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≡ INTEGRITY UNIT REPORT ≡
The 2025 Annual General Meeting of the International Table Tennis Federation held last 27 May in Doha (QAT) was highlighted by the Presidential election, where incumbent Petra Sorling (SWE) was re-elected by a 104-102 margin over Qatar’s Khalil Al-Mohannadi, a member of the ITTF Board since 1997.
That result led to a near-riot in the hall, with Al-Mohannadi’s supporters, and Al-Mohannadi himself, taking the microphone, making accusations of improper voting and demanding a re-vote of only those physically present, which would have disenfranchised those attending online. It would have also changed the results of the election; Sorling was hustled out of the meeting hall for her safety.
The uproar was so severe that the meeting had to be suspended and was only completed – ironically – online in November. In the meantime, the propriety of the vote was confirmed by the ITTF Integrity Tribunal and an appeal by Al-Mohannadi and the Qatar federation to the Court of Arbitration for Sport was withdrawn in January.
The ITTF’s Independent Integrity Unit took up the question of ethical and rule violations by those attending the meeting and on Tuesday, issued a report charging 13 individuals with conduct issues:
“A. Notices of Charge issued under the ‘standard track’ [Integrity regulations]
● “Abdulla AL-MULLA (QAT) – 14 breaches across Chapters 1, 6, and 7 for three matters.”
● “Khalil AL-MOHANNADI (QAT) – 13 breaches across Chapters 1, 6, and 10 for three matters”
● “Imre KOVACSICS (HUN) – 11 breaches across Chapters 1, 6, 9, and 10 for three matters”
● “Emad HUSSAIN (IRQ) – 8 breaches across Chapters 1, 6, and 7 for two matters”
● “Ahmed AL-MOHANNADI (QAT) – 6 breaches across Chapters 1, 6, and 7 for two matters”
● “Mohamed Nabil JEMAIL (TUN) – 5 charges across Chapters 1, 6, and 9 for one matter”
● “Alaor AZEVEDO (BRA) – 4 breaches across Chapters 1 and 6 for one matter”
● “Nabil ALFAKIH (YEM) – 4 breaches across Chapters 1 and 6 for one matter”
“B. Referrals made to the Appropriate Person under the Alternative Procedure for Minor Violation:”
● “Mohammed Abdullah AL-SALEH (QAT) – 3 breaches across Chapters 1 and 6 for one matter”
● “Stephen Camillo Wani GORE (SSD) – 3 breaches across Chapters 1 and 6 for one matter”
● “Viktor HUSZAR (HUN) – 3 breaches across Chapters 1 and 6 for one matter”
● “Muzamil Abdul Aziz SULEIMAN (SUD) – 3 breaches across Chapters 1 and 6 for one matter”
● “Said Ahmed ZAHARIAT (COM) – 3 breaches across Chapters 1 and 6 for one matter – AGM disruption”
Their cases will now be taken up by the ITTF Integrity Board, but the Independent Integrity Unit is asking for anyone with more information to come forward. The list of those charged appears to account for all or almost all of those who took over the microphone at the Annual General Meeting and asked for the vote to the changed, re-taken or thrown out.
Further, the ITTF Independent Integrity Unit noted:
“A number of complaints were received by the Integrity Unit against former ITTF Secretary General, Mr. Raul CALIN [ESP], for his role in the elections and AGM.
“The Inquiry Team found no evidence within the scope of the Project Gibb inquiry that Mr. CALIN breached any provisions of the ITTF Statutes, rather only unsupported allegations.
“These allegations were directed at him in the lead up to the Doha AGM, at the AGM itself, in the aftermath in Doha, and subsequently until the AGM Continuation, with much of it being abusive and personal in nature, and therefore wholly unacceptable.”
The abuse at Calin – now the Secretary General of World Archery – during the meet got so intense that he had to leave. ITTF Executive Vice President Graham Symons (AUS) chaired the remainder of the meeting with exceptional calm and patience, but recognizing that no further business could be done, suspended the meeting, ending the clash.
No timeline on sanctions was provided in the statement.
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