Mixed team event will be a catalyst for women's table tennis development

Macao (China), April 19 (IANS) Table tennis is one of the six sports that have added competitions in a mixed-gender discipline in the upcoming Olympic Games in 2028 in Los Angeles.

Golf, Archery, Athletics (4x100m mixed relay), Gymnastics, and Rowing Coastal Beach Sprint are the other sports besides table tennis to join the bandwagon for LA28. One of the reasons why mixed-gender disciplines have been added to the sports programme at the Olympics is the feeling that this is the way to develop the sport further.

The mixed team event will be a "powerful catalyst" for the development of women's table tennis globally, said Petra Sorling, president of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), on Friday at a press conference during the ITTF World Cup Macao 2025.

With the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board giving its nod to the inclusion of mixed team competitions, Earlier this month, the ITTF decided that the men's and women's doubles events will replace the men's and women's team events, increasing the number of table tennis events at LA28 to six.

When asked whether there is concern about the United States not being a traditional table tennis market, ITTF Group CEO Steve Dainton said that the ITTF is not concerned but will put a lot of attention on the U.S. market in the next few years.

All countries are eager to win this first gold medal because they all want to make history, but one thing that is most important about the mixed team is that it promotes gender equality, said Liu Guoliang, ITTF deputy president, and a Chinese table tennis legend. "This presents both opportunities and challenges."

As an Olympic doubles gold medalist, Liu said he was looking forward to the return of the doubles event. He underlined that doubles is an integral part of table tennis, and the inclusion of any event will add to the sport's overall appeal.

--IANS

bsk/