As I write this update, we are fast approaching the 50 days to go milestone on the road to the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026!

As you can imagine, preparations are in their final phase and everything is coming together at pace – it’s going to be an amazing experience for players, spectators, officials, coaches and volunteers.

Well over 20,000 tickets have already been sold, finals are close to sell out as we see demand continuing to rise, not only from the UK market but international fans too. we’re anticipating huge demand as we get ever nearer 28 April, when the first balls will be struck at the Copper Box Arena. 

We are offering group bookings of 10 or more tickets which are ideal if your club wants to get together and travel to watch – and the lead booker gets their ticket for free. Click here to find out more about group bookings.

The full schedule has been confirmed and you can see details of when all the matches are being played here.

We’re delighted to deliver on our commitment to make world-class table tennis accessible to families, with all tickets for Stage 1b at the Copper Box Arena priced at just £5 for children and £15 for adults.

We’re also excited for the England matches getting under way at OVO Arena Wembley on 2 May when England men play China and women face Japan. 

We know the Stage 1a matches against some of the world’s best teams will be tough, but our teams will play to win and then see what opportunities they are given in the draw for the last 32 starting on 4 May.  Having home crowd support makes a massive difference so let’s all get behind England in Wembley.

Major events like the World Championships do not happen without an army of enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers and London 2026 is no different. Our volunteer programme has exceeded expectations and was three times oversubscribed. I’d like to thank all those who have given their time to be part of the team and wish you a happy and enjoyable Championships.

We’ll soon be launching our range of exclusive London 2026 and ITTF Centenary merchandise – as well as our event mascot Ping! The full range will be available to buy online as well as in the venues. Keep an eye on our website for details.

We have officially unveiled two landmark corporate programmes too, offering businesses a unique opportunity to be part of sporting history while creating a lasting social legacy across the capital.

The Centenary Table programme will see a limited number of special edition branded tables installed at high-profile, iconic London landmarks, and the Corporate Cup Competition is an employee engagement initiative designed to spark friendly rivalry and team spirit within the workplace, with major organisations like Google, WeWork, Monzo and Deliveroo already signed up. Click here to find out more about these initiatives.

Mark Bates Ltd National Championships

The contenders to be selected for the England Men’s and Women’s squads will be competing at the Mark Bates Ltd National Championships in Nottingham from 20-22 March, so it’s going to be an incredible couple of months ahead for the players and spectators!

Tickets for the Nationals are now on general sale, having first offered our members a priority window to buy tickets, which is one of our annual membership benefits.

Mark Bates has been a great friend to our sport over the years, and I am delighted his company is continuing to support the Nationals and is increasing the prize money on offer to the athletes, helping to really value their achievements at this, our flagship domestic event.

We’re excited to see how the new qualifying tournament, held on the first day of the competition, compares with the previous standalone event – I can report encouraging entry numbers.

Honoured to travel with the Prime Minister

Our major events strategy is proving to open up doors and I was honoured to be invited to join the delegation of business, cultural and sports leaders travelling to China and Japan with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer recently.

Table Tennis England was one of only two organisations from the sporting world to be represented, along with the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.

The visit opened up opportunities for further investment and media support and building new networks and relationships, as well as putting our sport firmly on the radar of our country’s leaders.

I also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with China Media Group, the world’s largest media conglomerate, which is an exciting partnership built around publicity, marketing, sponsorship and engagement – creating opportunities to grow the sport.

Special events on the Worlds pathway

As we reach the 50 days to go milestone, I’m looking forward to seeing thousands of people around the country taking part in Britain’s Greatest Rally on Monday, an event which has gathered extensive media interest as well as enthusing clubs and organisations to get involved and make the day go with a bang. I wish everyone taking part a great day!

On the subject of volunteers, I’m delighted to say the shortlisted national nominees for the Pride of Table Tennis Awards will all be able to enjoy a wonderful experience at the World Championships.

We are inviting them to a special reception, with the chance to watch England play, and I am really pleased we can thank and honour in this way a group of people who have given so much of their time and enthusiasm to our sport. Look out for the announcement of the winners shortly after the World Championships.

Ping Hub shortlisted

We recently received the news that the Exchange Ilford Ping Hub has been shortlisted for the London Sport Awards 2026 in the Active Environment Award category.

Located in The Loft at The Exchange Shopping Centre, Ilford, the Ping Hub has transformed a town centre space into a welcoming place for people to get active and was visited by ITTF President Petra Sörling during WTT Star Contender London last year.

Community projects like this will help us to bring the sport to more people before, during and beyond the World Championships, supporting Ping for the People, Table Tennis England’s official London 2026 legacy initiative focused on creating lasting social impact by making table tennis easier to access in everyday spaces.

Digital transformation latest

One of the major projects this year away from the field of play is our digital transformation. You may recall the announcement back in the autumn of our partnership with Cloudathlete, and I am pleased to report that this project is making very good progress.

I’m excited to see some of the early progress as we work to transform our members’ digital experience.

I’d also like to thank those of our members who have joined our team of testers to put the system through its paces and make sure it makes your life easier – whether you’re joining or renewing your membership, booking a tournament, managing a club, or tracking your stats.

Save the date for the AGM 

We recently announced the date of our 2026 AGM and we are continuing with the midweek evening date, having moved to that format last year following feedback from Company Members.

The meeting will this year be held on Wednesday 8 July and 7pm. The meeting will address the formalities and legal requirements of the AGM only, with the Annual Report element moving to a separate event, again following feedback from Company Members. This will be an in-person event to be held on a date to be confirmed. Find out more about this here.

It’s clear that 2026 is shaping up to be the most significant year for English table tennis for a generation and I urge you all to get involved.

Best wishes
Sally Lockyer
Table Tennis England CEO