Table Tennis England CEO Sally Lockyer Joins PM Starmer in China, Japan

Table Tennis England chief executive Sally Lockyer accompanied Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer on a high-level government delegation to Beijing and Shanghai before the group moved on to Japan, beginning 27 January 2026. Lockyer’s role on the trip was to promote opportunities around the upcoming centenary ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships in London and to build business, sporting and cultural ties with Chinese and Japanese partners.

Lockyer is due to present the Championships to political and commercial organisations and to connect with the Chinese and Japanese table tennis communities as part of wider sport diplomacy. Table Tennis England said the event will be organised with the International Table Tennis Federation and domestic partners to “create a lasting social and community impact.” The organisation also highlighted resource commitments tied to the Championships: “The Championships, which is backed by financial investment by UK Sport and the Greater London Authority, is also supporting 151 jobs and creating volunteering opportunities for over 400 Team London Ambassadors and 25 additional sports technical volunteer roles.”

On the trip Lockyer offered a personal view of the visit’s importance: “The chance to accompany the Prime Minister and a high-level delegation on a visit of great importance is both a great honour and a unique opportunity. I look forward to making connections with the Chinese and Japanese table tennis communities, as well as political and business leaders, and sharing ideas about moving the sport forward. [...]”

Lockyer took up the Table Tennis England CEO role on 16 December 2024 after a 25-year career in the sports sector, including leadership as CEO of Surrey FA and senior roles with the British Athletes Commission, the Commonwealth Games and multiple World Championship events. On her appointment she said, “I’m delighted to be joining Table Tennis England at such a pivotal moment for the sport. With the World Team Table Tennis Championships in London in 2026 and the Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics just around the corner, it’s an exciting time and I’m ready to seize the opportunities ahead.” Table Tennis England’s wider welcome included a comment attributed to its chair at the time of that announcement: “I am delighted to welcome Sally to TTE and the Board looks forward to working with her. Her outstanding leadership at Surrey FA combined with her experience at Triathlon England in particular will be of great value as we further focus our efforts on growing both the formal and more contemporary formats of our great sport and delivering Table Tennis United.”

Table Tennis England, founded in 1927 and headquartered in Milton Keynes, runs national championships, the British League and Grand Prix events and is the national governing body for the sport in England. Records show a difference in named chairs across public documents; the organisation may clarify governance listings and any recent changes.

For local clubs, volunteers and coaches the visit matters because it signals international engagement ahead of a major London event that TTE says will create 151 jobs and open more than 400 volunteer ambassador roles plus 25 technical volunteer positions. Expect Table Tennis England and partners to publish volunteer drives, community programmes and event roles as planning for the centenary Championships progresses. With the Japan itinerary and full meeting list not yet detailed publicly, follow Table Tennis England channels for announcements on partnership opportunities, volunteering sign-ups and grassroots outreach tied to the championships.