Rotterdam (Netherlands), May 10, 2011 - During the GAC GROUP 2011 World Table Tennis Championships currently taking place in Rotterdam, the international organization Peace and Sport and the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) announced a "Peace and Sport Table Tennis Cup" – a historic Table Tennis tournament aimed to encourage dialogue and good relations between nations – which will take place in Doha, Qatar on 21-22 November 2011.
Organized by the Qatar Tennis Table Association with the support of the Qatar National Olympic Committee, under the leadership of ITTF and the guidance of Peace and Sport, this is an unprecedented sports event that will break political tensions and unite nations in a way that only table tennis can.
Based on ‘Ping-Pong Diplomacy’, the famous event that provided the catalyst for US-China relations back in 1972, the Peace and Sport Table Tennis Cup will use the power and core values of sport as a driving force to promote peace and unity.
Onlookers will include key government officials and diplomats from each of the competing nations, fostering political communication and relations at the highest level.
The ten nations set to compete in this historic and first Peace and Sport Table Tennis Cup are:
- The People's Republic of China
- India
- The Islamic Republic of Iran
- Japan
- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea)
- The Republic of Korea (South Korea)
- Pakistan
- Qatar
- The Russian Federation
- The United States of America
Elite players from the 10 represented countries will compete over two days. In the doubles events, partnerships will be created with representatives from different nations symbolising this ground-breaking initiatives objective. The ‘Peace and Sport Table Tennis Cup will witness teams composed of exceptional duos that will make an indelible mark on our memories and turn these athletes into genuine ambassadors of global peace.
Joel Bouzou, President and Founder of Peace and Sport, added: "Sport goes far beyond competitions and games. Many historic and recent examples demonstrate that it acts as a major political lever that can serve as a mediator in the international diplomatic arena. This is the driving ambition of this tournament which I hope will allow us to reach a stage where we can bury the quarrels of the past, encourage dialogue between certain countries and more globally, promote mutual understanding and peace. We are incredibly proud to be involved in this project that will make such an impact."
The ‘Peace and Sport Table Tennis Cup is the fruit of a long-term relationship between Peace and Sport and ITTF who jointly develop programs for peace promotion and peace education through table tennis in Colombia and Timor Leste.
For more information, contact: press@peace-sport.org.
As a service to our readers, Around the Rings will provide verbatim texts of selected press releases issued by Olympic-related organizations, federations, businesses and sponsors.
These press releases appear as sent to Around the Rings and are not edited for spelling, grammar or punctuation.
Your complete source of news about the Olympics is www.aroundtherings.com, for subscribers only.
Últimas Noticias
Boxing’s place in the Olympics remains in peril as IOC still unhappy with the state of AIBA’s reform efforts
The IOC says issues concerning governance, finance, and refereeing and judging must be sorted out to its satisfaction. AIBA says it’s confident that will happen and the federation will be reinstated.
McLaren report to FIBA confirms abuses in the Mali women’s basketball program
The investigation could not “independently verify” allegations against FIBA president Hamane Niang, who has resumed his duties after stepping aside during the probe.
ATR Extra: 1st ISF U15 World School Sport Games – Belgrade 2021
Olympic Channel is live streaming the basketball, basketball 3x3, football, judo and wrestling competitions during the event, which runs September 11-19.
International Judo Federation bans Algerian athlete and coach for 10 years for refusing to fight an Israeli at Tokyo 2020
Judoka Fethi Nourine and his coach Amar Benikhlef admitted they were withdrawing from competition to avoid a potential match with Tohar Butbul of Israel.
IIHF bans Belarus hockey president for five years for code of conduct violations - Federation Focus
Also: no contested election for next ITTF president; BWF calendar shrinks as event in India cancelled due to pandemic; FISU announces early bids for 2027 and 2029 World University Games
