— Published on October 7, 2024

ITTF goes all-in on e-sports

Table tennis

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is joining the movement. It is also going all-in on e-sports. The organization has announced the launch of its very first virtual world championships at the end of the year. For the occasion, the ITTF has partnered with the company For Fun Labs, publisher of the virtual reality game Eleven Table Tennis. The electronic version of the world table tennis championships will take place in two successive phases. The first, dedicated to qualifications, will begin on October 14. It will be open to players from all over the world, men and women, of all levels. The two best competitors will earn their place in the final, scheduled for Helsingborg, Sweden, on November 27 and 28. It will bring together eight players, with the world title of virtual table tennis at stake. The cast will include the two players from the online qualification phase, the two highest-ranked Eleven Table Tennis specialists, a representative from the host country, Sweden, and three participants who have benefited from a wildcard. As a reminder, table tennis was present as an exhibition sport at the Olympic eSports Week, organized at the initiative of the IOC in June 2023 in Singapore.