ITTF CEO Steve Dainton, Chinese Table Tennis Association President Liu Guoliang and ITTF Executive Vice President Khalil Al-Mohannadi (L to R) pose for photos in Doha, Qatar, Feb. 10, 2020. (Photo by Nikku/Xinhua)
ITTF CEO Steve Dainton expressed his full confidence in the sport's bright future.
BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- After table tennis made a return to the international stage, ITTF CEO Steve Dainton expressed his full confidence in the sport's bright future.
"We showed the world that table tennis is well and truly alive and has a very bright future," Dainton wrote in a letter posted on the ITTF's website.
The ITTF #RESTART series, comprised of the ITTF Women's and Men's World Cups and the Finals, was staged in China in November, signaling the return of international table tennis following an eight-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The series was followed by an innovative WTT Macao tournament which concluded on Sunday.
"We gave sport and the table tennis world hope that even in a crisis we can prevail. When the majority of Olympic Sports around the world are still trying to return to international competition - table tennis did it," said Dainton.
Dainton showed his appreciation towards everyone that was involved in bringing table tennis back, including "amazing" players for their sacrifice.
"The work, the sweat, the tears and the absolute joy of watching our favorite players competing for the top prizes in our #RESTART series will go down in history as one of the most important things that the ITTF and table tennis has ever achieved."
"Without you it would have been impossible. For most of 2020 we have simply been fighting to survive, but in the past few months we did not only survive - we did more - we showed the world that table tennis is well and truly alive and with a very bright future," Dainton noted.
Dainton also thanked China and the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA) for their full support for the sport.
"We move quickly our attention to 2021 that now with the confidence of #RESTART we will make even bigger and better events and get all our activities back up and running," wrote Dainton, who said looked forward to the World Table Tennis Championships in Busan, South Korea.
"Thanks again - you are all heroes. Table Tennis Heroes," he concluded. ■
