ITTF and World Sports Photography Awards Launch Centenary Visual Archive Initiative
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The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has partnered with the World Sports Photography Awards to launch a special centenary photography project, celebrating 100 years of table tennis through powerful visual storytelling.
The initiative will run alongside the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026, presented by ACN, and will feature a blend of iconic modern images, archival discoveries, and global fan participation.
At the heart of the project are the ITTF Centenary Photography Awards, which combine a professional photography competition with a worldwide search for historic images sourced from fans, families, former players, clubs, and member associations.
Professional photographers will be invited to submit images that best define each decade of the modern game, from the 1970s onwards, helping to narrate the sport’s evolution over the past 50 years. For earlier decades, particularly from the 1920s to the 1960s, the initiative will focus on uncovering and preserving rare archival photographs, encouraging communities across the world to contribute to the sport’s visual heritage.
Together, these two strands aim to create the most comprehensive photographic record of table tennis’s first century.
Petra Sörling said:
“Approaching our centenary gives us a chance not just to celebrate table tennis, but to recover and preserve memories and images from its history that might otherwise be lost. This project will honour the sport’s greatest photography while helping us discover unknown gems.”
The professional awards will be judged according to the standards of the World Sports Photography Awards by a panel jointly assembled by ITTF and WSPA. The archive initiative will further promote the digitisation and preservation of historically significant imagery.
Selected works from both categories will be showcased as part of the wider centenary programme.
Simon Burton added:
“Great sports photography does more than capture action. It preserves memory, emotion, style, and cultural change. We are proud to help ITTF celebrate its visual history in its centenary year.”
The Championships Finals will take place in London from 28 April to 10 May 2026, hosted at OVO Arena Wembley and Copper Box Arena. Marking 100 years since the first World Championships were held in London, this edition carries historic significance as the sport returns to its birthplace.
A total of 64 men’s and 64 women’s teams will compete over 13 days for the prestigious Swaythling Cup and Corbillon Cup, making it one of the most significant editions in the tournament’s history.
The awards will open in conjunction with the Championships via the World Sports Photography Awards platform and will remain open for entries until July 2026.
Founded in 1926, the ITTF represents 227 member associations worldwide and continues to drive the global growth of table tennis through development, engagement, and innovation as it marks its centenary year.
