Table Tennis England CEO Sally Lockyer is accompanying Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on an official Government visit to China and Japan, which begins today.

Sally is part of a Government delegation visiting Beijing and Shanghai in China, before moving on to Japan on a visit which aims to build business, sporting and cultural ties between the nations.

During the visit, Sally will promote opportunities around the upcoming centenary ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships in London to key political and commercial organisations.

Sally said: “The chance to accompany the Prime Minister and a high-level delegation on a visit of great importance is both a great honour and a unique opportunity.

“I look forward to making connections with the Chinese and Japanese table tennis communities, as well as political and business leaders, and sharing ideas about moving the sport forward.

“The centenary World Championships in London, alongside further major events hosted by England in the near future, provides us with a huge opportunity to create a lasting impact in both performance and participation table tennis, strengthen communities and promote active lifestyles.”

As well as providing a platform to the world’s best table tennis athletes, London 2026 will have a major economic and social impact.

It is estimated the Championships will have a direct economic input of at least £13million, through ticket sales, spectator spend in the leisure and hospitality sector and through spending on staging the event. Added to that is a Gross Value Added figure – a measure of how an event impacts the economy – of almost £6 million.

The Championships, which is backed by financial investment by UK Sport and the Greater London Authority, is also supporting 151 jobs and creating volunteering opportunities for over 400 Team London Ambassadors and 25 additional sports technical volunteer roles.

Table Tennis England is working alongside the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and domestic partners to ensure the Championships creates a lasting social and community impact.

More than 388,000 adults and 280,000 children currently participate in table tennis every week across England. Building on this strong foundation, the World Table Tennis Championships will deliver a lasting social impact legacy designed to grow the game further. Through targeted investment, community programmes and increased visibility, Table Tennis England (TTE) expects participation to increase substantially by the end of 26, ensuring more people of all ages and backgrounds can access and enjoy the sport.

We are already seeing an uptick in participation on the back of interest in the World Championships and as a result of the Oscar-nominated table tennis-themed film Marty Supreme.

As one of the most accessible and inclusive racket sports, table tennis offers wide-ranging health and wellbeing benefits. It is proven to support physical fitness, improve coordination and balance, and enhance cognitive function, while also promoting mental wellbeing through social connection and enjoyment.

The Championships’ social impact programme will place a strong emphasis on inclusive participation, with initiatives designed to support under-represented groups and those with long-term health conditions. This includes partnerships with organisations such as Parkinson’s UK, where table tennis has been shown to help improve mobility, reaction time and quality of life, demonstrating the sport’s ability to deliver meaningful and lasting social outcomes.

A volunteer programme will be delivered alongside the Championships, creating opportunities for skills development and workforce experience, with a particular focus on engaging young people from London boroughs. This approach aims to ensure the event not only delivers sporting excellence, but also leaves a legacy of increased skills, confidence and community engagement.

About the Centenary World Championships

The ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships is being hosted by London, the same city which hosted the very first World Championships in 1926.

Then, just seven nations competed in the Men’s Team event – as the event comes full circle back to London 100 years later, 64 men’s and 64 women’s teams will compete in the biggest World Championships ever staged.

Held across two iconic venues – OVO Arena Wembley and the Copper Box Arena, the Championships take place from 28 April to 10 May, 2026.

Tickets are on sale now, visit www.london-2026.co.uk for details.