"From the heights of these pyramids," proclaimed Napoleon Bonaparte to his troops in Egypt in 1798, "forty centuries look down on us." In fact, Napoleon's estimate was too conservative by three centuries. Add to this the two centuries which have elapsed since his motivational speech, and the historical sweep of the pyramids grows commensurately. Pyramids have always required and inspired great accomplishments, and this trend continues unabated in the modern era. World Table Tennis (WTT) is the new, unapologetically commercial vehicle for the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). In this capacity, it seeks to grow both its talent pool and its audience on a global scale. Enter the Day One to World Number One program, which is stylishly represented by a pyramidal structure. The WTT Youth Series, the base of the pyramid, is already under construction. As we speak, the stars of tomorrow are gathered in Havirov, Czech Republic for a WTT Youth Contender tournament. This is the third such international Youth Series event in the last month, following similar successful soirees in Portugal and Tunisia. The WTT aims to increase the frequency up to 100 such events per year. Floating atop the unfinished pyramid like the Eye of Providence is the WTT Series, the big money events for the world's top players. Debuting this February in Doha, Qatar, the WTT Series will grow to up to 34 yearly premium tournaments for people with paddles named after them. The WTT Series will be highlighted by four yearly "Grand Smash" tournaments, modeled after the Majors in tennis and golf. Starting January 2022, there will be something in the middle. Youth making the leap to top-tier professional play can now cross swords with seasoned pros slowly losing their grip on the top rungs in the new WTT Feeder Series. The middle tier will offer up to 60 yearly events for those looking eke out a living on tour. "Today marks another important milestone for the WTT and our desire to create a playing pathway that allows players to progress from Day One to World Number One through the new WTT structure," said Khalil Al-Mohannadi, ITTF Deputy President. "The WTT Feeder Series will play a pivotal role in ensuring that youth players can transition into senior events at the end of the WTT Youth Series journey, provide all players in the ITTF Table Tennis World Ranking the ability to compete globally and to provide the opportunity for more ITTF member associations to host WTT events." For the first time in forty-five centuries, there is finally a pyramid scheme worthy of investment.

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