Indian Table Tennis Set for New Era as WTT Launches Major Development Venture

World Table Tennis (WTT), the commercial arm of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), has announced a significant new initiative for the Indian market with the launch of WTT Event Management Pvt. Ltd. This new entity is dedicated to expanding the presence of WTT tournaments in India, aiming to cultivate a more robust ecosystem for the sport throughout the country. The move comes shortly after the conclusion of the sixth season of the Ultimate Table Tennis league.

A Focus on Grassroots and Long-Term Growth

While India currently hosts a WTT Star Contender, a fourth-tier event on the global circuit, the new venture will initially prioritize foundational development. The strategy is to increase the number of feeder tournaments to provide more opportunities for emerging players before scaling up to host major international events.

Steve Dainton, CEO of WTT, described this as a long-term vision, outlining a 10-year plan that aligns with India's potential bid for the 2036 Olympics.

"We start with grassroots events, which allows more Indian players to play and gives them the exposure that they need in the beginning," Dainton stated. "But ambition is there and of course, if 2036 Olympics come into India, then it's important for us to also have major events and get more fans behind the bigger table tennis events as well."

This bottom-up approach contrasts with WTT's top-down strategies in other markets like the USA. The organization is backing this plan with a substantial investment of $3-5 million (approximately Rs 26-43 Cr.) over the next few years, signaling its confidence in India as a high-potential market.

Boosting Opportunities for Indian Athletes

The initiative is supported by key figures in Indian table tennis, including retired legend Sharath Kamal, who will serve as a brand ambassador, and Vita Dani, Chairperson of UTT and a governing board member of the ITTF Foundation.

Sharath Kamal emphasized the immediate benefits for the next generation of athletes. "Having [WTT] Feeder tournaments in India gives a lot of chances to the up-and-coming players, those aged between 17 and 23-24 who can slowly start to make a mark in the international level," he said.

He further explained, "Many young players don't have the possibility to go abroad due to financial constraints or national entry restrictions. And the Indian ranking system and the selection process also adds a lot of weightage to the international tournaments. Here Indian players will have a lot of opportunities to make world ranking points and slowly get into the system."