Upon receiving a call for support from the Chinese Table Tennis Association (CTTA), the ITTF acted swiftly in sourcing medical face masks to help the people of Wuhan combat the Coronavirus.

As of today, 600,000 masks have been sourced and purchased overseas by the CTTA and will be donated to Wuhan and surrounding cities where the fight against the Coronavirus is still ongoing. The goods are being urgently packed and prepared for shipping, with the intention to ensure a speedy supply for the hospitals and medics at epidemic outbreak areas.

Moreover, warm clothing worth RMB 3 million is being donated to support frontline workers in Wuhan by World Table Tennis (WTT – the new commercial vehicle, founded by the ITTF), together with strategic partners Changxing Group and QG Sports.

Changxing Group, a leading high-end menswear brand, has made a batch of warm clothes including winter jackets and sweaters. The recipients in China include 1007 frontline doctors and nurses from two medical teams in Guangdong Zhongshan Medical University and Guangxi Province. The items have been successfully shipped to Wuhan.

WTT had already shown solidarity to the people of Wuhan by displaying the message “Be Strong, Wuhan!” on the on-court LED screens during the 2020 ITTF World Tour Platinum German Open, where Changxing Group and QG Sports were official sponsors.

Upon conclusion of the German Open and amidst the spread of the Coronavirus across China, the Chinese National Team was invited to train in Doha, Qatar, to prepare for the upcoming ITTF World Tour Platinum Qatar Open (in Doha) and the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships (in Busan, Korea Republic), both events to be held in March 2020.

The Qatar Table Tennis Association (QTTA) helped to arrange a high-quality training environment for the Chinese team with just a single day’s notice after receiving confirmation from CTTA of its plans. This includes a 15-table set up, the best facilities for physical training, rehabilitation, medical equipment, meals and accommodation.