Two days after the annual general meeting broken under scandalous circumstances, the ITTF table tennis association reacted to the events in Doha and announced that it would initiate investigations.
At the same time, the congress had to be called again “to treat the agenda points that could not be treated”.
The Swedish incumbent Petra Sörling competed in the election for the presidency against the Qatarian challenger and ITTF-Vice Khalil al-Mohannadi. Sörling, who had succeeded the current DOSB President Thomas Weikert in 2021, was ultimately ahead with 104: 102 votes and was confirmed in office until 2029.
According to ITTF, the camp of al-Mohanadi warehouse as a result was “unfounded allegations of irregularities” in the election process, which the association received in a long statement on Thursday and stated: “The ITTF rejects the erroneous statement of some member associations to recognize a different result.”
A hybrid election process was used in Doha, 185 were present in Doha, 21 voted online.
As several media reported, Sörling had left the hall after being known due to threats and sought refuge in the Swedish embassy in Doha. The ITTF noted: “After the end of the presidential election, the annual general meeting had to be interrupted due to disorders caused by people who were neither delegates to the member associations nor members of the board, the council, committees or invited guests.” The World Association “regretted and condemned the disorder sharply”.