Ding Ning (back) and Sun Yingsha of China compete during the women's doubles quarterfinal against Lin Ye/Yu Mengyu of Singapore (both not in frame) at the 2020 ITTF World Tour Platinum German Open in Magdeburg, Germany on Jan 31, 2020. (BINH TRUONG / XINHUA)

BEIJING - The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Monday expressed its support for the new date for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Tokyo 2020 organizing committee, Tokyo metropolitan government and the government of Japan announced earlier in the day that the Tokyo Olympic Games will be staged from July 23 to August 8, 2021, and the Tokyo Paralympic Games will run from August 24 to September 5, 2021.

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The 33 summer Olympic federations showed unanimous support to the IOC proposal of new dates, underlining the necessity to work together with solidarity in these difficult times

Thomas Weikert, President, ITTF

"The 33 summer Olympic federations showed unanimous support to the IOC proposal of new dates, underlining the necessity to work together with solidarity in these difficult times," said the ITTF President Thomas Weikert.

Raul Calin, the ITTF Secretary General, also underlined support for the decision.

"With the new dates announced, and once we receive their guidance, we will work closely with the IOC and IPC, as well as with our continental associations and athletes commission to make the necessary adjustments to our qualification pathways.

"We do hope this process can be completed within April 2020 in order to give enough time to our stakeholders to adjust their planning," Calin noted.

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The ITTF has decided to suspend all planned ITTF events and activities involving international travel until June 30 due to the effects of COVID-19 on the international table tennis event schedule.