Progress made over the past year:

• A fully transparent Strategic Plan developed by all of you, and adopted by the AGM for the period 2018 – 2024, the first ever for the ITTF – you can find it here already in 4 languages with more languages to come:  https://www.ittf.com/home/2018strategicplan/
• A clean up of our constitution fully endorsed by the AGM. The first step for improved governance of the ITTF. It can also be found here: https://www.ittf.com/handbook
• The establishment of the ITTF Foundation – which will allow the Development and High-Performance department to focus more clearly on Table Tennis Development and the Foundation to focus on Table Tennis for Development and using table tennis as a tool for a better society.
• A new World Championships structure voted with a strong majority by the Board of Directors – which will allow the ITTF to grow the sport exponentially in all corners of the World.
• A unified Korean Team in Halmstad and a continued effort thereafter in our World Tours – showing the ITTF continues its great history in “Ping Pong Diplomacy”.
• In the past 2 months, 3 continental forums has been held to discuss ITTF future plans with our members. These forums took place in Europe (Romania), Latin America (Costa Rica) and Africa (Mauritius). These forums have been received positively and we will follow up in the other regions of the world. That said, they show there is still a lot of work to be done in the Continents.

Reflecting on these achievements made over such a short span of time, Dainton stated “These are the major highlights of course, but there has been much more done by our dedicated professional staff. I really do wish to thank them all for their full support and continued effort, most of the time going far beyond their limits on behalf of table tennis.”

“It’s been a good start this past 12 months – but the work is really just beginning to take the ITTF platform from the strength that was built in the past, to the new heights that we have in our plan.”

As well and importantly over the past months a new staff structure has been put in place – and it is with great pleasure to announce and remind that:

• All Director positions are now filled – with the Marketing portfolio being lead by Mr. Matt Pound and the Competition portfolio being lead by Ms. Vicky Eleftheriade – both whom will be based in Singapore.
• We are also pleased to announce that Ms. Claudia Herweg officially has started in her capacity of Equipment Manager. Mr. Raphael Chen also joins us in Singapore as the Sales Manager for Asia Pacific. 
• Since starting as CEO, and with the bold Strategic plan it was obvious that capacity was the key issue we would face to achieve it and as a result there have been more job postings than ever before in our federations history. You will see many new hirings in the end part of 2018, watch this space.

In the next months the ITTF will continue to take the following crucial steps:

• Fully rolling out the ITTF Strategic Plan.
• Ensuring that our work in the Continents bears even more fruit than ever before by strengthening the ITTF operations in each continent – including offices and regional training centres
• Working hard that for our next commercial rights cycle to maximise the income for the ITTF from 2021 onwards. To secure the future for our sport.
• Forging forward on an exciting joint collaborative agreement with T2 to work on and test new commercial elements and a structure for our sport with 3 events in both 2019 and 2020. Trialling innovative concepts for the future success of table tennis and especially the World Tour.
• Ensuring that the ITTF make an amazing system and structure around the newly approved ITTF World Table Tennis Championships model.