Crossword clue: "The Las Vegas of Asia," five letters. While the cruciverbalists among you are scrambling for a writing utensil to fill in the answer (MACAU), the especially confident contingent in ink, the city itself is scrambling to host a major international sporting event. The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has spent the last few years developing a new commercial vehicle, dubbed World Table Tennis (WTT), with the explicit goal of growing the sport into a major money maker. While all international competition has been suspended since March due to COVID-19, the ITTF has marched forth with its business plan, appointing legendary Chinese player, coach and Chinese Table Tennis Association president Liu Guoliang the WTT Council Chair in June. Now, after a modified playing format with strict pandemic protocols has proven safe in European and American tournaments, the ITTF has announced the resumption of international play in a major way. Both the women's and men's World Cups, along with the ITTF World Tour Grand Finals, will be held this November in China. The first official ITTF event after nearly nine months will be the Women’s World Cup on November 8-10. The Men’s World Cup will run November 13-15, followed closely by the 2020 ITTF Finals, November 19-22. Venues for the events have yet to be announced. One location known for certain, however, is the after-party, a WTT extravaganza to be held at the coastal gambling mecca that is Macau. For five days, November 25-29, the WTT will showcase "a teaser of what to expect when WTT launches its first annual calendar of events in 2021. WTT Macau boasts a thrilling, original playing format and will showcase many of the sport’s biggest stars in brand-new WTT surrounds." WTT Director and ITTF CEO Steve Dainton, the driving force behind the new venture, is understandably pumped. "WTT Macau will be a table tennis show like no other before it," promises Dainton. "After months of waiting to see what this is all about, the time has come to raise the curtain for our first ever exhibition of World Table Tennis." For his part, WTT Council Chair Liu Guoliang has been instrumental in arranging the logistics for the four major events in China. "WTT Macau is our opportunity to show the world just what an incredible transformation our sport will be going through in the World Table Tennis era, and to demonstrate how we are elevating table tennis into one of the greatest sporting properties on the planet," says Liu. "This has always been my dream, ever since my playing days, and now is our chance to start making this dream a reality." On September 21, the Las Vegas of Nevada will host its first NFL home game when the itinerant Raiders host the New Orleans Saints in the new, $1.84 billion Allegiant Stadium. Two months later, and halfway around the world, its sister Sino-sin city Macau will also debut a major development in the world of sport. While China is always a favorite to win at table tennis, top players from the world over will be eager to resume the long-suspended race for world ranking points. Place your bets now, but the smart money is on a good time for players and fans alike.

More at ITTF