The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) has officially welcomed a landmark decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC): the addition of the Mixed Team event to the Olympic programme, starting with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
This marks a major evolution for table tennis on the Olympic stage. For the first time in Olympic history, male and female players will compete together in mixed national squads—adding a sixth event to the programme and replacing the traditional Men’s and Women’s Team competitions.
In addition, Men’s Doubles and Women’s Doubles will return to the Olympic programme for the first time since Athens 2004, further enriching the event lineup at LA28.
🏓 Olympic Table Tennis Programme: Then and Now
Paris 2024 featured five events:
Men’s Singles
Women’s Singles
Mixed Doubles
Men’s Teams
Women’s Teams
Los Angeles 2028 will feature a refreshed lineup of six events:
Men’s Singles
Women’s Singles
Mixed Doubles
Men’s Doubles
Women’s Doubles
Mixed Teams
🎙️ President Sörling on a Milestone Moment
ITTF President Petra Sörling expressed her excitement:
This landmark decision by the IOC builds on the incredible momentum our sport is experiencing. It’s fully aligned with our vision of a dynamic, inclusive future for table tennis. After the success of Paris 2024, we are thrilled to see the Mixed Team event included at LA28.
She also credited the Swedish Table Tennis Association, which first proposed the event in 2021, and ITTF Deputy President Liu Guoliang for helping bring the idea to life through the Mixed Team World Cup.
🏆 Looking Back—and Ahead
Since table tennis made its Olympic debut at Seoul 1988, the sport has steadily grown on the world’s biggest stage. Mixed Doubles was introduced at Tokyo 2020, and now with the Mixed Team event and the return of traditional Doubles in 2028, fans can expect more drama, strategy, and unforgettable moments.
After full stadiums and high energy at Paris 2024, the stage is set for Los Angeles 2028 to deliver the most dynamic and diverse Olympic table tennis tournament yet.
The ITTF thanks the IOC Executive Board and the Olympic Programme Commission for their support and looks forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure a spectacular show in LA.
While the ITTF and IOC have celebrated the move as a bold step toward innovation and gender inclusion, fan reactions in the table tennis community have been more mixed. Under our Instagram post announcing the change, two of the most liked comments reflected this sentiment:
"I liked the Team Events before the most"
"Still feel like they shouldn’t have done mixed teams… idk why but doesn’t feel right"
Photo Source: ITTF