The maximum number of 5,000 applicants has been received; if you still want to play, you must add your name on the waiting list.

It is a response that has even staggered Hans Westling, the Chair of the ITTF World Veteran Committee and the man at the helm of proceedings since time in memoriam.

“Normally we do not open registration for the World Veteran Championships until after the European Veteran Championships has finished. It means that registration is open one year in advance. However the Bordeaux organisers insisted that registration started on Friday 1st March. I could really see no reason for that but I did underestimate the huge interest; just before the European Veteran Championships started on Monday 1st July we had reached the limit of 4,500 entries!” Hans Westling

Discussion followed with the Swaythling Club; it was agreed to raise the limit to 5,000 players and use the maximum number of 188 tables.

Notably, the European Veteran Championships in Budapest attracted over 3,000 players; now Bordeaux awaits what much surely be the biggest international tournament in the history of our sport.