MUSCAT: The week-long event (15-21 January), held under the patronage of His Highness Sayyid Fahr bin Fatik Al Said, and represented by the Oman Table Tennis Association, will feature 1,600 participants from different continents of the world.

The Championship is being held for the first time in the Middle East and the African continent. More than 1600 players aged 40 to over 90 years of age will compete for 44 world titles during the coming week.

Abdullah bin Mohammed Bamkhalaf, President of the Omani Table Tennis Association and Vice-Chairman of the Organizing Committee, said: “The World Veteran Table Tennis Championship 2023 is classified as one of the important international sporting events. This version of the tournament will witness good participation in terms of the number, with more than 1,600 people representing 69 countries from all over the world. It is certain that organizing such international sporting events in the Sultanate of Oman is an ideal opportunity for these international delegations to learn about the originality, heritage and civilization of the Omani people, and here I invite all participants to enjoy a visit the various tourist sites of the Sultanate of Oman, in addition to enjoying the championship competitions.

He further indicated that the International Federation is confident in the capabilities of the Sultanate of Oman to host this world championship in the capital, Muscat.

Petra Sorling, President of the International Table Tennis Federation, also praised the initiative of the Sultanate of Oman to host this tournament.