The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Foundation is leading the charge in promoting diversity and inclusion through sport, using table tennis as a platform to inspire a more accepting and united global community.
Speaking at the World Table Tennis Day (WTTD) Main Celebration held at Nairobi’s City Hall, ITTF President Petra Sörling underscored the importance of creating welcoming spaces where everyone—regardless of background—feels respected, empowered, and inspired to participate.
“We must rethink how we engage the next generation,” Sörling said. “Socially, we need to ask how we can open doors for young people, involve them meaningfully, and make diversity and inclusion not just central to World Table Tennis Day—but to how we live every day.”
Looking ahead to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Sörling highlighted a key milestone: the inclusion of a Mixed Team event in the Olympic table tennis program for the first time ever. “All 227 member associations will need to prepare with female athletes. This evolution makes me particularly proud of the WTTD initiative we launched in 2018,” she said.
The revised Olympic lineup will now include Men’s and Women’s Singles, the return of Men’s and Women’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles, and the new Mixed Team format—first piloted at the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup in Chengdu, China, in December 2023.
Kenya Table Tennis Association (KTTA) President Andrew Mudibo expressed his appreciation to the ITTF Foundation for selecting Nairobi as the epicenter of this year’s global WTTD celebration.
“We are honored to host this momentous event. I’m especially proud of the transformative work done by Vision Changers Kenya. The way we live and uplift our communities is what truly defines us,” said Mudibo.
Through its Dream Building Fund (DBF), the ITTF Foundation has been working closely with Vision Changers Kenya for the past three years to support the “Hope kwa Vijana Mtaani” (“Hope for Youth in the Community”) initiative.
This innovative project leverages table tennis as a tool for crime prevention, rehabilitation, and reintegration of at-risk youth. To date, nearly 900 young people have benefited from the program.
Additionally, Vision Changers Kenya has established six table tennis centers in Nairobi’s informal settlements, including Mukuru Kwa Njenga and Kariobangi, exemplifying how sport can be a powerful force for change in underserved communities.
