-made problems and disasters are present all around the globe.

As an international sports federation we see it as a crucial task to put our grain of sand using our beautiful sport to create a better world. We are aware of our limits and our strengths. Similar to our athletes who believe in being able to surpass them, we see an ideal world on the horizon. We hold this dear in our daily work; we are convinced that everybody can put his or her grain of sand to make the world a better place which to live.

Sport can be, and at best is, one of the most beneficial of human activities, part of the promise of peace and brotherhood, which alone can give us optimism for the future of mankind. It is by being open to meet together – as we in the ITTF have always been – without distinction of race, color, politics or creed that we can get to know each other. It is by viewing together under rules, voluntarily accepted, that we can fairly learn to respect each other’s qualities – ability, courage, character – and that in competition, that should always be serious – earnest – but never taken too earnestly – solemnly, for after all it is play.

(Ivor Montagu, ITTF Founder President – 1973)

In this sense, we see solidarity as essential to mark the point that table tennis is a perfect sport to promote this concept.