Held at BEXCO from the 16th to 25th, over 2,000 athletes from 47 countries participate
Ticket sales reach 1.2 billion KRW, cumulative attendance 30,000, record-breaking success
Mayor Park Hyung-jun: "Striving harder to attract mega sports ev
The ‘BNK Busan Bank 2024 Busan World Table Tennis Championships’ successfully concluded its 10-day journey with record-breaking popularity.
The tournament, held from the 16th to the 25th at Haeundae BEXCO, featured over 2,000 top star players from 47 countries, delivering high-level matches daily and becoming a great gift for sports enthusiasts both domestically and internationally.
In the men’s and women’s team events, China swept both categories, reaffirming its status as the table tennis powerhouse. However, the host country Korea performed well on home ground, securing a bronze medal in the men’s team event and reaching the quarterfinals in the women’s team event, earning qualification for the Olympic team event less than six months before the 33rd Paris Olympics, raising expectations.
Notably, this tournament was successfully held after many twists and turns, including cancellations due to COVID-19, proving once again Busan’s capability to host world-class events such as the Asian Games and the Korea-Japan World Cup.
The city transformed Haeundae BEXCO, Busan’s representative convention venue, into a table tennis arena filled with the players’ passion over the 10 days through a series of renovations.
Additionally, with large crowds concentrated indoors, the city operated a comprehensive control center 24 hours a day and closely cooperated with related organizations in fire safety, security, food and transportation support, medical assistance, and tourism support to hold a ‘zero-accident’ safe tournament while maintaining the athletes’ peak performance.
The tournament also included the ‘ITTF President’s Cup Youth and Recreational Table Tennis Tournament’ as a linked event to expand the base of recreational sports beyond elite competition. Furthermore, on the 26th and 27th, the ITTF Summit was held, including the ITTF board meeting, strengthening Busan’s capabilities as a ‘global hub city.’
Especially at the ITTF board meeting held on the 26th, Gangneung City in Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province was confirmed as the host for the ‘2026 World Masters Table Tennis Championships,’ creating expectations that Busan’s tournament legacy will continue in Gangneung.
Held under the slogan ‘One Table, One World,’ transcending nations and races through a small 2.7g ball, this tournament generated ticket sales amounting to 1.2 billion KRW and attracted a cumulative audience of 30,000, providing a precious opportunity for people worldwide to unite as one.
Although the global lockdowns due to COVID-19 had weakened local tourism industries, the successful hosting of this tournament allowed domestic and international visitors to discover Busan’s unique and diverse charms, expected to serve as a catalyst for revitalizing the regional economy in the future.
Mayor Park Hyung-jun said, “Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the introduction of table tennis in Korea, I am pleased that this tournament, the first ever held in Korea, was successfully completed with the enthusiastic interest and support of Busan citizens.” He added, “Based on the valuable experience gained from this tournament, we will do our best to attract various mega sports events to Busan and further advance toward becoming a ‘global hub city, Busan.’”
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