A MoU has been signed between the ITTF and IeSF to develop table tennis esports World Championship ©ITTF/IeSF

A Memorandum Of Understanding has been signed between the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and International e-Sports Federation (IeSF) to develop and promote table tennis esports – with the aim of establishing a table tennis esports World Championship.

"Both Federations have been in conversation since beginning of April this year, exploring the possibilities how the organisations can share their resources to extend their boundaries," an official joint release from the ITTF and the South Korean-based IeSF said. 

"The Federations met in Singapore this May and have discussed the terms and direction both bodies should go towards."

The Federations will support each other by using their resources to look for "appropriate gamified table tennis content" and also to "integrate and reflect more realistic factors of table tennis to develop a content both fit to table tennis and esports standards".

Japan's Kasumi Ishikawa, right, won gold with her doubles partner Mima Ito at the recent Bulgarian Open but now the ITTF is working with the IeSF to create a table tennis esports World Championship ©Getty Images
Japan's Kasumi Ishikawa, right, won gold with her doubles partner Mima Ito at the recent Bulgarian Open but now the ITTF is working with the IeSF to create a table tennis esports World Championship ©Getty Images

The release continued: "The overall goal will be to have a table tennis e-sports World Championships.

"As one of the visions of IeSF, it has been engaging with mega sports events and have started its collaboration with International Federations to support the digital movement of the sports society.

"IeSF is continuing its efforts for esports to be recognized by GAISF (Global Association of International Sports Federations), former known as SportAccord, and the International Olympic Committee to promote esports as a true sport beyond language, race, and cultural barriers."