Aspetar Holds 17Th ITTF Sports Science Congress

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) held the 17th ITTF Sports Science Congress at Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, marking the first edition of the Congress since 2019.
The two-day event, which concluded Friday, brought together 140 delegates on-site and online from 31 member associations across five continents, underscoring the growing global commitment to evidence-based practice in table tennis.
At the opening ceremony, ITTF president Petra Sörling welcomed participants and celebrated the return of the Congress after a six-year hiatus.“Science has never been more important to our sport,” Sörling said.“By uniting researchers, clinicians, doctors and experts under one roof, we ensure that table tennis not only remains faster and more global, but also smarter and healthier for every athlete. Elite performance depends on scientific progress.”
“I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the Scientific Planning Committee and our partners at Aspetar for welcoming us in a world-class facility, the first of its kind in the Middle East,” she added.
The opening ceremony was also attended by Aspetar CEO Dr Abdulaziz Jaham Alkuwari and Ali Sultan al-Muftah, assistant secretary-general of the Qatar Table Tennis Association, who welcomed delegates on behalf of the local organising partners.
Alkuwari, said:“We are honoured to host the 17th ITTF Sports Science Congress here in Doha, the capital of sport. Serving both as the host of this prestigious scientific event and the official media provider for the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals Doha 2025, Aspetar reaffirms its commitment to advancing sports science, promoting athlete health, and supporting the global sports community through its expertise and leadership.”
The 2025 programme is the most comprehensive in Congress history, featuring 42 peer-reviewed abstracts authored or co-authored by more than 100 researchers in disciplines ranging from biomechanics and injury diagnostics to esports, equipment design, gender equality and Para table tennis. It also has a broadened medical focus, with full plenary sessions on injury epidemiology, shoulder rehabilitation and travel sports medicine. One third of speakers are women, reflecting ITTF's effort to create a more equitable, representative, and forward-looking table tennis community.
Dr Taisa Belli, chair of the Scientific Planning Committee and Acting Chair of the ITTF Sports Science and Medical Committee, praised the depth of the line-up:“Our aim was to curate a multidisciplinary programme that answers real-world questions faced daily by table tennis players, coaches and medical teams. The response from the scientific community has been outstanding.”
Held ahead of the ITTF World Table Tennis Championships Finals Doha 2025, which opens Saturday and runs until May 25, and on the road to Los Angeles 2028, the Congress underscores the Federation's strategy to embed cutting-edge science across all levels of the sport.

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