Turkish table tennis closed 2025 as one of the sport’s quiet success stories, combining rare league depth, historic international breakthroughs and an expanding grassroots footprint that now stretches from elite Olympians to veterans and first-time players.
Türkiye Table Tennis Federation (TMTF) President Kerim Koç said the scale and structure of the domestic leagues alone set Türkiye apart globally.
“More than 100 men’s and women’s teams compete across the Süper Lig, First, Second and Third divisions,” Koç told Anadolu Agency (AA). “Very few countries in the world operate this many active leagues.”
Koç described 2025 as an intense but rewarding year, highlighted by sustained international exposure for elite athletes.
Turkish Olympic players competed in events across more than 50 countries, while years of groundwork finally paid off with a long-awaited World Championship quota.
Türkiye achieved a rare double by qualifying both men’s and women’s teams simultaneously, an accomplishment shared by only a handful of nations.
Another milestone followed at the youth level, where Turkish players reached the World Championship final in the junior doubles category for the first time in history.
Paralympic table tennis continued to underpin Türkiye’s international reputation.
The country remains a global force, producing Olympic champions and medal-winning athletes, and added nine medals at last month’s European Para Table Tennis Championships.
“Our goal is not only to protect this success but to expand it by bringing new names into the system,” Koç said.
With 220,000 licensed players nationwide, table tennis has become one of Türkiye’s most inclusive sports.
Koç emphasized that its appeal extends well beyond traditional age brackets.
“This is not a ‘7 to 77’ sport, it’s a lifelong sport,” he said.
That philosophy drove another landmark moment in 2025, as Türkiye staged its first-ever Veterans National Championship.
The federation plans to launch a Veterans Team Championship in 2026, further formalizing competitive pathways for older players.
The federation also accelerated its efforts to bring table tennis into public spaces.
Through the “We Get 3 Million People Playing Table Tennis” project, the sport reached thousands at fairs and open-air events, reinforcing its accessibility and low barrier to entry.
Koç said the next phase will push even further into daily life.
“Our aim is to turn every home and every table into a table tennis venue,” he said, pointing to plans to distribute thousands of portable nets and equipment nationwide. A public-awareness campaign, blending humor with promotion, is also in the works.
A major structural gain came with the allocation of a dedicated training base for Paralympic athletes in Ankara.
The Doğan Çağlar Physical Disabilities Secondary School has been assigned to the federation, providing dining, accommodation and specialized facilities.
“This gives our athletes a real environment to focus on development,” Koç said.
Koç added that new sponsorship deals allowed the federation to channel more resources into youth development and equipment distribution at national championships.
The federation also relocated its headquarters to a larger, 1,000-square-meter facility, strengthening its operational capacity to manage both domestic and international programs.
Still, one ambition remains unfinished.
“Our biggest dream is a federation-owned international training center,” Koç said. “We’ve begun groundwork with the General Directorate and the ministry. If all goes well, 2026 could bring a permanent camp center, something that would be a major step forward for our community.”
