ITTF Announce STIGA As Official Sponsor for 2013/15 WTC

Synonymous with excellence, STIGA will be the Official Table Sponsor and Supplier for the 2013 and 2015 WTC (World Table Cup) Table Tennis Tournament. 

Organised by TMS International, the Marketing Division of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), the agreement was signed at the recent LIEBHERR World Team Championships, which concluded in Dortmund on Sunday 1st April 2012.

Not only is the name STIGA synonymous with excellence; it is also synonymous with Swedish table tennis; the country that in the past 50 years has been the major rival to China on the global scene.

Formed in 1944, the legendary names of Hans ALSER, Stellan BENGTSSON and Kjell JOHANSSON, all World champions, proudly wore the STIGA shirt and used the company’s first class products.

“Over the years STIGA developed the reputation of producing the best wood products for our sport; the STIGA tables and STIGA blades have become synonymous with top quality table tennis products”, said Adham SHARARA, ITTF President. “The ITTF is very happy to have STIGA come on board as a sponsor and official supplier for the prestigious World Team Cup in 2013 and 2015; this new partnership is hopefully just the beginning of a long and positive relationship between STIGA and the ITTF.”

Equally Mats BANDSTIGEN, the Sports President and Chief Executive Officer of STIGA, was delighted with the agreement.

“STIGA is very happy and proud to become the Official Table Supplier of the World Team Cup 2013 and 2015”, he explained. “This important STIGA sponsorship is the latest of many efforts by STIGA to support table tennis worldwide.”

The company is truly global; currently Chinese stars XU Xin and GUO Yue are contracted to STIGA.

They appreciate the quality of the company’s products and one person who is well aware of the high quality is LIU Guoliang, currently the Head Coach of the Chinese Men’s Team. In 1996 when he won Men’s Singles gold at the Atlanta Olympic Games and three years later, when crowned Men’s Singles World champion in Eindhoven, used a seven ply STIGA Clipper blade.

Furthermore, one other person who appreciates the STIGA quality is Anders THUNSTRÖM, the Managing Director TMS International. He guided Jan-Ove WALDNER to Olympic gold in Barcelona in 1992 and one year earlier Sweden to the Men’s Team title at the World Championships in Chiba.

“For me, growing up and playing on a STIGA Expert table, I feel it is great that STIGA is back on the world scene again”, he said. “I am confident we can provide excellent brand values for STIGA at the up-coming World Team Cups; we believe at TMS that it is a win-win for all parties”.