The organizing committee for the 2026 Gangneung World Masters Table Tennis Championships (hereafter referred to as the organizing committee) and Gangneung City have begun a full-scale overseas promotional campaign to raise awareness of the upcoming event to be held in Gangneung in 2026.
The organizing committee and Gangneung City set up a promotional booth at the '2025 European Veteran Table Tennis Championship' held in Novi Sad, Serbia, from the 16th to the 21st, actively promoting the 2026 competition to participants and spectators.
The delegation, comprising three officials from Gangneung City and six from the organizing committee, total nine members, operated the promotional booth during the event, distributing promotional materials and introducing the competition, while inspecting various locations to focus on acquiring practical know-how necessary for venue operation and competition preparation.
In particular, this event drew worldwide attention by unveiling the official emblem and mascot for the first time.
The emblem harmoniously embodies the sunrise over the East Sea, the vertical movement of a table tennis ball, and the shape of a table tennis paddle. It completes a stylish design by adding the pine cone shell pattern, a symbol of Gangneung.
The mascot, newly designed by combining the friendly character 'Jangjamari' from the Gangneung Danoje Festival with table tennis, has been named 'Jangja' and 'Gaksi.'
Jung Hae-cheon, the secretary-general of the organizing committee, noted, 'Many table tennis enthusiasts around the world are looking forward to next year's Gangneung event, and inquiries for participation applications are pouring in,' expressing confidence that it will be a competition that satisfies everyone in Gangneung, South Korea.
The World Masters Table Tennis Championships is an international recreational sports event open to anyone over the age of 40, regardless of whether they are professionals or amateurs. A total of five categories including men's and women's singles, doubles, and mixed doubles will be held, divided into 11 subcategories by age group (in 5-year increments).
In the 2024 competition held in Rome, 6,100 participants from 109 countries attended, marking the largest scale in history. The 2026 Gangneung Championships will take place in early June at the Gangneung Oval and Gangneung Ice Arena, aiming for around 3,500 participants. It is expected to be the largest domestic event and a significant milestone in the history of table tennis in South Korea.
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