(by Steve Hopkins)

COVID-19 continues to cause disruptions in the table tennis world as different areas experience travel restrictions.  Like other sports, table tennis has managed to use the “bubble” model to create safe environments for select events.  Unfortunately, many of the Continental Federation qualifying events for the Olympic Games were unable to occur earlier this year – and the it may not be feasible to create bubbles for each of those events, and also the world qualification event.

The ITTF Executive Committee has recommended that there be one qualifications bubble location and that multiple events would occur in that bubble – the world qualifier and each of the remaining continental qualifiers.

he ITTF has also recommended altering the Para qualification system so that there will be no Para events in the first quarter of 2021.  Further, there will be no Continental Para Championships in 2021.  Both of these recommendations will result in limited international play ahead of the Paralympics – and ideally, the safest environment possible for the elite Para players.

For the full ITTF Announcement, visit the ITTF site.