Officials of Qatar Table Tennis Association pose for a photograph with International Table Tennis Federation officials.
Bangkok: The General Assembly of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) elected Qatari referee Hassan Al Amri as the Chairman of the Umpires Committee, yesterday.
The decision was made during the meeting held in Bangkok, Thailand, on the sidelines of the ITTF Summit. The meeting also witnessed the election of the Assistant Secretary General of the Qatar Table Tennis Association Ali Sultan Al Muftah as a member of the pioneers committee for former players.
The selections and votes were unanimous, reaffirming Qatar’s outstanding presence in the international table tennis community. It’s worth noting that the President of the Qatari, Arab, and Asian Federation Khalil bin Ahmad Al Muhannadi holds the position of Vice President of the International Federation for the sport.
The attendees at the meeting praised these selections, which will last until the 2025 World Cup, thanks to the significant transparency of the appointments committee led by Qatar's Abdullah Yousuf Al Mulla.
Qatar continues to achieve great success in the sport, having endorsed a proposal to increase the number of teams in the World Championships, as well as to hold the General Assemblies of the International Federation annually at the same time and location as the World Championships, whether team events in even years or individual and doubles events in odd years. Following the decision made in the Jordanian capital Amman to win the hosting rights for the 2025 World Championships, the number of teams in the World Championships was increased to 64 countries from the previous 40. This decision was made during the General Assembly in Bangkok to provide opportunities for all countries to elevate their technical levels.
This resolution will contribute to increasing the financial income of the International Federation, and national associations will also benefit from the increased annual revenue in terms of marketing and television broadcasting rights.
Another decision was the integration of the General Assemblies with the World Championships in the same year, aiming to expand the scope of competition and provide an opportunity for everyone to participate in the World Championships.
In the same context, during the meeting, a unanimous vote was cast to grant lifelong honorary membership of the International Federation to Tunisian Sherif Al Hajjam, the former president of the Tunisian and African Federations.
