The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is in a tough spot. Like all of the governing bodies of sports in the world, they must balance the wishes of eager athletes and fans with the need to protect these constituents from an unprecedented threat to their health. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all international table tennis events have suspended through July. The ITTF Executive Committee has been meeting regularly to negotiate these uncharted waters, including how to stay afloat without their usual revenue streams. At the last such meeting on June 4, several key decisions were made regarding the long-awaited return to action. First, the bad news: ITTF World Tour Bulgaria Open, slated for September 1-6, has been canceled. In an attempt to soften the blow, the ITTF says it "will explore opportunities for the possibility of an alternative event to be scheduled on the same dates." Next, the disappointing-but-quite-reasonable-under-the-circumstances-news: the ITTF World Tour Czech Open will go on, but will be quite deficient in international flavor. The August 25-30 tournament in Olomouc, Czech Republic will be for locals only, with some possible exceptions. It will not, however, count as an ITTF World Tour event with the concomitant prize money and world ranking points. The ITTF expresses optimism that international events will resume, in some form, in the final quarter of 2020. They are also developing an "alternative events format" to be tested in the third quarter as a contingency plan. While such limited offerings are surely disappointing to players, not to mention to their frenzied fans, it is with their well-being in mind that such measures are taken. The ITTF's decisions to prioritize public health over short-term profits are to be commended, even if they are not immediately appreciated.

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