Meet the Jury Members Leading the DBF Generation 2026 Selection Process

The application window for the Dream Building Fund Generation 2026 is now closed. We are thrilled to announce that we received 85 strong and competitive submissions from 52 countries and territories across a range of priority areas, with the primary focus on SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), demonstrating the intersectionality of table tennis as a tool for community transformation around the globe.

The applications are currently being evaluated internally by the team. Each initiative will be assessed based on their alignment with the SDGs and the strength of their methodology in creating impactful change through table tennis. In early October, we will invite shortlisted organisations to present to the jury panel. We hope to have the final list of selected grantees by the end of October. We thank everyone who spent the time to apply and showcase their initiatives. We continue to be inspired by the breadth of table tennis for good programmes around the world.

Panel of Jury Members

The esteemed individuals below were invited to evaluate the shortlisted DBF applications based on their extensive experience in the sport sector and expert knowledge related to effectively designing and implementing sustainable social solutions through sport:

Petra Sörling serves as the President of the ITTF & ITTF Foundation and was elected IOC Member in 2023. Since being elected as ITTF and ITTF Foundation President in 2021, Petra has demonstrated a commitment to elevating table tennis on a global scale and ensuring the promotion of table tennis as a tool to transform lives and build prosperous communities. As a former World Champion in table tennis herself, Petra has utilised her platform to engage global stakeholders in table tennis best practices related to safe and accessible spaces and building greener and more sustainable communities, leading to her election as IOC Member in 2023 – becoming the first ITTF President to do so.

Leandro Olvech, Director of the ITTF Foundation, has almost two decades of experience in sport for development, using table tennis as a tool for health, inclusion, and peace. He founded the ITTF Foundation in 2018 after leading the ITTF Development Program and created initiatives such as World Table Tennis Day. With a strong background in sport for people with disabilities, Leandro has also contributed to the Paralympic Movement, promoting gender equity and inclusion. A passionate advocate of the UN SDGs, he believes in the power of table tennis to connect communities and inspire positive change worldwide.

Karine Teow has been the International Table Tennis Federation – ITTF Group’s Head of Sustainability since December 2022. She has been based in Germany since the creation of the ITTF Foundation in 2018, where she was previously in charge of its programmes. Karine brings with her a decade of experience in the sport for sustainable development space which she also studied, Bachelors in Sports Management (UK) and a Masters in Peace, Conflict and Development (Spain).

Sharath Kamal Achanta is an ITTF Foundation Ambassador and 5-Time Olympian in Table Tennis. Kamal is regarded as the face of Indian table tennis after a remarkable two decade plus career in which he was a ten-time National Champion, participated in the Olympic Games five times and won gold at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. Additionally, Kamal has been awarded the Arjuna Award, Padma Shri, and Khel Ratna Award – India's highest sporting accolades – recognising his commitment to the domestic growth of table tennis in India. Beyond the table, represented India as an Olympic flag-bearer alongside P.V. Sidhu at the Paris 2024 Olympics Games. Kamal also serves as the Co-Chair of the ITTF Athletes Commission, supporting the professional development of athletes globally.

Marisa Schlenker is a Senior Programme Manager at the Adidas Foundation. Over her fifteen plus year career in the sport for development space, Marisa has contributed to a variety of projects and organisations across the globe, establishing herself as a powerful and influential voice in the sector. Beyond her work with the Adidas Foundation, a snapshot image of Marisa’s impact as a champion for sport for social impact can be captured by her other contributions as the Managing Editor of the Journal of Sport for Development (JSFD), work with the International Platform on Sport and Development and ENGSO Youth.

Dr. Ben Farai Sanders is the Executive Director of the International Platform on Sport and Development (sportanddev). He is also Course Director for the massive open online course (MOOC) on Sport for Sustainable Development. Ben has extensive practical and theoretical experience, including working with the United Nations, Commonwealth, FIFA, Laureus and others, in designing, delivering and evaluating policies and programmes that use sport to achieve development goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He completed the first PhD by publication in Sport for Sustainable Development in Africa and has published academically and presented widely. He has extensive management and leadership experience and is proudly South African.

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