Presented by integrated resort (IR) operator Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG), Macau will welcome, for the first time, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Men’s and Women’s World Cup, at Galaxy Arena in Cotai, which will take place from April 15-21.
Tickets to the matches are available both online and in-person from Friday, priced between 100 patacas and 1,200 patacas.
Back in 1980, the first ITTF World Cup was held in Hong Kong, with its latest edition taking place in Shandong province in 2020.
The announcement of the return of the ITTF World Cup was made during a press conference at the Galaxy International Convention Centre yesterday, during which Sports Bureau (ID) President Pun Weng Kun said that the staging of large-scale international competitions has helped advance Macau’s sporting sector and boost the economic growth of the city’s sport tourism and related industries, adding: “Sanctioning the World Cup to be held in Macau demonstrates ITTF’s trust in and recognition of Macau’s ability to run major international competitions”.
The ITTF World Cup, co-organised by the Sports Bureau, Galaxy Entertainment Group and World Table Tennis Management Group Limited (WTMG) in conjunction with the Macau Table Tennis General Association, will feature 48 male and 48 female world-leading players vying for the championship crowns in Macau, including mainland players Fan Zhendong and Chen Meng, who will defend their crowns in the upcoming ITTF World Cup in the Men’s and Women’s singles matches respectively. Fan is also the men’s singles champion of the 2023 Table Tennis World Championships.
Addressing yesterday’s press conference, ITTF Deputy Secretary General Mounir Bessah from Algeria said that Macau has earned itself a “well-deserved” reputation as a powerhouse in the world of table tennis, with its remarkable success of hosting numerous World Table Tennis (WTT) events over the past years.
GEG Director Philip Cheng Yee Sing said: “The weeklong event marks a glamorous addition to Macau’s growing portfolio of international sports events, a significant driver for the city’s sports industry, and the first top-tier international table tennis tournament to be held at our brand-new Galaxy Arena.”
According to the press conference, the tournament is divided into two stages. In the first stage, players will be divided into 16 groups of three players each to play a round-robin. The tournament will be played in four sets, with the highest-ranked player from each group advancing to the second stage of the knockout round, which will be played in a best-of-seven playoff.
A round-robin tournament or all-play-all tournament is a competition format in which each contestant meets every other participant, usually in turn.
More details can be found at the bureau’s website.
Meanwhile, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) announced late last year that the FIVB Volleyball Women’s World Cup will hold a leg of the tournament this year from May 28 to June 2, and Pun told reporters after yesterday’s press conference that the bureau was in the process of finalising the preparations with the FIVB and other local organising entities, adding that an announcement will be made in due course.
Sports Bureau (ID) President Pun Weng Kun (left), International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Deputy Secretary General Mounir Bessah (centre) and Galaxy Entertainment Group (GEG) Director Philip Cheng Yee Sing deliver their respective speeches during yesterday’s press conference about next month’s ITTF Men’s and Women’s World Cup, at Galaxy Arena in Cotai. – Photo combo: Yuki Lei
