VP Of Doha 2025 Organizing Committee For Table Tennis Receives IOC President At Lusail Arena

Doha: Jassim bin Rashid Al Buenain, Vice-President of the Doha 2025 Organizing Committee for Table Tennis and Secretary-General of the Qatar Olympic Committee, today received Dr. Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), during his visit to Lusail Arena, which is hosting the World Table Tennis Championship Finals Doha 2025, one of the most prominent tournaments on the global sports calendar this year.

This visit comes exactly one month before Olympic Day, June 23, which marks the end of Dr. Bach's tenure as IOC President, after 12 years of leadership and development that reshaped the Olympic Movement and led it through a pivotal period of global transformation.

The tour included ITTF President Petra Sörling, ITTF Senior Vice-President and President of the Asian Table Tennis Federation, Khalil Al-Mohannadi, and IOC Director of Sport, Kate McConnell, and the President of the Qatar Table Tennis Federation.

During the visit, Jassim bin Rashid Al-Buenain reviewed Qatar's approach to hosting major sporting events, highlighting the athletes' experience, the sustainability of the facilities, and the integration of organizational processes.

The delegation witnessed part of the quarterfinal competitions of the tournament, which saw the participation of 640 male and female players representing 127 countries, under the supervision of the International Table Tennis Federation, one of the largest international sports federations in terms of the number of member countries, with 227 federations.

Also during the visit, Jassim Al-Buenain presented a commemorative shield on behalf of the World Championship to Dr. Bach, in honor of his leadership efforts and continuous support for the Olympic movement at the international level.

Lusail Arena is one of the most prominent multi-purpose sports facilities in Qatar.

It previously hosted the 2015 Men's Handball World Championship and is scheduled to be one of the main venues for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

This continuity reflects Qatar's long-term vision to design sustainable and flexible facilities that serve multiple sports and keep pace with the development of the sports movement.

During the tour, President Bach was briefed on the tournament's operational system, including athlete support areas, broadcasting technologies, logistics, and sustainability frameworks.

The tour's presentation reflected Qatar's commitment to an organizing philosophy that places athletes at the heart of the experience, an approach now viewed in Olympic circles as a model for hosting international tournaments.

President Bach expressed his admiration for the level of preparedness and professionalism, praising the state of the arena, the competence of the organizing teams, and the sporting spirit prevailing in the atmosphere.

For his part, Jassim Al-Buenain emphasized the importance of the visit in the context of the mutual appreciation between the IOC and the State of Qatar, and Doha's continued commitment to advancing sport at all levels.

He said: "We are proud of President Bach's visit to Doha at this important moment in the history of the Olympic Movement. It is a moment for reflection and renewal, an opportunity to showcase Qatar's achievements as a leading destination for global sport, and to renew our commitment to the values and institutions of the Olympic Movement."

This visit embodies Qatar's advanced position in global sports and its growing role in leading Olympic action at the regional and international levels.

Under the leadership of HE Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani, President of the Qatar Olympic Committee, the State of Qatar continues to invest in hosting major tournaments, developing sports institutions, and supporting champion development through tournaments such as the 2026 Gulf Games, the 2030 Doha Asian Games, and a series of world championships in various sports.

As the international sports community prepares for a new era of Olympic leadership, this visit reflects the depth of the partnership between the International Olympic Committee and the Qatar Olympic Committee, the strengthening of mutual trust, and the launch of broader horizons of international sports cooperation based on the values of respect, excellence, and joint action.

The World Table Tennis Championship is one of the most prominent tournaments in the world, and its competitions conclude on Sunday, May 25, with the final matches in the men's and women's singles, doubles, and mixed categories.

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