The decision to ask Weikert, President of the German Table Tennis Association (DTTB), was taken at today's meeting of the ITTF Executive Committee, which was held at the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Beau Rivage Palace hotel in Lausanne. 

It was the first time that the nine member Committee had met since Canada's Adham Sharara had been re-elected for a sixth term as President of the ITTF at the Annual General Meeting in Paris in May. 

Weikert, a 51-year-old lawyer who used to play professionally in the Bundesliga, had been elected as vice-president of the ITTF four years ago. 

He replaces Australia's Neil Harwood, who did not seek re-election to the Executive Committee.

"This is a fantastic chance to work and develop the ITTF across the globe," said Weikert.

Another key appointment was Sweden's Petra Sörling as the finance director.

Sörling, educated at the Stockholm School of Economics, has been vice-president of the ITTF since 2009. 

The newly-elected International Table Tennis Federation Executive Committee discussed a number of issues at its meeting in Lausanne

The ITTF's chief executive Judit Farago reported that the world governing body will host a record 84 international events in 2014, an increase of 14 from this year.

But the Executive Committee had a lengthy discussion on the future of the World Championships, looking to reduce the size and costs make the event more manageable for cities organising the event.