MOSCOW, April 25. /TASS/. The Russian Table Tennis Federation (RTTF) has faced certain challenges in securing the participation of athletes in international tournaments. However, these obstacles did not discourage them, as First Vice President Oleg Zavalyuev explained in an interview with TASS.

Russian athletes have been competing in international events since 2025. "As with any similar process, there were some difficulties, but they didn't intimidate us," Zavalyuev stated. "The most important thing now is for the athletes to concentrate on their performance rather than external issues. The number of Russian players participating in international competitions primarily depends on the quotas allocated to national federations for each tournament."

He further elaborated, "Participants in top-tier tournaments are selected based on international rankings. Sometimes, organizers accommodate us by granting wild cards to Russian players. Our national team coaches aim to prioritize the core team members in international competitions, but they also make room for reserves, giving young players an opportunity to showcase their talent on the global stage.".