Dubai: The traditional culture and heritage of the UAE — including acrobatics and performances — will be on show at the inauguration of the Dubai World Table Tennis Team Cup Classic to be held at the Al Nasr Club later this month.
The event, being held for the first time in the region, is scheduled to be telecast live by more than 45 television channels worldwide.
The Higher Organising Committee for the competition, chaired by Dawood Al Hajiri, has approved the programme for the inauguration ceremony of this high-profile competition to be staged here between September 28 and October 1.
The competition will be formally opened with a ceremony at Al Nasr Club's indoor hall at 6.30 pm on September 28. The actual competition will have begun earlier that day.
The committee said it believed that the best table tennis teams from across the world which came here to compete should be given a taste of traditional culture and heritage of the UAE.
"There will also be a range of acrobatics and performances depicting the values upheld by the UAE," said Al Hajiri.
"We want to have a distinctive flavour to this event in keeping with the high standards set by the UAE, while also making attempts to further popularise this sport among our residents," he added.
The Dubai World Table Tennis Team Cup Classic Championship is being organised by the Dubai Sports Council (DSC) in co-ordination with the UAE Tennis Table Association (UAETTA).
Top table tennis playing nations including China, Germany, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Brazil, Australia, Austria, Nigeria, Canada, Hungary, US, Congo and Singapore will be taking part this year in the men's and women's competitions. As hosts, the UAE will field only a men's squad this time.
The best nine players as per the world classification will take part in the men's competition, while the best 10 players from each country will compete in the women's tournament. The total prize money for the championship is an estimated $289,000 (Dh1.06 million) that will be split among the participating teams at the end of the tournament on October 1.
Karl Jindrak, Competition Director, International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), told Gulf News: "We had a fruitful meeting with the host broadcaster, Dubai sports and they are very keen to broadcast our title event at their highest possible standards".
"I am very confident that we will have a successful event in the UAE, and I really hope that this will be the start to many other ITTF events in the UAE on a regular basis," he added.
Meanwhile, Ali Al Mutawa, Head of the General Relations Committee, reviewed the arrangements being made to host teams, athletes and officials for the competition.
"We are ready for this important competition on the international table tennis calendar. It is our goal is to ensure we all come together as a nation to stage yet another top-class competition here," Al Hajiri said.
