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The International Table Tennis Federation recently made proposals to the International Olympic committee that team events should replace doubles events at the Olympic Games in
On the morning of Friday 28th October 2005, news was received from the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee that the proposal had been accepted.
It is excellent news for table tennis
Responsibility
The Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee is responsible for deciding on events and disciplines. It is responsible for the composition of the Olympic programme as far as sports are concerned.
A number of requests were analysed for additions and changes to the programmes, the decisions being based on the recommendations of the Olympic Programme Commission.
Increase in number of female athletes
The Olympic Programme Commission provided the Executive Board with recommendations following a wide analysis with an emphasis being on the relevance of events and disciplines for future generations.
Furthermore, consideration was given to the participation of women in the Olympic Games with the Executive Board agreeing to increase the number of female athletes by approximately eighty; this number will be included within the total number of ten thousand five hundred athletes through a final decision on quota per sport which will be made at the next Executive Board meeting.
"It's a step in the right direction", said Judit FARAGÓ, a member of the European Table Tennis Union's Women's Working Group. "In table tennis we have no problems on the subject of equality." Table tennis has made positive efforts to encourage female participation in all aspects of the sport, it is a sport that is attractive to both genders but in the view of Zita PIDL, also a member of the European Table Tennis Union's Women's Working Group, there is still more progress to be made.
"I'm naturally pleased with any efforts to increase female participation", she said. "The next step is to increase the number of women in the decision making roles." It is a valid point and one which the International Table Tennis Federation in particular has addressed with females occupying important roles within the organisation.
Accepted Requests
Several requests were received from International Federations; those being accepted by the Executive Board for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing are:
FIFA: Football Request: to increase number of female teams from ten to twelve.
FIH - Hockey Request: to increase number of female teams from ten to twelve.
IHF - Handball Request: to increase number of female teams from ten to twelve.
FINA - The inclusion of open water swimming, a ten kilometre event for men and women.
IAAF - Athletics Request: the inclusion of a women's three thousand metres steeplechase.
ITTF - Table Tennis Request: to replace doubles events with team events.
Under Discussion
Several requests to increase quotas are still under discussion for the 2008 Olympic Games:
ITU - Triathlon; UCI - Cycling; UIPM - Modern Pentathlon; FIE - Fencing
Not Accepted
Requests by International Federations not accepted by the Executive Board for the 2008 Olympic Games in
AIBA - Boxing Request: the introduction of women's boxing, four additional weight categories and thirty-two athletes.
FIBA - Basketball Request: to increase the number of male teams from twelve to sixteen, with a reduction in team numbers from twelve to ten athletes across all men and women teams.
FIG - Gymnastics Request: to increase the number of groups in rhythmic gymnastics from ten to twelve, leading to an increase of twelve gymnasts. Alternatively, increase the number of individual rhythmic gymnasts by twelve.
FILA - Wrestling Request: the inclusion of three additional weight categories of women wrestling, leading to a total of seven categories. The Federation was encouraged to find a solution within its existing quota.
FINA - Aquatics Request: the inclusion of six events: fifty metres backstroke for men & women; fifty metres breaststroke for men & women; and fifty metres butterfly for men & women.
ISF - Softball Request: to increase the number of female teams from eight to ten, leading to an increase of 30 athletes.
ITF - Tennis Request: inclusion of one event, mixed doubles.
IWF - Weightlifting Request: increase number of athletes by fifteen to twenty for women events. The Federation was encouraged to find a solution within its existing quota.
WTF - Taekwondo Request: inclusion of two events for men and women: increase weight categories from four to six, leading to an increase of twenty athletes.
From: www.ittf.com
