Rome invaded by pong players. That's what will happen July 7-14 when 6,100 table tennis athletes arrive at the Masters World Championships Fair. 30% are women and there are 110 countries of origin to which will be added 2,500 officials and attendants. And these are record numbers.
Italy will host the event for the second time, after the 1986 edition in Rimini. The largest European delegations will be those from Germany, Italy and France, while abroad, the Asian continent will be the most represented, with China, Japan and India.
Fitet Italian Table Tennis Championships
350 games tables used, theThe oldest athlete is American Wa Yuet Yu, who will turn 100 in October. She is followed by the Belgian Jozef Janssens and the French Guy Bizeul aged 95, the Swede Ragnhild Lundberg and the German Paul Juchems aged 93 and the Finns Orvo Kattainen, the Japanese Yasu Watanabe and Hyun Youngja, the French Henri Yahiel , the Italian Italo Bolter. and Silvio Maracchia, the Australian Hans Eberhard Pappon, the German Horst Fischer, the Japanese Teruko Fujitani and the Latvian Georgijs Lobonosovs, 91 years old.
11 age categories will compete for the titles in women's and men's singles and doubles and, for the first time, also in mixed doubles. Another great novelty will be the presence at the Masters World Championship of athletes with disabilities, who will be able to play both for the titles at stake for the Paralympic categories and for that of the tournament of their own age category, making Rome 2024 The Championships of the world are therefore the most inclusive event of all time. Swedish Petra Sörling, president of the International Table Tennis Federation and IOC member, will also participate as an athlete., one of three women at the head of an international sports federation.
Fitet Italian Table Tennis Championships
Up to 5 pavilions of the Fair will be used for competitions and training, for a total of 47 thousand square meters of interior spaces, in which gaming tables will be installed (250 for competitions and 100 for training). In total, more than 20,000 matches will be played. A large “fan village” will also be installed within the show, imagined as a place of sharing and conviviality, where athletes, guides and visitors will be able to wander among the exhibitors' stands and eat in one of the gastronomy and wine corners. set up for the occasion.
