(by Steve Hopkins)

A USA Table Tennis announcement released today allows for the sanctioning of tournaments beginning July 1.   This will end the March 13th order that suspended all events – a part of a broader series of suspensions and cancellations across all sports including  ITTF and USOPC events.  This is welcome news after so many cancellations including tour events, the US Open, and the Olympics.

The USATT announcement notes that in addition to the standard Sanction Request Form, tournament officials will also need to confirm compliance with all local, State, and Federal regulations, so there is an explicit requirement that COVID-19 rules and regulations will be followed.

With clubs beginning to reopen in the US, this is a good first step by the organization in providing players with a support and a competitive outlet in the sport.