World Table Tennis Announce First Officially Licensed Table Tennis NFT

World Table Tennis (WTT) today announced the first-ever officially licensed table tennis Non-Fungible Token (NFT) to go on sale to celebrate the opening of the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships Finals in Houston, Texas.

This is the first time America is hosting the World Table Tennis Championships. Entitled ‘First Ball!’, the exclusive NFT is a digital artwork celebrating both this historical moment and table tennis.

The video clip showcases a table tennis ball ornated with the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships Finals logo and the USA flag’s colours in the background.

Discover ‘First Ball!’, the first officially licensed table tennis NFT!

This unique table tennis NFT is up for auction on OpenSea, the world’s first and largest digital marketplace for crypto collectibles and NFTs. Bidding will be open for the duration of the World Championships, until 23:59 (CST, UTC−06:00) on Monday 29 November.

The reserve price has been set to WETH 0.2021, in honour of the 2021 World Championships. WETH (Wrapped ETH) is used to buy and sell with auctions on OpenSea. It is worth exactly the same amount as ETH, the native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum platform, a decentralized and open-source blockchain with smart contract functionality.

From 23-29 November, the world’s best players will face each other with a revamped and expanded straight knockout format. Fans should be on the lookout not only for the incredible table tennis actions but also for the exclusive NFTs which will be announced by WTT throughout the competition.

This year’s championships are of even greater significance for the Table Tennis community when the 2020 event in Busan, Korea, was cancelled due to COVID-19.

As the commercial and events arm of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), WTT aims to transform how the sport is played and absorbed throughout the world while providing the fans of the sport with cutting-edge technology and new experiences which will build further the interest and awareness of table tennis. Ever since its launch, WTT has been leading the table tennis digital transformation and opening up new revenue streams for table tennis.

The launch of officially licensed table tennis NFTs is another milestone in the journey to make the sport one of the most recognised and followed in the world. WTT is planning to launch its own marketplace in 2022 where fans and collectors will be able to buy, sell and trade table tennis NFTs.

Next week, the world’s best players will face each other at Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center. Follow all the actions online on World Table Tennis website.

Enlio Becomes Official Flooring Supplier of 2021 World Table Tennis Championships and WTT Cup Finals

World Table Tennis (WTT), the commercial arm of the ITTF Group, is delighted to announce Enlio as the official flooring supplier of the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships Finals and 2021 WTT Cup Finals.

Hebei Enlio Sports Goods Co., LTD, a supplier of a wide range of flooring including interlocking court mats and surfaces for general use in sports halls, has a long-standing relationship with the table tennis family.

An ITTF sponsor since 2013, Enlio has supported several world-class events such as the World Table Tennis Championships and the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

The 2021 World Table Tennis Championships Finals will be kicking off in Houston on Tuesday 23 November. The star-studded field will compete for the coveted World Champion trophies on a custom blue floor specially created to complement the event visual identity.

Then, Enlio will provide black flooring to the inaugural WTT Cup Finals. The 2021 WTT Cup Finals is the new season-ending event of the WTT Series. The prestigious new event will see some of the world’s best men’s and women’s singles players battle it out to be crowned season-ending champions.

Li Yu, Enlio Chairman, said: “ITTF and WTT events showcase the highest level of table tennis and stringent requirements for its equipment, and we value the trust that has been placed in Enlio in delivering and exceeding these requirements. We are proud to be able to provide top-quality flooring specially customised to enhance the look and feel of these events, and we are excited for the millions of table tennis fans worldwide to watch the world’s best players compete on them.”

Matt Pound, WTT Managing Director, said: “We are happy to be continuing our long term relationship with Enlio for the two most important table tennis events at the end of 2021 – the World Championships and WTT Cup Finals. In addition, as the first-ever supplier of black flooring to a WTT event at the 2020 WTT Macao, it is symbolic that Enlio is a part of the Cup Finals to close off the first-ever WTT Series on this world-class flooring. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with Enlio.”