COVID-19: ITTF staff to take voluntary salary reduction

 The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) president and staff have decided to take voluntary salary reduction in 2020 to help the sport during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During Wednesday's video conference where all ITTF staff were in attendance, ITTF CEO Steve Dainton underlined the need for all ITTF staff to stick together and make sacrifices to help the sport out of challenge caused by the pandemic, reports Xinhua news agency.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a mass postponement of events. The ITTF announced on March 29 that all international table tennis events would be suspended until June 30.

The financial implications of not hosting events has led to ITTF staff and president to decide on voluntary salary reduction in 2020, and the ITTF Executive Committee to reduce its expenses to help support the sport during the challenging times.

The ITTF is also constantly evaluating the financial implications of event postponement, while exploring ways of minimizing the financial impact.

In India, the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) has pledged its full support to Prime Minister Narendra Modis appeal at a time when the country is faced with battling COVID-19 pandemic.

The federation contributed with a sum of Rs 5 lakh to the Prime Minister's Relief Fund.

A cheque for the amount was sent to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), which had requested all National Sports Federations (NSFs) to make contributions to the Fund. IANS