Scheduled to be held in Bordeaux from Monday 26th April to Sunday 2nd May, the 20th World Veteran Championships has been cancelled.
The organising committee issued the following statement on Monday 14th December
“It is with a lot of sorrow that we announce the final cancellation of WVC2020 which was meant to take place in April 2021. We must sadly accept that the health crisis linked to COVID-19 might still be running on the rescheduled date of WVC2020 in 2021.
Facing this circumstance, we gathered the main WVC2020’s stakeholders and assessed all risk management. They unanimously highly recommend to cancel the event. Health of players, accompanying persons, referees, volunteers and all stakeholders being our top priority.
Be aware that our team remains mobilized so that each and every one can receive a full refund of all expenses incurred (players and accompanying persons registration, hotel bookings and tourist excursions made through the organisers). You will soon receive an email specifying the refund procedure.
We share your disappointment and hope that our paths may cross in future World Veterans Championships organizations. Until then, please stay healthy.
Disappointment, the feelings were very much summed up by Benoit Glorieux, a member of the organising committee.
“We kept confident in September and October. In France, all concert, sport activities with spectators are all cancelled for that period.” Benoit Glorieux
Now the soul destroying task of returning entry fees and closing all necessary procedures is the task; on which has the sympathy of all, including Ebby Schöler, the President of the Swaythling Club International.
“Very sad but unavoidabke also in our view. The Executive Committee of the Swaythling Club International shares your feelings.
We thank you for all the efforts you and your team made in the past years. Hopefully the pandemic will get under control sometime next year – and then our lives and also table tennis might get back to normality. In any case, Bordeaux 2020 will never be forgotten!” Ebby Schöler
The next World Veteran Championships will be staged in January 2023 in Oman.