Everything is ready for the third stop of the WTT Youth Contender to begin today (from 9:00 a.m. to Sunday, October 26th). The event will feature more than 160 table tennis players from four countries at the "Elizabeth Popper and Francisco López" gym in San José, Caracas.
Local authorities, led by the Vice Minister of High Performance, Henyelbert Herrera; the president of the Venezuelan Table Tennis Federation, Danir Balbás; the director of the national massification project, Cecilio Correa; and the event's general supervisor, David Gallego, approved allowing athletes born in India, Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela—between the ages of 9 and 19—to compete for points awarded by the WTT World Championship, led by its director, Thiago Vieyra.
Vice Minister Herrera emphasized the tournament's importance within the national sports calendar, stating, "This is one of the most important events of the year in table tennis; in addition, we have hosted more than ten international competitions so far in 2025 in different disciplines. This is a source of pride for us because, despite the adversities, we continue to host the best events, demonstrating to the world that we are a country of love and peace."
In this regard, he emphasized that thanks to the efforts of President Nicolás Maduro, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, the President of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, the Minister of Sports, Franklin Cardillo, and a wide range of leaders, we continue to believe in and support peace and sports.
High standards
For his part, Danir Balbás, a member of the organizing committee and the country's top table tennis official, praised the technical and organizational quality of the demanding competition.
“We are holding an event with international standards that meet all the requirements of the International Federation. Thank you for the trust in this resilient country, which demonstrates its ability to host world-class events. This tournament fulfills two major objectives: to measure ourselves against the world's elite and to continue climbing the international rankings,” he said.
Cecilio Correa, director general of national mass education, emphasized the social value of sports, saying, "Venezuela views the practice of sports as a highly transformative force."
In this regard, he stated that "when a child picks up a racket and a ball, it's pure magic. This event sends the message to the world that Venezuela promotes sport as a tool for peace and social transformation."
Read also: Promising table tennis players compete in Caracas
WTT General Judge David Gallego highlighted the tournament's impact on the development of young talent. "This competition opens the door for all the young athletes who dream of reaching the Olympic Games. We at WTT would like to thank the organizing team, because this event represents the beginning of international youth talent."
The categories in play will be: under-9, under-11, under-13, under-15, under-17 and under-19 in singles and in mixed doubles in under-15 and under-19, with the Venezuelans Carlos Ríos (ranked 82 in the world) and Dakota Ferrer (ranked 62 in the ITTF under-19 rankings) standing out.
