The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Executive Board approved to modify the rules of world rankings during their annual session, after the Busan edition of the team World Championships drew to a close on Sunday in South Korea.

Under the current ITTF ranking regulation, a player's ranking is based on their best eight non-expired results, with the provision of only one continental/regional event counting at any given time. To increase fairness and equal opportunities across all continents, Continental Championships, Continental Games, and Continental Cups will now maintain their ranking impact for an additional 26 weeks if a continent hosts fewer than two such events in the ranking cycle.

The Executive Board also approved the introduction of video refereeing from next year's World Championships in Doha, making it easier to review a game action and for an arbitration decision to be contested.

(With input from agencies)

(Cover: Players from France and China in action during the men's final at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships in Busan, South Korea, February 25, 2024. /CFP)