The political and legal crisis surrounding the re-election of Petra Sörling as President of the International Table Tennis Federation appears to have been closed following the decision of the ITTF Tribunal. The judicial body fully dismissed the appeals filed by the Qatar Table Tennis Association and by Khalil Al-Mohannadi, confirming the validity of the 2025 General Assembly and the presidential election held in Doha.
The ruling, issued in writing on September 23 after an initial decision on the 1st, concluded that the vote in which Sörling was re-elected as president by a narrow margin was legitimate and complied both with the ITTF Statutes and Swiss law. The decision provides legal closure to a process that had been marked by tension, accusations of fraud, and confrontations among delegates.
Tense elections in Doha
The re-election of Petra Sörling for a second four-year term was far from peaceful. The elections, held in the Qatari capital, produced an extremely tight result: 104 votes for Sörling against 102 for Al-Mohannadi. The decision to replace electronic voting with paper ballots, promoted by Sörling’s team to avoid potential manipulation, ended up generating even more distrust among the delegations.
The atmosphere deteriorated quickly. Supporters of the Qatari vice president denounced irregularities in the hybrid voting system —both in-person and remote— and engaged in verbal confrontations during the Assembly. Some delegates even left the venue out of concern for their safety. Among the most serious accusations were claims of bribery and political pressure on European representatives, which led several witnesses to file complaints with the ITTF Integrity Unit.
Tribunal’s analysis
The Tribunal’s decision clears doubts over the legitimacy of the process. In its conclusions, it stated that the General Assembly was “properly convened and conducted in hybrid format, with no individual or collective irregularity justifying annulment of the results.” It also confirmed that all registered member associations were able to exercise their voting rights and that quorum was established from the outset.
Regarding the voting system, the ruling was categorical: “The number of voters could vary throughout the day within the maximum limit without generating any legal issue. The presidential election considered both in-person and electronic votes, and no objections were raised against remote participation.” Likewise, the scrutineers reported no concerns in the final count.
Assembly on November 15
The Tribunal concluded that “there was no reason to repeat the election nor to annul the result,” thereby closing, at least for now, the legal avenue opened by the Qatar Table Tennis Association and Al-Mohannadi. With this resolution, Petra Sörling’s re-election is confirmed, although it does not heal the deep internal division.
With this episode behind it, the federation is now preparing to reconvene the 2025 General Assembly on November 15, which is expected to be tense. The organization has stressed that it will focus its efforts on strengthening governance and promoting the growth of table tennis in a climate of unity.
