With less than a month to go, the ITTF is entering the home stretch leading to the 2022 ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals.

As preparations are in full steam, an information session was organised for all participants who are getting ready for their departure to China.

Among the attendees were Steve Dainton, ITTF Group CEO, He Xiao, Deputy Secretary General of the Chinese Table Tennis Association, Xian Rongsheng, Vice Mayor of Chengdu and Executive Director of the Organising Committee, and Matt Pound, World Table Tennis Managing Director.

Dainton commented:

“I want to thank the Chinese Table Tennis Association, the Local Organising Committee, and the City of Chengdu for making this event happen. I also want to thank the Member Associations and participants for their patience, understanding and support. We understand the preparation and the logistics towards this event are like no other.”

“Our priority is to provide all necessary information to the participants to ensure they have an enjoyable and memorable World Championships experience. We will need the cooperation of everyone involved, so it was important to take the time today to explain our plans, answer all questions, and get everybody on board.

“We also wanted to reassure everyone following the tightening of COVID-19 countermeasures in Chengdu; preparation for the event continues as planned without delay. I will travel to Chengdu in two days to ensure seamless cooperation until the end of the countdown.

“The situation is similar to #RESTART, the series of events we hosted in China in November 2020. This time again, there is concern but, ultimately, we will deliver our World Championships in Chengdu.”

The delivery of the World Championships Finals – the only international sports event in China this year after the Beijing 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Games – is a true organisational feat.

A closed-loop management system, inspired by the one successfully experimented during the Beijing Games, will be implemented and will welcome more than 1,000 participants.

The ITTF is chartering special flights, and participants will be able to enter and leave Chengdu without quarantine.

The official hotels will be connected to the event venue with dedicated transport, and participants will also be able to enjoy the park adjacent to the hotels.

The ITTF, the Chinese Table Tennis Association, the Local Organising Committee and the City of Chengdu authorities reaffirmed their commitment to welcoming all teams during an unforgettable World Championships.