New rubber colors for table tennis rackets expected after Tokyo Olympics

BUDAPEST - Visual outlook of table tennis may undergo great changes after the Tokyo Olympic Games with introduction of new colors for paddlers' racket rubbers, the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) president Thomas Weikert announced here on Monday.

The proposal has been in discussion during Monday's ITTF Annual General Meeting (AGM). Instead of current colors of black and red for rubbers, different colors from red may be used in one side, while the other should remain in black.

"The proposition passed can be a lot of colors as long as it's not a problem with the color compared with the ball and reflection. There are still some restrictions on the color, and those colors have to be approved by the equipement department of ITTF," said ITTF CEO Steve Dainton.

"There will still be some tight rules on that regarding reflection and brightness. In principle, it will be mainly black plus many other different types of colors. The proposition passed was to do it after the Tokyo Olympics, so there will be no difference for the Tokyo Olympic Games," he added.

Weikert added that the ITTF also had propositions to use yellow balls after the Tokyo Olympics.

"This is now only a resolution, because AGM decides first of all to test the outcome with the yellow ball for TV and players, so it's not a decision," said Weikert.