A total of 700 players will be in action throughout the year as Qatar prepares to become the centre stage for the table tennis world.

Qatar will host a series of four top-notch World Table Tennis (WTT) tournaments which will see many elite players in action next year, the Qatar Table Tennis Association (QTTA) announced Monday.

Commencing on January 3-5, QTTA announced that the WTT Finals Men 2023 is set to go down with the world’s biggest stars participating.

The three-day event will host the best 16 men’s singles and 8 men’s doubles pairs at the Lusail Arena as they compete for Table Tennis World Ranking Points and the opportunity to be crowned end-of-season champions.

Following the WTT Finals Men 2023, Qatar will hold the WTT Star Contender and WTT Contender tournaments, as well as the WTT Youth Contender event.

All three events will be held in January, and a total of 700 players will be in action throughout the events, including the elite group of 16 top seeds competing in the WTT singles finals and the world’s best eight doubles players.

Chairman of the Supreme Organising Committee for the event, Khalil Al Mohannadi, said the series of tournaments will mark an important stage for Qatar table tennis.

“Doha will not just host the world-class players during these tournaments as many top officials and delegations from around the world will be visiting here in January. The series of tournaments marks an important stage for Qatar table tennis, showcasing its status as host of major competitions,” Al Mohannadi said.

“Increasing the thrill, the four tournaments boast a collective prize fund of approximately $750,000, with each winner securing a portion of this substantial reward,” he added.

The chairman said that the tournaments will also allow players to earn points which contribute to their rankings in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics and World Championships.