Not to be all Debbie Downer here, but the celebration of the return of sports should not overshadow the seriousness of the reason they were suspended in the first place. To date, there have been over 26 million confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide, resulting in 870,000 deaths. The grim toll is on pace to top one million by the end of September. With no legitimate vaccine likely to be available before 2021, it is going to get worse before it gets better. With the requisite socially conscious admonishments in mind, let us turn our attention to the good news of the day. After being forced to postpone or cancel every international competition since March 15, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has announced the long-awaited resumption of play. With the apt hashtag, #RESTART, the ITTF is giving table tennis players and fans something tangible to write on their calendars. In today's press release, the sport's governing body announced that three major events would be held this November in China: the Women's World Cup, Men's World Cup and ITTF World Tour Grand Finals. In a normal year, the three events would be staged in three different locations around the globe (almost invariably Asia or Europe, grumbled the North American contingent). The Women's World Cup was slated for Bangkok, Thailand, and the gentlemen's edition for Düsseldorf, Germany. While the season-ending ITTF Finals had yet to be finalized, it is now a moot point as all three will now be held in China. "After many months away from the table, it is extremely important for us to get international table tennis events back running again," said ITTF CEO Steve Dainton. "We extend our thanks to China and CTTA President, Liu Guoliang, for helping us to make this happen. We are also very grateful to our friends in Thailand and especially Germany, who were committed to hosting the Women’s and Men’s World Cups respectively and have been fully cooperative in handing them to China given the very tough circumstances." According to the ITTF events page, which has been reduced to a palimpsest of protean predictions this year, the Women's World Cup will run November 8-10, followed by the Men's on November 13-15. There is no official word on the ITTF Finals, nor the venue for the three events, but additional announcements are assuredly arriving anon. As we rejoice in the return of sport, consider that athleticism is, at heart, a celebration of life. Let us not forget those who can no longer join in that celebration.

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