What weighs 19,500kg, takes eight articulated lorries to shift and has just arrived in England?
The answer is the kit and equipment which will be used at the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals London 2026.
The first consignment, weighing in at 13,000kg has been transferred to a holding warehouse in Birmingham, ready to be moved into OVO Arena Wembley in time for Stage 1a of the Championships, from 2 May.
The second consignment, around 6,500kg, will follow and is destined for the Copper Box Arena, the venue for Stage 1b of the Championships, beginning on 28 April.
The total – which for context weighs more than the combined weight of three adult male African bush elephants – includes:
- 16 showcourt tables each weighing 250kg
- 54 normal table tennis tables
- 2,200 barriers
- 7,700sq m of flooring, consisting of both wooden sub-floor and blue specialist sports floor
- 6,000 balls
- 300 uniforms for umpires, ball crew and technical officials
London 2026 Technical Operations Manager Chris Newton, who has worked in similar roles at Olympics, Paralympics and Commonwealth Games, said: “This is the biggest amount of table tennis kit I have ever seen in one place.
“It’s exciting to see it all arrive and really brings home just how close we are now to staging the landmark centenary World Championships.”