Organizers of the Global Junior Program Events Decided

By Judit Farago (Laussane-SUI): During its meetings at the recent LIEBHERR World Championships the International Table Tennis Federation decided on the host for several future ITTF title events (Organizers).

The Annual General Meeting awarded the 2015 WTTC to the Chinese Table Tennis Association and to the city of Suzhou, while the ITTF Board of Directors and the ITTF Executive Committee allocated some important events on the Global Junior Program. ITTF Executive Committee confirmed the Volkswagen 2012 World Junior TT Championships for 9-16 December 2012 in Hyderabad.

Few weeks ago the South African Table Tennis Board had to withdraw the organization of the 2012 World Junior TT Championships due to financial reason. Table Tennis Federation of India reacted quickly to the late cancellation by advancing to host the title event for players under 18 years of age, an event which was originally allocated to India for 2013. TTFI expressed interest to take over the role of the host in December in Hyderabad.

The city known as IT centre of India successfully organized the Cadet Challenge in 2010, furthermore Table Tennis Federation of India celebrates the 75th anniversary of its foundation this year. India was the member association putting forward the proposition of holding world title competition for juniors in late 90s and it became reality in 2003 when the first ever WJTTC was held in Chile.

With India stepping in for 2012, the inventor will host the10th edition of the top junior event with a realistic hope to secure medal for the home team. Indian players won their first ever world championships medal last year at the WJTTC in Bahrain with the junior boys reaching the semi-finals in team competition.

ITTF Board of Directors allocated the 2012 World Cadet Challenge to Guam Table Tennis Federation, the event is scheduled for 27 October – 4 November in Mangilao, Guam. For cadet players (under 15 years of age) the Cadet Challenge is considered as their non-official title event. This competition brings together teams from all 6 continents and gives opportunity also to the home team to compete.

The history of the Cadet Challenge goes back to 2002 (first event was held in Hungary) and 10 years later, in 2012 young talents will travel for the first time to Oceania, to Guam. The tiny island in the Pacific Ocean put its name on the “ITTF map” in 2011 by hosting the 1st Guam Junior and Cadet Open on the ITTF Global Junior Circuit. The pilot project was so successful that one year later Guam TTF takes up a challenge one step higher with significant help from ITTF.

ITTF Board of Directors allocated the 2014 World Junior TT Championships to Shanghai/China and the 2015 World Junior TT Championships to Vendée/France.

Similarly to the senior tournaments, World Junior Championships are also dominated by the Chinese young players however China will host the junior title event in 2014 for the first time since it started. After winning 51 out of the possible 63 world championships titles, Chinese TTA presented a bid with city of Shanghai to welcome participants in 2 years time in central Shanghai Municipality, Minhang District.

At the same time the French Table Tennis Federation applied to host the 2015 World Junior Championships in West France, in the county of Vendée with an art-of-state facility, the Vendéspace. The construction of West France’s biggest sports and culture complex will be finished this summer and they will officially open with the Euro-Asia Challenge match in autumn. Photo: Remy Gros

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