World Table Tennis Day(WTTD), is annually observed across the globe on 6th April to celebrate table tennis, as well as the universality and social inclusiveness the sport represents.
- Bringing people together in a spirit of harmony and understanding, it has been the theme ever since inaugurated in 2015
Background:
i.World Table Tennis Day is an initiative of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), launched with a fundamental mission to promote Table Tennis across the globe.
ii.The first-ever WTTD was observed on 6th April 2015.
iii.The term all includes people of different kinds in terms of age, gender, social status, culture and physical ability.
Significance of WTTD 2022:
i.In line with the biennial celebration of the 50th anniversary of Ping Pong Diplomacy, WTTD 2022 focuses on using table tennis for peace-making and conflict resolutions.
ii.The day seeks to create friendships and build bridges between conflicted parties on both, the state and grassroots levels.
WTTD & SDG:
The World Table Tennis Day 2022 supports several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which include,
- Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere;
- Target 16.a: Strengthen relevant national institutions, including through international cooperation, for building capacity at all levels, in particular in developing countries, to prevent violence and combat terrorism and crime.
About International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF):
CEO– Stephen Dainton
Headquarters– Lausanne, Switzerland
