A new record has been set in the world of table tennis. A world record. The ITTF has announced that the latest edition of the Singapore Smash (11-19 March 2023), a stage of the professional circuit, has become the most watched tournament in history on television. Broadcast in 129 countries, it had a cumulative audience of 315 million viewers. The event also achieved a spectacular breakthrough on social networks – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Weibo, Douyin and YouTube – with almost 375 million impressions. On the final day of the competition, Sunday 19 March, a cooperation agreement was signed between the ITTF and Sport Singapore (SportSG) for the construction of a Home of Table Tennis in the Southeast Asian city-state. The project, led by the President of the ITTF, Petra Sörling of Sweden, is part of an initiative to develop table tennis around the world, with the creation of regional centres for professionals and amateur players.
