England set to host 2018 ITTF Team World Cup
August 23, 2017
The world’s best table tennis players are heading back to the birthplace of table tennis for the 2018 ITTF Team World Cup, which will be held in London, England on 22-25 February 2018.
The ITTF has awarded the hosting rights for the event to Table Tennis England, with fixtures set to take place at the Copper Box Arena in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
The Team World Cup, which was last held in Dubai in 2015, comprises of a total of 12 men’s and 12 women’s teams which are made up of a host team, Continental Champions and the other top finishers at the 2016 World Team Table Tennis Championships.
Table Tennis England Chairman Sandra Deaton said: “This is fantastic news for table tennis in England and a vote of confidence from the ITTF. We can’t wait to host the event, giving our members and the wider sporting community the chance to see the greatest players in the world in action.
“We’re also delighted that our top players will get the chance to take on the likes of China and Japan in their own country, with the support of a passionate home crowd.
“The fact that the iconic Copper Box Arena – a world-class venue, as proved during the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics – will stage the event makes it all the more exciting.”
ITTF President Thomas Weikert added: “London is a very special place for the ITTF, as it is where we were founded in 1926, and where we held our first World Championships in the same year.
“It is great to be bringing world class table tennis back to this city, for this reason and because of the massive success of the London 2012 table tennis event.”
England previously hosted the individual Men’s World Cup at Liverpool in 2012 but next year’s tournament will represent first major table tennis-only event to be staged in London since the 1954 World Championships.
