2025 Year in Review: Driving Global Change Through Table Tennis
As 2025 draws to a close, the ITTF Foundation looks back on a year defined by unprecedented global reach, strengthened partnerships, and a deepened commitment to using sport as a tool for social development. From the vibrant celebrations of the second consecutive World Table Tennis Day championing Diversity and Inclusion to the unforgettable, record-breaking World Table Tennis for Health Festival in Sweden, 2025 has solidified the Foundation's role in harnessing table tennis to create positive change worldwide. Through our programmes—TT4ALL, TT4Health, and TT Dream Building—we have continued to demonstrate that Table Tennis Can Change Lives.
TT4ALL: A Record-Breaking Global Rally
The first half of 2025 reached a historic milestone with World Table Tennis Day (WTTD) celebrations achieving unprecedented participation. Under the continued theme of "Diversity and Inclusion," 845 registered events took place across 146 countries and territories, with 67 ITTF Member Associations (MAs) actively participating and over 102,000 individuals celebrating together worldwide.
The main WTTD event took place in Nairobi, Kenya, championing the spirit of #TTBelongsToYou and reinforcing the message that table tennis is a sport for everyone—regardless of background, ability, or circumstance.
Looking into the second half of the year, we announced an exciting new direction for the upcoming biennium: the theme for 2026 and 2027 World Table Tennis Day, as well as the strategic focus of the ITTF Group, will be "Health & Well-Being." This shift highlights how table tennis can improve lives by supporting physical activity, enhancing mental health, and strengthening social bonds. In parallel, the call for WTTD 2026 Promoters was opened, inviting passionate table tennis advocates worldwide to join this movement.
Besides the WTTD celebrations, our TT4ALL commitment to sport for all and capacity building was further strengthened through participation in the TAFISA European Sport for All Forum, as well as by hosting the INTERACT+ and Safe Coaching Pathway workshops, which equipped participants across multiple sessions with the tools, knowledge, and concepts needed to build more inclusive and safer sporting environments.
TT4Health: Breaking Records and Building Bridges
The TT4Health programme reached remarkable new milestones in 2025, culminating in the spectacular third World Table Tennis for Health Festival, powered by Ultimate Table Tennis, in Helsingborg, Sweden. The year-round preparation for the 2025 Festival demonstrated our commitment to continuous improvement and participant engagement. Beginning with interest registration and the release of an inspiring 2024 Festival after-movie, we established a Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Advisory Group to guide planning decisions. Following the opening of formal registration, anticipation built throughout the year for what would become our most successful health festival to date.
Held in November 2025, the Helsingborg Festival hosted a record-breaking 195 players living with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's from 23 countries and territories, surpassing all previous participation records. The event showcased the therapeutic power of table tennis on a truly global stage, bringing together the international Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and table tennis communities through competitive Championships, the insightful World Table Tennis for Health Congress featuring leading researchers and practitioners, and multiple health-focused side activities designed to promote well-being and social connection. The resilience, determination, and joy displayed by participants powerfully reaffirmed our mission to advance the health benefits of table tennis.
In the lead-up to the Festival, we also hosted the first-ever Parkinson's Showcase Event in conjunction with the ITTF European Para Championships. The event demonstrated the power of table tennis in strengthening health among people living with Parkinson's disease, while also raising awareness among the broader table tennis community.
On World Health Day, we celebrated the launch of the SWAN project, a meaningful Erasmus+ Sport initiative. This collaborative effort brings together seven European partners working to leverage the health benefits of table tennis through evidence-based practices, rigorous research, and innovative interventions for people living with neurodegenerative diseases.
As we look to 2026, we are thrilled to announce that the World Table Tennis for Health Festival will travel to Asia for the first time, with Shanghai, China set to host the 4th edition, marking an exciting new chapter in our global health advocacy.
TT Dream Building: Empowering Generation 2026
The Dream Building Fund (DBF) experienced a significant milestone in 2025 as we celebrated the conclusion of impactful projects while welcoming a new generation of changemakers.
