The Korea Table Tennis Association (KTA) (President Yoo Seung-min) and Gangneung City, Gangwon Province (Mayor Kim Hong-gyu) are bidding to host the ITTF 2026 World Masters Championships. At the ITTF Summit on the morning of the 22nd, they presented a PPT on the city's bid to host the event. The meeting was held at the convention center of BEXCO in Busan, where the BNK Busan Bank 2024 Busan World Table Tennis Championships are being held.
The World Masters Championship is an open competition for all table tennis players over the age of 40, regardless of whether they are professionals or amateurs. It is similar to the domestic sports table tennis tournaments where the athletes play together, and it is known as a large-scale table tennis festival with an average of more than 4,000 participants. It has been held once every two years, mainly in Europe, and has recently expanded to Asia and the Americas.
The tournament took a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but resumed last January with a postponed tournament in Muscat, Oman, in the Middle East. It was originally called the World Veterans Table Tennis Championships until just before that, but the official name was changed to the ITTF World Masters Championships in Oman. This year's tournament, which will return to its normal cycle after the pandemic, will be held in Rome, Italy, in July.
The ITTF World Masters Championships is a veteran event that lasts for 10 days and attracts many family visits to accompany the players, making it an event with a significant economic impact for the host city beyond the professional players' world championships. If the bid is successful, more than 10,000 athletes, officials, and officials from around the world are expected to visit Gangneung. It will also contribute significantly to local tourism and competition.
The city of Gangneung and the Korea Table Tennis Association have been working together since the middle of last year to secure the event. After the BNK Busan Bank 2024 Busan World Table Tennis Championships opened, a promotional booth for the 2026 World Masters Championships was set up at the venue, BEXCO, and at the 22nd bid presentation, Yoo Seung-min, president of the Korea Table Tennis Association (KTA), who is also the co-organizer of the Busan World Championships, personally appeared to 토토사이트 convince ITTF officials.
Yoo expressed his hope for the city's bid, citing various strengths, including "Gangneung's facility infrastructure and experience in hosting large-scale international events, having hosted the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and Paralympics and the 2024 Youth Olympic Games, its beautiful natural environment and convenient transportation, the ability of the Korean table tennis community to run large-scale table tennis tournaments based on the Busan World Table Tennis Championships, and the growing popularity of table tennis in Korea and the strong base of enthusiasts."
Alongside Gangneung is the Spanish city of Alicante-Elcheda. The city is bidding again, having already hosted the same event in 2016. The event in Alicante was considered the best ever among the 'veterans'. That's why it was considered a strong candidate, despite the short notice.
For the city of Gangneung and the Korea Table Tennis Association, the Busan World Table Tennis Championships is a big win. Although the tournament is different in nature as it is for professional players, it is expected to be viewed favorably by international observers as Korean table tennis is gaining more and more recognition. In fact, the participants are very satisfied with the tournament. Even the officials of the countries who participated without players, but only conference representatives, often give a thumbs up. There is a lot to be happy about at the Busan World Table Tennis Championships.
The host of the 2026 ITTF World Masters will be finalized four days later when the ITTF Council votes at the same venue on the 26th. Gangneung City and the Korean Table Tennis Association will continue to promote their bid for the rest of the year. It will be interesting to see if the success in Busan can be replicated in Gangneung.
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