GIZ and ITTF Foundation support table tennis for development.

The new partnership will focus on training, capacity building, and providing technical assistance to optimize the design and implementation of Table Tennis for Development projects and programmes.

To further strengthen table tennis in development cooperation, German Development Cooperation (BMZ/GIZ) and ITTF Foundation joined forces. The partnership aims to promote social inclusion, cohesion, gender equity, and other areas of development at the grassroots level aligned to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in particular in the Western Balkans, Iran and Uganda.

We look forward to a fruitful and hopefully long-term collaboration with GIZ to maximise the contribution of sport, particularly table tennis to social development on the grassroots level. We are glad to have GIZ onboard to make the benefits of sport accessible to those who need it most, in an efficient, expeditious, and sustainable matter. - Leandro Olvech, ITTF Foundation Director.

A key focus will be on training and capacity building of Sport for Development (S4D) for local partner organisations, including those funded through the Dream Building Fund (DBF), clubs and ITTF Member Associations promoting Ping Pong Diplomacy, as well as individuals such as the project leaders, coaches, and participants under the DBF, and related programmes using table tennis for sustainable development.

Additionally, the partnership aims to ensure the following through well-informed, better-prepared projects and programmes:

• Easy access to the various benefits of sport, particularly table tennis.
• Reinforced organizational and personal capacity among project leaders, practitioners, and participants.
• Increased understanding of the need for robust monitoring and evaluation for impact measurement and effective communication.

Our guiding principle is together we achieve more! We therefore very much welcome this partnership with ITTF Foundation to support local communities and vulnerable youth in our partner countries and increase the impact of table tennis as a tool for social development all around the world. – Jens Elsner, GIZ, Head of Programme, Sport for Development.

GIZ and ITTF Foundation Support Table Tennis for Development - ITTF Foundation