Donate to Our Cause!
Support Two Players with Parkinson’s representing the ITTF Foundation at the World Masters Gangneung 2026
Christine Knapp, 59, is a self-employed fashion professional from Klagenfurt, Austria, and a proud mother of three and grandmother of one. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2021, she rediscovered table tennis in 2024 during a wellness retreat and soon found her way to Table Tennis Club Gurnitz, which offers specialised training for people with Parkinson’s. Inspired by five-time Parkinson’s table tennis champion Agnes Jan, Christine now trains twice a week, alongside her other activities. She has competed in three Austrian tournaments and won two medals at the Parkinson’s World Championships in Helsingborg. For Christine, table tennis means community, confidence, and proof that life with Parkinson’s can still be lived fully.
Stefan Sigfridsson, 68, from Arbrå, Sweden, has lived a life defined by community and purpose, including stints as a literacy volunteer in Mozambique and Guinea-Bissau. A table tennis lover since childhood, he competed across Europe for 25 years before Parkinson's symptoms forced him off the court. In 2024, he returned through Söderhamn club SUIF's Parkinson's programme, driving 50 kilometres each way to train. The impact is remarkable: the painful toe cramps that make walking difficult almost disappear after each session. Now representing the ITTF Foundation at the World Masters Championships in Gangneung, Stefan arrives with humility and heart — proof that it is never too late to reclaim what you love.
About the Initiative
Building on the legacy of the 2025 World Table Tennis for Health Festival, the ITTF Foundation is proud to continue its initiative by supporting two players with Parkinson's at the ITTF World Masters Championships Gangneung 2026. Following the success of the Rome 2024 edition, this renewed commitment reflects the Foundation's dedication to making table tennis a lasting vehicle for health, inclusion, and social impact.
The two players, Christine Knapp and Stefan Sigfridsson, were selected through a raffle at the 2025 Health Festival in Sweden. Both have been living with Parkinson's disease and have found strength, community, and renewed purpose through the sport. At the World Masters Championships in Gangneung, they will compete among more than 2,000 athletes from around the world, demonstrating the spirit of resilience and determination to overcome health challenges, and demonstrating how table tennis can break barriers and inspire others facing similar journeys.
This initiative promotes Inclusion and Health & Well-being within the global table tennis community, in alignment with the ITTF Foundation's strategic focus for 2026. We invite everyone to support this cause and be part of positive change through table tennis.
We extend our sincere appreciation to the Swaythling Club International for supporting this initiative, to Li-Ning for their generous kit sponsorship, and to the ITTF and the Korean Table Tennis Association (KTTA) for providing the platform of the World Masters Championships Gangneung 2026.
Supported by
Kit Sponsor
