ITTF mourns André Damman, Grand Monsieur of international table tennis

The International Table Tennis Federation published a notice on 25 February 2026 mourning the passing of André Damman, the figure long referred to inside the sport as the "Grand Monsieur" of table tennis. According to the federation, Damman was born in 1931 and has now passed away, prompting the formal announcement from the ITTF on the federation's channels.

The ITTF's notice, released today, names Damman directly and frames his death as a significant loss for international table tennis; the federation used the nickname "Grand Monsieur" when referring to Damman in its 25 February 2026 publication. That specific wording anchors Damman’s reputation within the global table tennis community as recorded by the ITTF on the date of the notice.

Damman's birth year, 1931, is noted in the ITTF communication published on 25 February 2026, a detail that places his life across decades of the sport’s development at both national and international levels. The federation's decision to publish a mourning notice on this date signals an official recognition by table tennis' governing body of Damman’s standing and the end of a long personal era beginning in the early 20th century.

The ITTF notice of 25 February 2026 is the federation's public acknowledgment of André Damman's death and his status as the "Grand Monsieur" of table tennis. That acknowledgment, recorded today, will serve as the canonical statement from the sport's international governing body about Damman’s passing and the specific personal detail that he was born in 1931.