Table Tennis Chief Preps for Rio, Future with SportAccord -- ATRadio

(ATR)The president of the International Table Tennis Federation has high hopes for Olympic table tennis in 2016 and the federation's future with SportAccord.

"The preparations for table tennis [in Rio] are going smoothly," Thomas Weikert tells Around the Rings.

When asked about Marius Vizer's controversial opening speech at the 2015 SportAccord Convention World Sport & Business Summit, Weikert said he thinks the SportAccord president's timing was inappropriate.

"I think it was the wrong place to make such an aggressive speech.

"We are on the side of all the other summer sports federations."

Almost every summer sports federation has adopted a statement supporting the IOC, a move that raises doubts about each federation's future with SportAccord.

Weikert hopes talks with SportAccord in the lead up to the next convention will repair the relationship.

"I hope that all will be together in one spirit.In the long run, it makes no sense to fight against each other."

The 2015 World Table Tennis Championships came to an end on Sunday.

Suzhou, China hosted the championships this year, marking the fifth time the ITTF staged the event in China.

A day before competition began, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit the country of Nepal. Several Nepalese athletes were in Suzhou, China for the championships.

The table tennis chief spoke with members of the Nepalese team during the first day of the world championships.

Weikert will be in Nepal in November to launch a three-year project, backed by the United Nations, for the development of table tennis for the disabled.

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Photos: Getty Images

Sound effect: Sound Bible/Public domain

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