Doha: The World Table Tennis (WTT) will make its return to Doha with a second WTT Star Contender this week, following its successful debut earlier this year with the WTT Middle East Hub.

More than 70 athletes from across the globe will start their campaign from the qualifying rounds for the singles and doubles, which take place at the Lusail Multipurpose Hall on Monday and Tuesday.

Winners from the qualifying draw will then advance to the main round of action, which will be held from September 22-25.

The Qatar Table Tennis Association Khalil Ahmed al-Mohannadi stressed that the organising committee has completed all the arrangements well in advance, drawing on their experience from hosting the first edition of the event in March earlier this year.

Al-Mohannadi said the health bubble system will be strictly applied for the tournament with officials from Ministry of Public Health, ITTF and QTTA coordinating. He also revealed that the event is open only to players and officials who are fully vaccinated, and they will be subjected to Covid-19 test on the arrival at the airport.

WTT Star Contender Doha follows the highly successful WTT Contender Budapest, the first-ever WTT event held in Europe. Qatar’s third WTT event in 2021 offers 600 ITTF Table Tennis World Ranking points and a $200,000 in prize money.

WTT Star Contender events sit within the third tier of the WTT Series as part of the revamped event structure that WTT, a commercial and events subsidiary of the ITTF has created.

Finland’s Benedek Olah and Singapore’s Clarence Chew are two of the 47 challengers in the men’s singles qualifying draw.

Source: Qatar Olympic Committee