The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) welcomes the decision of the IOC Executive Board to put forward ITTF President Petra Sörling as one of the candidates for IOC Membership election at the forthcoming 141st IOC Session, scheduled to convene in Mumbai, India, from the 15th to the 17th of October 2023.

“I am deeply honoured and humbled by the proposition of the IOC Executive Board following the esteemed recommendation of the IOC Members Election Commission,” expressed President Sörling. “Since my election as ITTF President, my aim has been to bring the ITTF and table tennis closer to the Olympic Movement as I believe that sports are stronger when they act together.”

President Sörling stands as one of the two candidates linked to their functions within an International Federation.

In 2021, Petra Sörling became the first female president of the ITTF, pledging to modernise table tennis and increase the sport’s sustainability and diversity opportunities. Her journey within the ITTF commenced in 2009 when she was elected to the ITTF Executive Committee. She subsequently ascended to leadership positions within the 227-member strong federation, including her appointment as ITTF Executive Vice President of Finances in 2013. In 2019, she spearheaded the establishment of the ITTF Sustainability Working Group, a testament to her forward-thinking approach. She was appointed to the IOC Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commission in 2022.

The IOC Executive Board approved the nomination of eight candidates – four women and four men – for election as IOC Members by the upcoming Session. More information is available on the IOC website.