Muscat – The Sultanate of Oman, represented by Oman Table Tennis Association (OTTA), is preparing to host one of the most prominent global table tennis events as the WTT Star Contender Muscat 2025 will officially begin on Monday. The six-day championship, organised by OTTA in partnership with World Table Tennis (WTT), will take place across both main halls of the Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex in Bousher and will continue until Saturday. 

This will mark the first time that Oman hosts a WTT Star Contender event, elevating the country’s status after several successful editions of the WTT Contender tournaments held in recent years.

Among the distinguished international athletes arriving in Muscat is World No. 5 Felix Lebrun of France, one of the sport’s fastest-rising global stars. Lebrun is scheduled to arrive on Monday to lead a high-calibre field filled with world-ranking talent. He will be joined by prominent men’s singles contenders, including Slovenia’s Darko Jorgic, Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju, France’s Alexis Lebrun, and Germany’s Dang Qiu. The women’s competition will feature an equally impressive group led by Japan’s Satsuki Odo and Hina Hayata, Romania’s Bernadette Szocs, Japan’s Miyu Nagasaki, and Chinese Taipei’s Cheng I-Ching. Pre-qualification rounds are set for Monday and Tuesday, while the main draw will commence on Wednesday.

More than 300 athletes representing 32 countries will compete in Muscat, making this edition one of the largest WTT Star Contender events on the calendar. The list of participating nations includes China, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Chinese Taipei, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, England, France, Germany, India, Iran, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Nigeria, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, Wales, Yemen, and the hosts Oman. The remarkable international turnout reflects the confidence of the global table tennis community in Oman’s capability to stage major world-class events.

Competitions will be held across five categories, including Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles—with a total prize purse of USD 300,000. Oman’s national team will also participate in the event, with players Muhannad al Balushi, Ahmed al Riyami, Ghassan al Ghassani, Luqman al Farsi and Bilal al Rashdi set to compete. Their involvement offers significant opportunities for technical development, ranking progression, and competitive exposure at the highest international level.

Tournament Director Sajjad al Lawati reaffirmed that preparations exceeded all requirements, noting that the integration of two halls using sophisticated broadcast systems represented one of the most significant technical challenges. He expressed deep appreciation to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth for its continued support and cooperation, emphasising that the event is fully ready to deliver a world-class experience befitting Oman’s growing reputation as a distinguished host of major international sports events.