Six DBF projects successfully concluded their funding cycles in 2025, having made lasting impacts in their communities. Projects in Kenya, Nepal, Colombia, Tonga, Ghana, and Iran completed their terms after successfully integrating table tennis into local education systems, leadership development programmes, health initiatives, and community-building efforts. Each project has laid strong foundations for sustainability, and we remain committed to close collaboration with these alumni projects as they continue their journeys.
July marked the launch of the new DBF Generation 2026 call, which received 85 applications from 52 countries and territories worldwide. Following a competitive selection process, six outstanding projects were selected to receive funding over a 2–3 year cycle:
- “Mesas de Sueños: De los Andes al Mundo”–Club Deportivo Team Talentus SACS (Peru)
- “Table Tennis Leadership Program”–Sportathon Foundation (India)
- “Better Aging with Table Tennis: Enhancing Mind, Memory, and Mental Well-being”–Table Tennis Association of Thailand (Thailand)
- “Ping! For Health”–Table Tennis England (England)
- “Shaping an inclusive future through Table Tennis”–Special Olympics Chile (Chile)
- “Serve, Learn, Lead: Empowering Mukuru Youth through Table Tennis and Education”–AmericaShare (Kenya)
These Generation 2026 projects represent the cutting edge of table tennis for development work and will begin their implementation phases in early 2026.
Strengthening our hands-on support, we conducted 2 project visits in 2025, focusing particularly on initiatives in India and Kenya. Following our participation in Ultimate Table Tennis Season 6 and the WTTD main celebration event, we visited the "Smash Barriers" project in India and the "Hope Kwa Vijana Mtaani" project in Kenya respectively, witnessing firsthand the transformative impact the programmes are having on its participants.
We extend our sincere gratitude to all project staff and participants for their dedication and commitment to amplifying the impact of the Dream Building Fund.
Global Advocacy and Partnerships: Amplifying Our Message
Throughout 2025, the Foundation's mission achieved unprecedented visibility through strategic global activations and new partnerships.
In a landmark collaboration, the French National Table Tennis Team wore the ITTF Foundation logo on their sleeves during the ITTF World Championships Finals 2025 in Doha, Qatar. This partnership with the French Table Tennis Federation (FFTT) delivered a powerful message to viewers worldwide, demonstrating how sport and social development can align to amplify impact.
During the ITTF Summit held alongside the World Championships in Doha, the Foundation led a dedicated session for Member Association representatives, creating space to explore the essence and practical application of Table Tennis for Development. At the Annual General Meeting, the Foundation proudly shared key highlights and achievements from the past year, receiving positive reactions and applause from the delegates.
This year, the Foundation showed strong presence across all four WTT Smashes — from Singapore Smash to US Smash, Europe Smash, and China Smash. At the WTT China Smash in Beijing, the Foundation achieved another first by hosting an interactive booth at the Smash Park. Engaging over 10,000 fans daily, the activation combined interactive games, storytelling, and direct conversations to raise awareness of the Foundation’s social impact work and inspire action among table tennis fans.
Looking Forward: #TTMovesYou and the Road Ahead
As we move into 2026, the ITTF Foundation will place greater focus on Health & Well-Being through the new campaign #TTMovesYou, reflecting both the global need for accessible health solutions and table tennis’s proven ability to improve physical, mental, and social well-being across all ages and abilities.
The year ahead promises exciting milestones: the World Table Tennis for Health Festival’s first-ever edition in Asia in Shanghai, China; the launch of Generation 2026 Dream Building Fund projects; and World Table Tennis Day 2026, celebrating Health & Well-Being with communities around the world.
We are deeply grateful to our partners, supporters, donors, fans, and the global table tennis community for making 2025 a year of remarkable growth and impact. As we look ahead, we remain steadfast in our belief that #TTCanChangeLives. Thank you for being part of this journey. Here's to an even more impactful 2026!