The registration deadline for this year’s PPP World Championship fell at the end of 15 August, and after the registration window had been open for half a year, there was little further activity in the final days before the deadline. 846 players have already secured their place in the field; eight others must pay their registration fee in the coming days, otherwise they will be removed from the list of participants. Incidentally, this also applies to numerous players who have not yet submitted proof of their Parkinson’s diagnosis. Anyone who fails to submit this proof will not be able to take part, even if the entry fee has already been paid.
Failure to provide the requested information regarding table tennis ability has less serious consequences. Any players who do not provide this information will be assumed to wish to play in the highest-level category, into which they will then be placed.
The 854 entries represent the absolute maximum number of players, as no further entries can now be accepted. However, between now and the start of the tournament in five weeks’ time, some players are bound to have to withdraw for various reasons, just as 57 other previously registered players have already done over the past six months. The organisers are therefore expecting around 820 to 830 players to ultimately take part in Hanover. That is still around 500 more participants than last year in Lignano, Italy, when the current registration record of 324 participants was set.
The tournament will take place at Sportpark Hannover near Lake Maschsee, across a total of 90 tables in three halls, where around 220 volunteers will ensure that this second PPP World Championship in Germany runs smoothly. Meanwhile, the organising committee, which has been holding fortnightly video conferences over the past few months, will switch to weekly meetings from Monday onwards.