GANGNEUNG CITY ENG - 솔향강릉

- Gangneung Mayor Kim Hong-gyu and Korea Table Tennis Association President Lee Tae-seong appointed as organizing committee co-chairs -

​ The 2026 Gangneung World Masters Table Tennis Championships have officially begun. On the 5th (Wednesday), Gangneung City and the Korea Table Tennis Association held the founding general meeting and launch ceremony for the organizing committee at the Grand Ballroom Halla I in Seoul Dragon City Convention Center, pledging a successful event.

 The 2026 Gangneung World Masters Table Tennis Championships Organizing Committee (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Organizing Committee’) was jointly formed by Gangneung City and the Korea Table Tennis Association. At the inaugural general meeting, Gangneung Major Kim Hong-gyu and Korea Table Tennis Association President Lee Tae-seong were elected as co-chairpersons, and procedures such as approval of the organizing committee, appointment of executive members and auditors, and appointment of the secretary general were carried out.

 Hyun Jung-hwa, former executive chairperson of the organizing committee for the 2024 Busan World Table Tennis Championships, was appointed as executive chairperson to oversee the practical affairs of the competition and Jeong Hae-cheon, former secretary-general of Korea Table Tennis Association, was appointed as the secretary-general. 

 In his inaugural speech at the launch ceremony, co-chair Kim Hong-gyu said, “It is an honor to host a world-class table tennis festival in Gangneung. We will thoroughly prepare using the infrastructure that successfully hosted the 2018 Winter Olympics and the 2024 Gangwon Winter Youth Olympics.” He also expressed his ambition, saying, “We will make this the best Masters Table Tennis Championships ever, as table tennis enthusiasts from all over the world will come to visit this competition.” 

 Co-chair Lee Tae-seong also emphasized, “The World Masters Championships, which can be called the World Championships of Sports for All, has a different kind of synergy compared to elite competitions. The scale of participation, including athletes as well as accompanying friends and family, is beyond imagination. The Korea Table Tennis Association will also cooperate to create a stage that will not only enhance the status, honor, and brand of Gangneung City, a world-class tourist city, but also our country’s national prestige.”

 The launch ceremony was attended by over 60 key figures, including co-chairs Kim Hong-gyu and Lee Tae-seong, Gangneung City Council Vice Chair Jo Dae-young, and former Korea Table Tennis Association Vice President Hyun Jung-hwa. Notably, Yoo Seung-min, President-elect of Korea Sports Council, also attended, adding significance to the event. 

 President-elect Yoo was the key-figure who successfully led the 2024 Busan World Table Tennis Championships while serving as President of the Korea Table Tennis Association, and laid the foundation for hosting this event. In his congratulatory speech, he said, “The 2026 Gangneung World Masters Table Tennis Championships will complete the series of international table tennis events held in Korea, following the Asian Championships and World Championships. After this competition I believe that table tennis in Korea will grow to another level and that Gangneung’s name will be widely known for inviting many participants. Korea Sports Council will provide as much support as possible.”

 The launch ceremony concluded with a presentation of appointment certificates to key officials, a commemorative photo session, and special performances to wish for the event’s success. The “Tournament Kickoff Ceremony” staged with digital holograms, was led by the co-chairs and all participants joined in a “Success Pledge Card Section”, demonstrating their commitment to a successful event.

 The World Masters Table Tennis Championships, a top-tier event organized by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), is an international competition open to all table tennis players aged 40 and older, regardless of professional or amateur status. It features five events, men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles, divided into five-year age groups. The tournament attracts 4,000 players from more than 100 countries, with recent expansion into Asia and the Americas. 

 In particular, as it is considered a festival of table tennis that everyone can enjoy, visits by family and friends are expected, and the 2026 Gangneung Competition is predicted to attract a large number of Asian enthusiasts, mainly from Korea, China, and Japan, with over 10,000 players, executives, and officials expected to visit, which is anticipated to greatly contribute to tourism and economic revitalization. 

 Gangneung City and Korea Table Tennis Association announced that this competition will be the starting point for a new history of table tennis in Gangneung City and the Republic of Korea. This inaugural general meeting and launch ceremony will be the official starting point for preparations for the competition and will be an important milestone for future successful hosting. 

 Meanwhile, the 2026 Gangneung World Masters Table Tennis Championships, which will be held for ten days starting Thursday, June 5, 2026 at Gangneung Olympic Park, was officially selected as the host event after fierce competition from Elche, Alicante, Spain, during the ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) Board of Directors meeting held in February 2024 at BEXCO Convention Hall in Busan. The organizing committee’s secretariat will operate temporarily in Seoul until December this year and plans to relocate to Gangneung Olympic Park as early as the end of this year. ​