The All Nepal Table Tennis Association (ANTTA), National Disabled Table Tennis Association, Nepal (NDTTA) and International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) are jointly launching the Table Tennis for NepALL on Wednesday.

The project, which has the support from United Nations Office on Sport for Development and (UNOSDP) Peace and the International Working Group, will also mark the World Table Tennis Day. The project will promote the sport among people with disability in Nepal.

ITTF has provided a grant of $127,000 for the three-year programme which will run simultaneously in Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Pokhara, Nepalgunj and Dhangadi. In Kathmandu, Khagendra New Life Training Centre in Jorpati and National Table Tennis Training Centre in Lainchaur will run the programme.

The project will be launched from Jorpati on Wednesday. The ITTF has chosen Nepal to hold the main event of World Table Tennis Day as it coincides with the Table Tennis for NepALL. The launching ceremony will also inaugurate the renovated Para Table Tennis Training Centre in Jorpati.

ITTF President Thomas Wiekert expected a huge participation in the project. “We are expecting to have more than 400 participants for the programme which is so far one of the biggest that ITTF has initiated across the world,” Wiekert told a press conference. 

Wilfred Lemke, UNOSDP Special Advisor to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, said the programme will motivate people with disability. “The most important thing is disability should not be isolated, it should be integrated into the heart and core of the society. Its great to hear that Nepal is working on it. This is one priority of my work to improve and encourage people with disability to do more,” said Lemke.

Korean Ambassador Young-Sam Ma appreciated the effort of everyone involved in the project. “As a co-chair of the Working Group on Sports and Persons with Disabilities, I initiated the preparations along with the UNOSDP and ITTF to materialise the NepALL project in the middle of 2104,” said Ma. 

“But a devastating earthquake hit Nepal and we had to start all over again. The development department of the ITTF had numerous communications with local organisations in charge here (Nepal). Their devotion and patience were crucial in the realisation of this project,” said Ma.