New center boosts table tennis development

The International Table Tennis Federation and World Table Tennis launched a joint hub in Los Angeles on Tuesday, marking a major step to unlock the vast potential of the Pan-American market and deepen international cooperation in the lead-up to the 2028 Olympic Games.

Located in Lake Forest, Orange County, the center will house the ITTF US office, the WTT US office, the WTT global training center and the World Table Tennis Management Group global headquarters.

"This is our first ever owned and operated training center," Michael Brown, chief operating officer of WTT, told China Daily. "We'll have the capacity to support aspiring athletes, as well as the local community, but also provide opportunities for the world's best to acclimatize in readiness and preparation for LA28 Olympic Games."

The launch follows recent celebrations of the three-year countdown to the LA28 Olympics and comes after the success of US Smash 2025 in Las Vegas.

ITTF President and International Olympic Committee member Petra Sorling emphasized the growing global interest in table tennis and the significance of the US market.

"Table tennis is experiencing unprecedented momentum around the world, and the US market represented a powerful opportunity for the sport," she said.

"Since the World Championships in Houston in 2021 and last week's groundbreaking WTT Grand Smash in Las Vegas, we have witnessed a tremendous appetite for table tennis here in the US," she added, calling the new center "another milestone created in history."

The connection between China and the United States through table tennis dates back to Ping-Pong Diplomacy in 1971, a historic episode that paved the way for the normalization of bilateral relations. In 2021, the World Table Tennis Championships were held in Houston to commemorate the 50th anniversary of that diplomatic breakthrough.

Speaking at the opening, Li Zhiqiang, deputy consul general of China in Los Angeles, stressed China's commitment to the global development of the sport.

"Sports can connect people and strengthen people-to-people exchange. We look forward to greater cooperation through sports, especially with the upcoming LA28 Olympics," Li said.

The training hub is designed to facilitate elite athletes' preparations for LA28 while cultivating the next generation of American talent. In 2025, ITTF Development is expected to deliver over 30 programs across the Americas, building on an already record pace of grassroots engagement, which this year has included six international youth events in the region.

The federation's efforts aim to inspire future stars who could follow in the footsteps of leading players such as Lily Zhang and Kanak Jha from the US, Hugo Calderano and Bruna Takahashi from Brazil, and Adriana Diaz from Puerto Rico. Last year's World Hopes Week & Challenge in Paraguay exemplified this commitment to youth development.

Niccolo Campriani, vice-president of sports for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games, who was 3-time Olympic champion in air rifle, welcomed the global collaboration.

"It's not just about those 16 days of Olympic Games and 12 days of Paralympic Games, it's about how young people will get excited about the Olympic tournament and want to start playing table tennis here," he said.

Since its Olympic debut in Seoul 1988, table tennis has evolved into one of the Games' most competitive and global sports.

"The ingredients are there to make not only an amazing Games, but also a long-lasting legacy in California and the US," Campriani said.

The LA28 table tennis program will see an expanded lineup including men's and women's singles, the return of men's and women's doubles, mixed doubles, and for the first time a mixed team event, setting a record for the number of Olympic medals awarded in racquet sports.

renali@chinadailyusa.com