Lasko. May. Table tennis. Here you all are and here we go. Welcome to the green oasis on the sunny
side of the Alps. In the only country in the world with ‘love’ in its name. It is with this love as well
as passion and dedication that we have been organizing the forthcoming event for decades.
Slovenia is a sporting superpower and, especially thanks to the tournament in Lasko, known around
the globe as an excellent organizer of sporting events. It will have been 22 years since the
international para table tennis elite first gathered in the town on Savinja river, and what is more, this
year’s event will already be the 21 st I Feel Slovenia Open Thermana Laško.
Three tiers of events
Last year, Lasko was pioneering ITTF’s introduction of structural changes with three levels of
events: the Future, Challenger and Elite series. Clearly, we were successful as we will once again be
hosting two tournaments: the ITTF Para Challenger between May 5-9 and the ITTF Para Elite
between May 11-15. The interest in participation was traditionally enormous. Writing this piece our
hearts skip a beat with joy looking at the entry list – the numbers are impressive!
336 players and 151 staff from 45 countries submitted entries for the Challenger tournament, and
296 athletes from 40 countries for the Elite. It is already clear that exceptional para table tennis will
be played and on display in Laško. We’ll warm up with the Challenger series, representing the
middle tier and aimed at featuring players who already have some experience on the international
level. Once the medals for that event are presented, it will be time for the Elite series tournament,
which represents the highest level of ITTF’s para events.