Doha, May 26 (QNA) - Doha is set to host the General Assembly meeting of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) on Tuesday.

Throughout this meeting, a new president will be elected, with the participation of representatives from over 220 national federations across various continents.

The Qatari candidate, Khalil bin Ahmed Al Mohannadi, who is also the President of the Qatar Table Tennis Association, the Arab Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), and the Asian Table Tennis Union (ATTU), and First Vice President of the ITTF, has launched his bid for the ITTF presidency alongside Swedish Petra Sorling, the current ITTF President, and President of the Mauritanian Table Tennis Federation, Mohamed Ould El Hassan.

Al Mohannadi is highly vouched for by major continental federations, who place full confidence in him thanks to his elevated position on the global stage, along with his renowned administrative competency that he gained throughout a history full of functions in a multitude of careers at home and abroad, spanning over 40 years. Also, his name has related to a comprehensive development vision that regains balance to the table tennis game structure globally.

He began his career as both a player and an administrator before assuming the presidency of QTTA, followed by his leadership of ATTF and ATTU.

Throughout his tenure at the helm of QTTA, he played a critical role in transforming Doha into one of the foremost global venues for hosting major international tournaments, including the World Championships, WTT Star Contender events, and other prestigious competitions.

Al Mohannadi has further contributed to accelerating the advancement of table tennis across the Arab region and bolstered the sport’s progression on the Asian level, particularly in areas related to infrastructure enhancement, expanding the game's reach, and raising the qualification standards of coaching and administrative personnel.

آ  His support also extended to introducing modern technologies in the domains of refereeing and television coverage, thereby fostering comprehensive advancement of the sport across all levels.

Should Al Mohannadi secure victory, he would become the first Arab and Asian to preside over ITTF.

For her part, Petra Sorling is bidding for a new term in office, as the first woman to have assumed the presidency of the ITTF since its establishment in 1926, seeking to retain her position.

Meanwhile, El Hassan is also vying for the presidency, aspiring to represent Africa in the best possible manner.

Chair of the Nominations Committee at the ITTF, Abdullah Yousef Al Mulla, affirmed that the candidacy of Al Mohannadi is the culmination of a long-standing journey marked by unflagging dedication and contributions in service of the sport at both the continental and international levels.

Al Mohannadi had decades-long milestones in support of this sport on the global stage and was present in all stages of its advancements, with an apparent footprint in all tournaments and initiatives that helped advance this sport and enable the national federations to grow and prosper, Al Mulla noted.

Al Mulla affirmed that the elections come following the State of Qatar's tremendous success in organizing the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals Doha 2025 in an incredible image.

In addition, Al Mulla heaped praise on the QTTA's significant efforts, spearheaded by Al Mohannadi, to have such an extraordinarily beautiful image of the tournament that garnered broad global commendation.

Member of the ITTF's Board of Directors, Khaled El Salhy, affirmed that he is pretty confident in Al Mohannadi's capability of making an incredible breakthrough in terms of coaching affairs once he succeeds, adding that he would hopefully like to see his success reach the pinnacle of this sport globally.

Assuming this position by Al Mohannadi, El Salhy underlined, would directly contribute to advancing the sport on all stages, lauding Qatar's tremendous success in organizing the ITTF WTTC Finals Doha 2025. (QNA)