Over 640 players to descend on Doha from May 17-25
Doha: The draw for the World Table Tennis Championships in Qatar 2025 is scheduled for Wednesday, April 30, 2025.
The tournament will take place at Lusail Arena and Qatar University from May 17 to 25 of the same year. A total of 640 players will participate, comprising 256 in the singles event, 256 in the men’s and women’s doubles, and 128 in the mixed doubles, culminating in 443 matches.
This draw will initiate the countdown to the prestigious global event, with fewer than 20 days remaining until the competition, which features the world’s top players. The draw ceremony will be held at the Mall of Qatar Theatre and will be streamed live on the ITTF YouTube channel for table tennis enthusiasts worldwide.
This ceremony is significant for players as it reveals their paths in the tournament across all categories. The most recent ITTF World Rankings, released on Tuesday, April 29, will inform the final rankings for the event. Athletes will compete in five distinct events: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles, all conducted in a straight knockout format.
The draw mechanism will assign pre-determined positions to the top 32 players in the world rankings in the singles event, thereby exempting them from preliminary rounds, while 96 players will enter the preliminary rounds, resulting in a total of 128 competitors.
In the doubles event, 16 pairs will be seeded based on their world rankings, leaving 48 pairs, leading to a total of 64 pairs. Singles matches will follow a best-of-seven format to determine the match winner, whereas doubles matches will adopt a best-of-five format.
The tournament will award gold medals to the first-place winners, silver medals to the second-place and runner-up teams, and bronze medals to each semi-finalist.
The organizing committee for the tournament has finalized its comprehensive preparations for the significant event, which is anticipated to feature a variety of activities and surprises that remain undisclosed until the ceremony date.
The event will host a select group of distinguished guests and table tennis officials from across the globe, alongside the players and top-ranked competitors set to participate in the tournament.
Khalil bin Ahmed Al Mohannadi, President of the Qatar, Arab and Asian Federations and First Vice President of the International Federation, highlighted that the draw for the World Table Tennis Championship represents the penultimate phase of this global event, which will take place in the sports capital of the Middle East. He reiterated the organizing committee’s commitment to delivering an outstanding edition, both in terms of technical execution and organizational excellence.
Al Mohannadi further noted that the Qatari talents, who previously executed this major event with remarkable success in 2004, are well-equipped, after more than two decades, to impress the world with a uniquely exceptional edition in every aspect. We assure everyone that Qatar’s organization of the tournament will be remarkable.
Al Mohannadi elaborated, stating, “Numerous events will take place alongside the tournament, including the 17th International Federation Scientific Conference at Aspetar Hospital, featuring prominent experts in sports science. Furthermore, there will be meetings at both the continental and Arab levels, as well as the General Assembly meeting of the International Federation, where the election for the International Federation President will occur, serving a four-year term until 2029. With God’s grace, we aim to succeed in this meeting by securing the presidency and showcasing our exceptional organizational skills, bolstered by the unwavering support from sports leaders and the guidance of His Excellency Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, President of the Olympic Committee, who has significantly motivated us to pursue the presidency and steer the future of table tennis in the years ahead.”
Great Demand for Tournament Tickets
Ticket sales for the tournament have been extremely high since the start of sales through the “Q-Tickets” website, with fans from around the world rushing to obtain tickets allocated to attend the tournament in Qatar. The Qatar Table Tennis Federation has dedicated a dedicated page for online ticket purchases to facilitate access for all fans to attend matches at Lusail Arena and Qatar University Hall, both of which will be hosting the competitions.
The organizing committee has also allocated free seats for people with special needs to attend the competitions and enjoy the atmosphere. There are special entrances to facilitate access to the stands and designated seating areas.
We have reached 100% readiness ahead of the tournament: Thani Al Zarraa, Chairman of the Media and Communications Committee
Thani Jumaa Al Zarraa, Chairman of the Media and Communications Committee for the World Table Tennis Championships Qatar 2025 and a member of the Board of Directors of the Qatar Table Tennis Federation, emphasized that we have reached 100% readiness for the tournament’s kickoff, with less than a month remaining until the major global event. Al-Zarraa said: “Thank God, we succeeded in providing all the requirements of the International Federation in order to organize a distinguished and exceptional championship. During the current year, the Qatar Federation organized 3 combined championships and a championship in January with a record participation of ranked players from various countries of the world as a rehearsal for the Qatar Federation’s cadres to train for major hosting events, including the World Championship. Thank God, as everyone who visited Qatar testified, they confirmed our readiness to…”
