President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev received the President of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Petra Sörling, the Akorda reported. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Sputnik Kazakhstan.
During the meeting, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev conveyed that Kazakhstan attaches particular importance to advancing cooperation with the International Federation. The President noted the growing interest of the country's youth in table tennis.
Currently, more than 260,000 people in Kazakhstan regularly practice this sport. This figure reflects the wide reach of table tennis across the country and its growing popularity among young people.
According to the Akorda statement, the state has begun developing dedicated infrastructure for training the sports reserve and hosting competitions.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed gratitude to Petra Sörling for her assistance in organising the World Table Tennis Championships to be held in Astana in 2027. This will be the first such championship in this sport in Central Asia.
During the conversation, the historical significance of the upcoming World Championships was emphasised. The tournament will open significant opportunities for the development of table tennis not only in Kazakhstan but across the entire region.