Latrobe City is set to become the home of table tennis in Victoria with two of the biggest events on the annual table tennis calendar to be hosted in Gippsland for the next eight years.
The Victorian Country Championships and Victorian Open Veterans Championships will be held at the Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium (GRISS) in Traralgon from 2023 to 2030 as part of a new partnership between Table Tennis Victoria (TTV), and .
In an exciting move for regional table tennis, the eight-year deal will see the state-of-the-art GRISS facility add 60 new table tennis tables, court barriers and umpires’ chairs to host the events during April and June each year.
The two annual competitions will result in approximately 500 table tennis competitors and their families visiting the region each year to stimulate the local tourism economy and create long-lasting connections with local businesses.
The $19 million redevelopment and expansion of GRISS was completed in 2020 with the venue featuring nine indoor courts, a show court with spectator seating, training rooms and a cafe allowing the facility to cater to a range of indoor sports.
GRISS is a proven event space, with a proud history of hosting large regional, national and international indoor sporting championships. With well-established connections with basketball and netball, TTV is excited to add table tennis into the annual rotation of events.
TTV CEO Gen Dohrmann is thrilled about the partnership and to bringing the Country Championships back to Regional Victoria as well as the Victorian Open Veterans tournament.
“To be able to have a newly refurbished stadium with brand new equipment capable of hosting marquee table tennis events is fantastic,” Dohrmann said.
“The commitment from the Latrobe City Council and Destination Gippsland to bring these events to Traralgon means we can spread high level table tennis further across Victoria.”
Mayor of Latrobe City Cr Kellie O’Callaghan welcomed the opportunity to be the regional home of table tennis in Victoria.
“This long-term partnership will be a fantastic addition to Latrobe City’s sporting calendar, building the profile of the sport within the Gippsland region and creating new opportunities for increased participation,” said the Mayor.
Destination Gippsland CEO, Terry Robinson said, “the opportunity to partner with Latrobe City Council and Table Tennis Victoria to bring these high profile events to Gippsland for 8 years will not only bring more visitors to Gippsland, but will create a lasting legacy resulting in Gippsland being known as the home of Table Tennis.”
The first event to be held as part of the agreement will be the 2023 Victorian Open Veterans Championships, held in conjunction with the Victorian Open Junior and Senior Championships, on 15-16 April 2023.
