Coronavirus update

Last updated on Monday November 2 at 11.20am

Please note, this is an ever-changing situation and our advice may change at short notice. We recommend that you check our website regularly for the latest advice.

Following the Government announcement on October 31, 2020, we can confirm that table tennis clubs and leagues will NOT be able to continue from Thursday November 5, until at least December 2 and we will therefore be moving back to stage 1 of the ready to return roadmap.

We are still seeking further clarity around what this would mean for outdoor table tennis play and although this becomes more challenging with the colder weather, we will update this page accordingly when there has been more detail provided by the Government and Sport England.

We are also seeking further clarification on what this means for schools, college and university sport and coaching in those situations.

One-to-one coaching sessions indoors are NOT permitted.

This is obviously disappointing for everyone concerned and connected to the sport and we want to take this opportunity to thank all of the volunteers, coaches, clubs and leagues that have been working tirelessly to get the sport going again. These efforts will undoubtedly have had a huge impact on your members and local communities and as a sport we should continue to be very proud of the difference it makes to people’s lives.

The closure of clubs up and down the country does mean that many members may lose their only form of physical activity or social engagement and it is important that as a table tennis community we find ways to continue to connect with players and volunteers wherever we can.

A reminder that there are lots of play at home, mental health and other types of advice for clubs and leagues on how to engage with members in the play at home areas of the Table Tennis England website, which you can find on our play at home section and our coronavirus advice section.

For clubs and leagues where the Government announcement will create further financial challenges, please ensure you take a look at the Sport England funding pots now available. Table Tennis England is offering support to clubs with submitting a bid.

Any coaches or clubs who would like to talk about their options and their next steps, please do not hesitate to get in contact via our helpdesk, or by requesting a one to one session with one of our development team on the link here.

We will be providing an update on what the latest Government announcement means for our competitions over the coming months in due course.

Please see the current guidelines and timescales connected to the return of national competitions, plus our refund policy, by clicking here.

Background

When any updated Government guidance is published, we will move as soon as we can to consider what it means for table tennis across the country. We will aim to respond to any changes promptly but we may have to wait for the Government to provide the precise details of their guidance and advice.

Our series of stages through which we anticipate table tennis activity outside of the home resuming are below:

• Stage 1 – Play and exercise at home and limited outdoor play (where we are now)
• Stage 2 – Limited club activity
• Stage 3 – Preparing for localised competition
• Stage 4 – Local competition resumption
• Stage 5 – Restricted national competitions

In all matters, the health and wellbeing of all our members, volunteers, suppliers and staff remain the key priority for the Board of Table Tennis England at this time of uncertainty and change.