2024 ittf world masters table tennis championships

We are very proud to be able to communicate that, for the first time in the history of the World Masters Table Tennis Championships, the competition program for the WMCs in Rome 2024 will include the participation of Para athletes for whom titles have already been awarded during the recent European Championships in Rimini in 2022.

In fact, all the infrastructures of the Venue identified are completely accessible to athletes with disabilities, allowing us to make the 2024 WMC one of the few fully integrated sport events in the world.

Therefore, in accordance with ITTF and compared the previous European experience, the competition program for para athletes will be increased.

The main features for the participation of the para athletes will be as follows:

  • we will provide classification in the World Masters Championships 2024.
  • athletes already classified and registered in the ITTF Para TT database (the list is publicly available here http://stats.ipttc.org/en/profiles ) can register and participate directly in the event.
  • instead, athletes requiring new classification will have to do the request through the respective National Table Tennis Association and follow the standard classification procedure which includes 2 stages:
  • the deadline to register for the event and apply for new classification will be on
    20

    May 2024.
  • athletes will be classified according to the current Classification Rules 2018 approved by the ITTF and IPC (Classification Rules 2018 ).

Only athletes presenting at least one of the eligible impairments will be classified.

Those eligible impairments are:

  • Impaired Muscle Power: athletes with Impaired Muscle Power have a health condition that either reduces or eliminates their ability to voluntarily contract their muscles in order to move or to generate force. Examples of an underlying health condition that can lead to Impaired Muscle Power include spinal cord injury (complete or incomplete, tetra- or paraplegia or paraparesis), muscular dystrophy, post-polio syndrome and spina bifida.
  • Impaired Passive Range of Movement (ROM): athletes with Impaired Passive Range of Movement have a restriction or a lack of passive movement in one or more joints. Examples of an underlying health condition that can lead to Impaired Passive Range of Movement include Arthrogryposis and contracture resulting from chronic joint immobilization or trauma affecting a joint.
  • Limb Deficiency: athletes with Limb Deficiency have total or partial absence of bones or joints as a consequence of trauma (for example traumatic amputation), illness (for example amputation due to bone cancer) or congenital limb deficiency (for example dysmelia).
  • Leg Length Difference: athletes with Leg Length Difference have a difference in the length of their legs as a result of a disturbance of limb growth, or as a result of trauma. Minimum Impairment Criteria is 7 cm.
  • Short Stature: athletes with short stature will have reduced bone length in the upper limbs, lower limbs, and/or trunk. Examples of an underlying health condition that can lead to short stature include achondroplasia, growth hormone dysfunction, and osteogenesis imperfecta.
  • Hypertonia: athletes with hypertonia have increased muscle tension and a decreased ability to stretch a muscle due to damage to the central nervous system. Examples of an underlying health condition that can lead to hypertonia include cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, and stroke.
  • Ataxia: athletes with ataxia have uncoordinated movements caused by damage to the central nervous system. Examples of an underlying health condition that can lead to ataxia include cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, stroke, and multiple sclerosis.
  • Athetosis: athletes with Athetosis have continual slow involuntary movements.

There are many other phisical and sensorial impairments that may lead to some kind of disability but they are not included in the classification rules and they will not be considered. This is a non-exhaustive list of the non-eligible impairments:

  • Visual Impairment;
  • Pain;
  • Hearing impairment;
  • Low muscle tone;
  • Hypermobility of joints;
  • Joint instability, such as unstable shoulder joint, recurrent dislocation of a joint;
  • Impaired muscle endurance;
  • Impaired motor reflex functions;
  • Impaired cardiovascular functions;
  • Impaired respiratory functions;
  • Impairment metabolic functions;
  • Tics and mannerisms, stereotypes and motor perseveration.

To have more information on the para athletes events and how to get the classification please write an email at: info@rome2024.org