The International Table Tennis Foundation (ITTF) Foundation aims to amplify the spirit of diversity and inclusion ostensibly to inspire a more accepting society worldwide.
Speaking in Nairobi during the World Table Tennis Day (WTTD) Main Celebration, ITTF President Petra Sörling underscored the need for integrating a mix of community people with different backgrounds, while also making sure everyone feels welcome, respected, and empowered to participate in the game of table tennis.
During the celebration held at Nairobi’s City Hall, Petra extolled the decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board to introduce a groundbreaking mixed team event for table tennis at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
“We really need to work and rethink about the next generation,” Petra said. “On the social side, we need to think about the next generation doing good things, how we can open the door for the next generation, how we can involve, how we can work with diversity and inclusion as a theme for the World Table Tennis Day. But diversity and inclusion is not only something for the WTTD, it’s something we should embrace every day in our lives.”
Reflecting on the historic development ahead of the 2028 Summer Games, Petra highlighted: “The Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028 will be a mixed team event, and all the 227 member associations across the globe will need female players to prepare for the Games. That’s why I am extremely proud of the concept that we conceived in 2018 about the WTTD.”
The Olympic table tennis programme, which will now feature Men’s and Women’s Singles, the return of Men’s and Women’s Doubles, Mixed Doubles, and, for the first time ever at the Olympic Games, the Mixed Team event.
The Mixed Team event was first successfully launched at the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup held in Chengdu, China, in December 2023.
This year’s WTTD in Nairobi celebrated the Vision Changers Kenya.
Kenya Table Tennis Association (KTTA) president Andrew Mudibo thanked the ITTF Foundation for allowing Kenya to host the WTTD Main event.
“I wish to appreciate the journey that the Vision Changers Kenya has undergone in transforming lives, because it’s how you live in a community that determines how your life will be. It’s a privilege and honor for Kenya to be selected to be the center point of the WTTD celebration this year,” said Mudibo.
For the past three years, ITTF Foundation has collaborated with Vision Changers Kenya through it’s DBF programme, supporting their impactful “Hope kwa Vijana Mtaani” (swahili for Hope for Youth in the Community) project.
This initiative has been instrumental in using table tennis as a tool for crime prevention, rehabilitation and reintegration, significantly reducing juvenile offenses in local communities.
The success of this project speaks volumes: over 880 youth directly benefited, with noticeable reductions in youth crime rates through prevention strategies that engage young people in constructive activities.
By establishing six table tennis facilities within informal settlements in Nairobi’s Mukuru Kwa Njenga and Kariobangi neighbourhoods, Vision Changers Kenya has demonstrated how table tennis can transform lives and communities.
Highlighting these achievements, the WTTD 2025 main celebration in Nairobi, Kenya is reinforcing the message that table tennis is more than just a sport – a bridge towards community cohesion that connects people of different abilities, backgrounds, ages, and gender identities.
By collaborating with Vision Changers Kenya, the ITTF Foundation aims to amplify the spirit of Diversity and Inclusion and inspire a more accepting society worldwide.
The WTTD 2025 celebration in Nairobi featured a diverse programme designed to engage the entire community and beyond. They included inclusive table tennis tournaments of mixed doubles teams bringing together players of all backgrounds, community challenge matches, and special celebrity appearances.
The celebrations also entailed insightful roundtable discussions with open dialogues about building inclusive communities through sports and examining the role of various stakeholders in promoting diversity and inclusion as well as cultural celebrations featuring live performances by local artists and musicians celebrating Kenya’s rich heritage.
