ITTF Opens 2026 Merit Award Nominations, Accepting Submissions Until March 24

The International Table Tennis Federation opened nominations for its 2026 Merit Awards on March 10, giving member associations a tight two-week window to submit candidates for a program that honours individuals who have rendered "distinguished service" to the sport.

The nomination period runs through March 24, 2026. That is a 14-day window from opening to close, so if your national association has someone worth putting forward, the clock is already running. The ITTF published the official nomination procedure on the same day nominations opened, March 10, pairing the procedural guidance with the start of the submission period.

Once the March 24 deadline passes, the process moves quickly. The Selection Panel is scheduled to complete its review by April 4, 2026, meaning the full cycle from procedure publication to panel decision spans less than four weeks.

The Merit Awards are one of the ITTF's formal mechanisms for recognizing contributions that go beyond the competitive results table. The "distinguished service" framing covers the broader ecosystem of the sport: the administrators, officials, and long-term contributors who keep table tennis functioning at every level. The specific eligibility criteria and submission format are detailed in the official nomination procedure published March 10.

With only eight days remaining in the nomination period as of today, member associations that have not yet begun the process should move immediately to the ITTF's official channels to access the procedure and confirm submission requirements before the March 24 cutoff.