ITTF — International Table Tennis Federation

What is the ITTF?

The International Table Tennis Federation is the international federation for table tennis. Its constitution opens: “The organisation shall be known as the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).” It defines the ITTF as “a not-for-profit association governed by Articles 60 et seq. of the Swiss Civil Code” (article 1.1), and sets as its purpose to “direct, develop, govern, regulate, and control Table Tennis under all forms worldwide” and to “organise World Title Events of which it is the sole holder and owner” (article 4.1).^[1]

That constitution is new. It is “effective 3rd May 2026”, and the ITTF’s documents site lists it as the ITTF Constitution 2026 beside the ITTF Statutes 2025 it followed.^[1][3] ASOIF’s profile of the federation describes the reform process as “marking the first step in introducing fresh new ITTF Statutes for the next centenary of the sport”.^[7]

Olympedia, an independent Olympic-history database, states that “The governing body of the sport is the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)”, and its organisation page names Petra Sörling of Sweden as president since 2021.^[5][4]

What does the ITTF govern or do?

Rules. The ITTF Statutes 2025 set out the whole rule book in numbered chapters, among them “2 The Laws of Table Tennis”, “3 Regulations for International Competitions”, “4 Regulations for World, Olympic, and Paralympic Title Competitions”, “5 Anti-Doping Rules”, “6 Code of Ethics”, “8 ITTF Tribunal” and “9 ITTF Integrity Regulations”.^[2] See equipment regulation and officials and referees.

World Table Tennis. The professional event series is run through a subsidiary. The Statutes 2025 state that “WTT is the commercial rights entity, a for-profit subsidiary of the ITTF, and a part of the ITTF Group” (article 1.28.1), and the 2026 constitution that “World Table Tennis (WTT) is the commercial rights entity of the ITTF and its for-profit subsidiary.”^[2][1]

Anti-doping. The constitution commits the ITTF to “comply with the WADA World Anti-Doping Code, and their applicable subsidiary regulations” (article 3.1).^[1] See anti-doping.

Para table tennis and esports. The Statutes 2025 list a Para Table Tennis Committee among the ITTF’s permanent committees (article 1.71.1).^[2] Olympedia records that the federation “has also entered the eSports world, with the first-ever ITTF Esports Table Tennis World Championships staged in 2024, in Helsingborg, Sweden.”^[4]

When was the ITTF founded and where is it based?

Founding. The preamble of the 2026 constitution refers to the ITTF “Since its founding on 12 December 1926 in London”.^[1] Olympedia independently gives the year and records that the ITTF “was formed in 1926, with nine founding members: Austria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, England, Germany, Hungary, India, Sweden, and Wales.”^[5] ASOIF also gives 1926.^[7] The year is confirmed by three sources; the day and the city rest on the ITTF’s own constitution. Olympedia adds that the first World Championships were staged in London “that same year”.^[4]

Name. The federation has carried the same name throughout: Olympedia files it as the International Table Tennis Federation, and the constitution’s name clause gives the same form.^[4][1]

Seat. The constitution states: “The ITTF has its seat in Lausanne, Switzerland” (article 1.2).^[1] Olympedia also places the headquarters in Lausanne, and ASOIF’s profile gives the address as Maison du Sport International, Avenue de Rhodanie 54, 1007 Lausanne.^[4][7] The founding city, London, and the statutory seat, Lausanne, are separate facts.

How is the ITTF recognised?

IOC and IPC. The constitution describes the ITTF as “recognised by the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee” (article 1.1).^[1] No retrieved source dates either recognition: the constitution, Olympedia’s organisation page and ASOIF’s profile carry none. The sport’s Olympic history is dated separately. Olympedia records: “Table tennis made its Olympic début as a full medal sport in 1988 at Seoul. It was never contested at the Olympics as a demonstration sport, which the International Olympic Committee (IOC) then usually required of new sports.”^[5] See Olympic programme.

ASOIF. The Association of Summer Olympic International Federations lists the “International Table Tennis Federation” among its 30 full members; its profile gives “Member Since: 1983”.^[6][7]

WADA. The World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of Code signatories carries the “International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF)” under the heading for ASOIF members.^[8]

Paralympic. Olympedia records that para table tennis has been on the Summer Paralympic programme since Roma 1960.^[4] The ITTF’s rule book covers Paralympic title competitions in chapter 4 of its Statutes 2025.^[2] See Paralympic Games.

What does the ITTF organise?

World Championships. Olympedia records that the first World Championships were held in London in 1926, the year of the ITTF’s founding.^[4] The constitution reserves “World Title Events” to the ITTF as their “sole holder and owner”.^[1]

The most recent edition was the team event: the “ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026”, held from 28 April to 10 May 2026 at the Copper Box Arena and OVO Arena Wembley. Its host federation described it as “a landmark centenary edition”, with 64 men’s and 64 women’s teams; China won both titles, beating Japan in each final.^[9] The 2026 constitution took effect on 3 May 2026, during the championships.^[1]

Para and esports championships. Olympedia records para table tennis World Championships since 1990, and the first ITTF Esports Table Tennis World Championships in Helsingborg in 2024.^[4]

Multi-sport Games. Chapter 4 of the Statutes 2025 governs “World, Olympic, and Paralympic Title Competitions”, the framework for table tennis at the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games.^[2]

Who are its members?

Count. Olympedia states: “As of January 2026, the ITTF has 227 Member Associations.”^[4] ASOIF’s profile gives 226 national federations, and Olympedia’s sport page, dated earlier, reads “As of 2020 the ITTF has 226 member associations.”^[7][5] No current total from the ITTF itself could be retrieved.

Categories. The 2026 constitution creates two classes of member. “Full Members are all ITTF Member Associations as of 3rd May 2026”, with voting rights, while “Associate Members are Member Associations that do not yet meet all requirements for Full Membership”, with limited rights.^[1]

Continental federations. The constitution provides: “There shall be one Continental Federation for each of the following continents: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.”^[1] The Statutes 2025 had put it as “five Continental Federations, one each from the geographical regions of Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania” (article 1.19.1).^[2]

National associations. Membership is by national association rather than by state: England and Wales were separate founding members among the nine Olympedia names.^[5] Each member association enters its players for the ITTF’s title events under chapter 3 and chapter 4 of the Statutes 2025, the regulations for international and for world, Olympic and Paralympic title competitions.^[2]