The ITTF is the governing body of table tennis whose development motto is “every table is a table tennis table” making accessibility at the grassroots level achievable in all settings. The ITTF has always been a proactive leader in its promotion of sport as a vehicle for social change and is currently aiming to address each Millennium Development Goal with a table tennis project.
In 1999, ITTF initiated a pilot development project in Oceania which was expanded to all continents in 2002. Approximately 100 courses are conducted worldwide every year and equipment assistance provided to over 30 countries annually.
The ITTF was one of the first sports federations to recognise South Africa, East Timor and one of the first to conduct courses in post-war Afghanistan. It has also conducted courses and provided equipment in Iraq in 2007-2008. As far back as the 1970s, ‘ping-pong diplomacy’ was created between the United States and the People’s Republic of China, which set the stage for the resumption of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Today the motto ‘breaking down barriers with Table Tennis balls’ is used to guide the ITTF’s Development Programme, which spans initiatives in Egypt, Uganda, Peru, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the Maldives, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Somalia, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, among others.
The ITTF’s Goodwill Fund was established in 2006 with the purpose of facilitating an ongoing funding source for development projects. The Fund currently supports projects in Kosovo, the Solomon Islands and in Kenya.
