Al-Hajri: Five-club turnout highlights rising interest in para table tennis

Paralympic Table Tennis Committee Chairman Duaij Al-Hajri.

KUWAIT CITY, June 27: The opening combined Para Table Tennis Championship of the 2026-27 season begins at 5 p.m. today, bringing together more than 30 athletes from a range of disability classifications and age groups.

The competition features participants from five clubs—Al-Irada, Mubarak Al-Kabeer, Al-Tahadi, the Kuwait Sports Club for the Disabled, and Warba—underscoring the sport's growing popularity in Kuwait.

The inaugural tournament will be staged at the Kuwait Sports Club for the Disabled in Hawalli. It will be played under a single-elimination format in accordance with International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) regulations.

Paralympic Table Tennis Committee chairman Duaij Al-Hajri said all organizational and technical preparations had been completed to ensure the event's success, and that every participating athlete had been officially registered.

"In coordination with the Public Authority for Sport, we have secured specialized tables designed specifically for para table tennis, giving players greater freedom of movement during competition," Al-Hajri said. "International referees from the Kuwait Table Tennis Association will officiate the matches."

Al-Hajri added that the participation of five clubs in the season-opening championship reflects growing interest in para table tennis and the sport's continued development across the country.