During 18 – 26 June at the Werner Schlager Academy in the Multiversum in Schwechat a table tennis world premiere will be held: For the first time ever, the ITTF (now ranked as the second-largest sporting federation with 215 member nations) is organizing the World-Hopes-Week and selected the Werner Schlager Academy for its location.

A very impressive assemblage will be on hand: between 70 and 80 players born in the years 1999 and 2000 (11 and 12 year olds), 35 to 40 coaches, senior World Federation officials (including ITTF President Adham Sharara), with the sporting activities under the direction of WSA head coaching staff led by Mario Amizic, Richard Prause, and Dirk Wagner.  Both a rigorous training camp and a tournament will be conducted.  Some 30 nations in all will be represented in the week's activities in Schwechat.

The World-Hopes-Week will put the WSA and the Multiversum almost up to its utilization limits.  In the training hall, as many as 36 tables will be in use.  The regular WSA national and international training group will be using the Multiversum event hall for their training.

“This World Hopes Project is a very big concern of the ITTF.  We want to discover talents and appeal to new markets.  We are very grateful to the Werner Schlager Academy that they have accepted this organizational challenge” said project leader Mikael Andersson of the ITTF.

In addition to the players, coaches, and officials, many relatives and friends will accompany these young players from all around the world and, in so doing, make Schwechat a more colorful place.

As Herbert Grönemeyer once sang: Power to the children – there is (at least in this week in June) nothing more to add.