The ITTF will fully entrust its anti-doping work to the ITA, including in and out-of-competition testing, test-distribution planning, disciplinary panels (for anti-doping rule violations), intelligence-gathering, TUE exemptions and education.

On the partnership, the Chair of ITA’s Board Dr Valérie FOURNEYRON said “We are very grateful for the trust the ITTF has shown in choosing the ITA to promote clean sport in table tennis, by protecting its players with our help.”

She added, ”By choosing the ITA to deliver its anti-doping programme, we believe the ITTF has in turn shown its players, its commercial partners, its competition organisers and everyone else who loves the sport just how serious the ITTF is about promoting clean sport. We appreciate this opportunity and we look forward to a great working relationship.”

This was echoed by ITTF President Thomas WEIKERT, “The ITTF is very happy to become the first new international federation to partner with the ITA. We have been very impressed by the way the ITA has quickly established itself and we are confident we have made the right choice in trusting the ITA with our anti-doping work,”

The agreement is in line with the new strategic plan adopted by the ITTF since May, which aims to professionalise all facets of the ITTF.

“The ITTF has a bold vision for the future that we know as ‘Table Tennis. For All. For Life’. With the anti-doping programme for table tennis now in the safe hands of the ITA, we will be able to focus even more clearly on the work required to achieve our vision for the future of table tennis,” said ITTF President Thomas WEIKERT.

As the first new International Federation to partner the ITA, ITTF joins a list of IF’s which had already enjoyed working relationships with the Doping Free Sports Unit of the Global Association of International Sports Federations and automatically moved over to the newly branded ITA.

Read more about ITTF’s strategic plan here.