by Georgi Slavchev

The organisers have decided, instead of the plastic bottles that have been used during the previous editions of the tournament, this time around there will be aluminum bottles given to all accredited personnel – starting, of course, with the players!

Last year more than 10,000 plastic bottles were used during 2018 ITTF World Tour Asarel Bulgaria Open; one can imagine the damage done to nature, although every effort was made to recycle the used material.

The organisers have prepared special edition bottles for every player with the logo of the tournament and the year engraved in the middle. Members of the organising committee in Panagyurishte hope that this would provoke players, coaches, and others to be more careful when using plastic not only during the event but also afterwards in their everyday life.

It is a move supported by Aneliya Karova, a former player who has competed in the tournament and is a member of the organising committee.

“We firmly believe that our approach will benefit everyone and most importantly the planet that we live on. Furthermore, instead of the typical plastic cups for water and coffee, we are going to use 100 percent recyclable cardboard cups.” Aneliya Karova

Everyone attending the competition will be able to buy the aluminum bottle from a specially prepared stand in the hall.