New Delhi, April 10 (HS): The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Wednesday the inclusion of a new mixed team event in table tennis for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. This will be the first time this event will be held in the Summer Olympic Games.

Total of 6 events in table tennis now

With this new decision, the Olympic table tennis program will now include men's and women's singles, the return of men's and women's doubles, mixed doubles, and the new mixed team event. This is an exciting update for table tennis enthusiasts.

ITTF President expresses happiness

The President of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), Petra Sörling, expressed her joy regarding this decision on Wednesday, stating, This historic decision by the IOC Executive Board reflects the growing popularity of table tennis and is a testament to its global appeal.

She further stated, After the success of table tennis at Paris 2024, the introduction of the mixed team event at LA 2028 is another historic step, representing a significant move towards an inclusive and dynamic future for our sport.

Successful debut of the mixed team event in Chengdu

It is noteworthy that the mixed team event had a successful debut during the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup in Chengdu, China, in December 2023. The competition began with mixed doubles, followed by women's and men's singles. If necessary, women's and men's doubles matches were also held, with their order determined based on rankings.

Table tennis has been a part of the Olympics since 1988

Table tennis was first included in the Olympics at the 1988 Seoul Games, featuring men's and women's singles and doubles. Starting from the 2008 Beijing Olympics, team events replaced doubles, and this format continued until 2016 Rio. The mixed doubles debut occurred at Tokyo 2020, and now in 2028, the mixed team event will add a new chapter to the Olympics.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar