ITTF-Oceania Senior and Youth Championships Selection Criteria & Qualification System 

Overarching Selection Criteria​

New Zealand-Based Eligible Player

​To be considered for selection for Under 15, Under 19, or Open for the 2026 NZ Team, a New Zealand-based eligible player must:​

1) Compete in at least one (1) of the three (3) TTNZ regional qualifier events as listed above ​

​AND​

2) Compete at the South Island Open Championships in Dunedin, 17-19 April​

Overseas-Based Eligible Player

To be considered for selection for Under 15, Under 19, or Open for the 2026 NZ Team, an overseas-based* eligible player must:​

1) Provide TTNZ with a copy of their Individualised Performance Plan (IPP). The plan should include attendance and results in the 12 months prior to the selection date at events endorsed by TTNZ such as WTT events, Continental Championships and national-level tournaments of ITTF member countries. ​

a) An overseas-based player will be considered on merit of their national and international results. Should an overseas-based player attend the qualification event, the South Island Championships in Dunedin 17-19 April, the requirement to attend the qualifier event may be waived at TTNZ's discretion by prior written approval. Therefore, they may be considered for selection on merit of their results at the qualification event.

*An overseas-based player is defined as someone who has resided overseas training and competing at least 70% of the year 1st May 2025-16th April 2026 OR someone who has resided outside of NZ training and competing at least 80% of their time between 1st Jan-16th April 2026.

Age and Team Eligibility

To be considered for selection in an Open team, any player, male or female, MUST be 13 years of age or older at the 31st December 2025.​ An under 15 player may only be selected to compete in one youth team event, e.g., Under 15 or Under 19 team. ​

Teams' Selection Criteria​

For all age categories TTNZ reserves the right to determine the team size or decide not to send a team if an insufficient number of players are available or have qualified from the South Island Open Championships Qualification event. ​

Under 15 Teams ​

​TTNZ will select a minimum of two (2) players and up to four (4) male and a minimum of two (2) players and up to four (4) female players.​

​(A) Two (2) male and two (2) female players will be the top two (2) placed eligible players at the South Island Open Championships Under 15 boys’ and girls' singles events.​

​(B) In addition to the players selected in (A), the TTNZ National Team Selectors may decide to select either a third player OR a third and fourth player, in either or both of the boys’ or girls’ Under 15 teams. This is at their discretion considering the below criteria.​​

• A player must meet eligibility requirements.​

• Results at the 2025 NZ Open Championships and 2026 tournaments prior to, and including, the 2026 South Island Open Championships. ​

• Activity and results of significance at international events, e.g., WTT tournaments. ​

• Overseas-based players may only be considered if they have provided TTNZ with a copy of their Individualised Performance Plan (IPP). The plan should include attendance and results in the 12 months prior to the selection date at events endorsed by TTNZ such as WTT events, Continental Championships and national-level tournaments of ITTF member countries.

Under 19 Teams ​

​TTNZ will select a minimum of two (2) players and up to four (4) male and a minimum of two (2) players and up to four (4) female players.​

​(A) Two (2) male and two (2) female players will be the top two (2) placed eligible players at the South Island Open Championships Under 19 boys’ and girls' singles events.​

​(B) In addition to the players selected in (A), the TTNZ National Team Selectors may decide to select either a third player OR a third and fourth player, in either or both of the boys’ or girls’ Under 19 teams. This is at their discretion considering the below criteria.​

• A player must meet eligibility requirements.​

• Results at the 2025 NZ Open Championships and 2026 tournaments prior to, and including, the 2026 South Island Open Championships. ​

• Activity and results of significance at international events, e.g., WTT tournaments. ​

• Overseas-based players may only be considered if they have provided TTNZ with a copy of their Individualised Performance Plan (IPP). The plan should include attendance and results in the 12 months prior to the selection date at events endorsed by TTNZ such as WTT events, Continental Championships and national-level tournaments of ITTF member countries.

Open Teams​

​TTNZ will select a minimum of two (2) players and up to four (4) male and a minimum of two (2) players and up to four (4) female players.​

​(A) Two (2) male and two (2) female players will be the top two (2) placed eligible players at the South Island Open Championships Open Men’s/Women’s singles events.​

​(B) In addition to the players selected in (A), the TTNZ National Team Selectors may decide to select either a third player OR a third and fourth player, in either or both of the boys’ or girls’ Under 19 teams. This is at their discretion considering the below criteria.​

• A player must meet eligibility requirements.​

• To be eligible for selection in an Open Men’s or Women’s team any player, male of female, MUST be 13 years of age or older at the 31st December 2025.​

• Results at the 2025 NZ Open Championships and 2026 tournaments prior to, and including, the 2026 South Island Open Championships. ​

• Activity and results of significance at international events, e.g., WTT tournaments. ​

• Overseas-based players may only be considered if they have provided TTNZ with a copy of their Individualised Performance Plan (IPP). The plan should include attendance and results in the 12 months prior to the selection date at events endorsed by TTNZ such as WTT events, Continental Championships and national-level tournaments of ITTF member countries.

Individual Events ​Player Selection

​TTNZ full quota allocation

• At the ITTF-Oceania Championships, TTNZ has a maximum quota allocation of four (4) singles spots for the Men’s and Women’s singles; two (2) Men’s and Women’s doubles spots; and four (4) mixed doubles spots.​

• At the ITTF-Oceania Youth Championships, TTNZ has a maximum quota allocation of four (4) singles spots for each gender (male and female) for both the Under 15 singles and the Under 19 singles; two (2) girls and two (2) boys doubles spots for both the Under 15 and the Under 19 doubles events; and four (4) mixed doubles spots for both the Under 15 and the Under 19 events.​

The final number of quota spots that TTNZ chooses to fill via selection is at their sole discretion. ​

Allocation of Individual events for players selected in a Team

1. Any player selected in a NZ Team (Under 15, Under 19 or Open) will be automatically awarded a spot to compete in the individual events.​

• Players selected in the Open Men’s or Women’s team will automatically be awarded a spot to compete in the relevant Open individual events; singles, doubles and/or mixed doubles. ​

• Players selected to play in either the Under 15 or Under 19 teams will receive a spot to compete in individual youth events; singles, doubles and/or mixed doubles events, in one of the age groups (Under 15 or Under 19) dependent on their age. ​

  • E.g., An under 15 player will receive a spot in either the Under 15 or Under 19 individual events, at the sole discretion of the TTNZ National Team Selectors. Preference will be given to ensuring the highest ranked Under 15 players are given the Under 15 singles spots. This is because the youth events double as a World Youth Championships qualification event. ​

• Players who are under 15 may be selected to play in more than one age group for individual events at the selectors’ discretion. ​

2. In addition to the players selected in (1), the TTNZ National Team Selectors may select additional players to fill quota spots for individual events. This will be at the TTNZ National Team Selectors’ discretion, considering the below criteria.:

• A player must meet eligibility requirements.​

• Results at the 2026 qualifiers and qualification event (South Island Open Championships). ​

• Results at the 2025 NZ Open Championships and 2026 tournaments prior to the 2026 South Island Open Championships. ​

• Consideration of their National Squad status. ​

• Activity and results of significance at international events, e.g., WTT tournaments. ​

• To be eligible for selection in Open Men’s or Women’s events any player, male of female, MUST be 13 years of age or older at the 31st December 2025. ​

• Overseas-based players may only be considered if they have provided TTNZ with a copy of their Individualised Performance Plan (IPP). The plan should include attendance and results in the 12 months prior to the selection date at events endorsed by TTNZ such as WTT events, Continental Championships and national-level tournaments of ITTF member countries.

3. Doubles pairings: ​

• Doubles pairs will be formed using male and female players who have been selected for the singles events (Under 15, Under 19 and Open) via team or individual selection. ​

• The selection of doubles pairings will be made by the selectors at their sole discretion taking into account factors including but not limited to:​

  • Previous results of doubles pairings at regional, national and international tournaments.​

  • Consideration of pairings that involve left-handed and right-handed combinations. ​

  • Future success potential and age of players in a pairing. e.g., the ability to have a pair gain experience for future international tournaments. ​

  • Trial pairings to assess potential for future success i.e. testing a pair against top continental pairings to gain experience for future international tournaments. E.g., Testing an under 15 girls’ doubles pairing of potential importance for future World events with known formats comprising of doubles match(es) OR testing a mixed doubles combination, given high profile events such as the Olympics having a mixed doubles pathway.