ITTF Foundation Names Kapadwanj, Gujarat Host for World Table Tennis Day 2026

The ITTF Foundation has named Kapadwanj, Gujarat, India as the host city for the main World Table Tennis Day (WTTD) 2026 celebration, bringing the sport's marquee grassroots event to a small city in Gujarat with the backing of two local partners: Kapadwanj Kelavani Mandal (KKM) and the Dani Sports Foundation. ITTF Foundation Director Leandro Olvech and local leader Dr. Harish Kundalia are among the named figures attached to the event, alongside community participants drawn from across Kapadwanj.

Held each April 23 in honor of Ivor Montagu, ITTF Founder, World Table Tennis Day highlights fun and participation over competition, emphasizing the power of sport to break barriers and bring people together. The decision to center the 2026 main celebration in Gujarat rather than a major metropolitan hub signals a deliberate grassroots direction for the event, putting a community-focused venue at the heart of the global occasion.

The ITTF Foundation announced Health & Well-Being as the theme for WTTD 2026, with the theme set to guide not only this edition but also 2027, shaping the overarching direction of the ITTF Foundation's work and the shared vision of the entire ITTF Group family. To support communities and organizers worldwide, the ITTF Foundation has also launched a Health & Well-Being Handbook to accompany the 2026-2027 theme, exploring how table tennis contributes to physical health, mental health, emotional well-being, and social connection, and providing practical activities communities can use to organise celebrations.

In 2025, 845 WTTD events took place across 146 countries and territories and a record-high 67 ITTF Member Associations joined to demonstrate the sport's ability to unite people, build connections, and create joyful shared experiences. Kapadwanj will now carry the weight of that global momentum as the flagship venue, with KKM and the Dani Sports Foundation serving as the organizational backbone on the ground.

With Health & Well-Being as the theme, the ITTF Foundation is particularly keen to see health spaces, including care homes, hospitals, youth centres, and rehabilitation centres, hosting and showcasing table tennis' role in supporting health, well-being, and recovery. For a city like Kapadwanj, where grassroots sport infrastructure has been built through community institutions like KKM, that framing fits the local context closely.

The ITTF Foundation is also launching the campaign #TTMovesYou, celebrating table tennis not just as a game but as a global movement for healthier bodies and stronger minds. Full program details, schedules, and participation information for the Kapadwanj main event are expected through official ITTF Foundation channels ahead of the April 23 celebration.