"In the midst of chaos," wrote Sun Tzu, "there is also opportunity." Vestigial chaos from pandemic-ravaged 2020 is clearly a renewable resource; therefore, if the aforementioned Chinese military strategist is to be believed, opportunity should abound in comparable measure. As it turns out, both were on display at today's European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) executive board meeting. Under the leadership of newly elected president Igor Levitin, a countryman and comrade of Russian president Vladimir Putin, the ETTU attempted to formulate some semblance of a strategy for 2021. The first order of business was to nail down the details for the European Olympic qualification, scheduled for February but lacking a confirmed venue. Previously, Moscow had been slated to host the qualifier, an essential step toward a credible Olympiad this summer in Tokyo. The Russian Table Tennis Federation (RTTF) expressed every confidence in its ability to host the tournament in compliance with COVID-19 protocols, but worried that Moscow's transportation infrastructure could not safely handle the influx of international players. Citing these and other vague logistical concerns, the RTTF said "nyet" to hosting the European Olympic qualification. While president Levitin would surely have enjoyed the feather in his cap of hosting the prestigious tournament on his native soil, a practical leader must be open to contingencies. Into this chaos strode the Portuguese Table Tennis Federation (PTTF). Sensing an opportunity, the PTTF gamely offered to host the European Olympic qualification. As a result, those European paddlers not yet directly qualified will converge (safely, one hopes) in Lisbon from February 10-14. At stake will be four women's singles and five men's singles berths. Players, fans and governing bodies of table tennis have all experienced the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic together. For Portugal, this chaos produced the by-product promised millennia ago. For the last word on the subject, we return to the source of the first words, Sun Tzu: "Opportunities multiply as they are seized."

More at ETTU