Don't look now, but the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is trying new things in its old age. Some might chalk it up to the craziness we have all experienced in this truly unprecedented year. Take poor ITTF President Thomas Weikert, who last week was forced to self-quarantine in his German home after coming in contact with a COVID-19 carrier. Fortunately, Weikert has since tested negative for the deadly disease, but was nonetheless unable join the ITTF Executive Committee in Doha, Qatar in advance of their Annual General Meeting (AGM). Even before Weikert's scare, the ITTF had decided to hold their AGM online. During yesterday's AGM, 129 of the ITTF's 226 member associations voted on the location of the 2023 World Table Tennis Championships (WTTC). The finalists were Düsseldorf, Germany, hosts of the successful 2017 WTTC, and aspiring first-time hosts Durban, South Africa. After viewing Düsseldorf's slick, well-financed presentation and Durban's less professional but more endearing pitch, nearly 70% of the voters opted to award South Africa its first ever WTTC. The vote is historic in more ways than one. In the 94-year history of the ITTF, every WTTC save one has been held in Europe or Asia. The lone outlier was the 1939 championships, held in Cairo, Egypt. Over eight decades after this lone exception which until recently had proved the rule, the WTTC is once again succumbing to wanderlust. First, the 2021 WTTC will stage its American debut in Houston, Texas. With the next biennial bash in Durban, South Africa, the ITTF is making good on its commitment to expanding its global outreach. "We are continuing to see benefits from the forthcoming changes... leading to more countries bidding from different regions of the world," said ITTF Deputy President Khalil Al-Mohannadi. "This also reflects the ever-increasing international appeal of table tennis, which is extremely pleasing to see as we continue to work hard to make the sport more global in the future." While the ITTF patted itself on the back for its long-overdue market expansion, the Durban hosts were elated over their victorious campaign. Joe Carrim, the President of the South African Table Tennis Board, was clearly moved by the overwhelming support from the global table tennis community. "I am obviously ecstatic and beside myself with joy," beamed Carrim. "The sleepless nights and all the hard work have paid off... I want to thank the world of table tennis and the ITTF for entrusting us with the confidence... to host this event. We are certain that we will make everyone who supported us extremely proud." Whatever the cause, whether it be cabin fever, crass commercialism or sheer whimsy, the ITTF is finally expanding its footprint to reflect the global nature of the sport. Who says an old dog can't learn new tricks?

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