2010 U.S. Table Tennis Open Heading to Grand Rapids, Mich.

USA Table Tennis announced Friday that the West Michigan Sports Commission and the city of Grand Rapids, Mich., have been awarded the 2010 U.S. Table Tennis Open scheduled for June 30-July 3. The U.S. Open, the oldest table tennis event in the United States, awards trophies and prize money in nearly 60 event divisions from 8-80 years and attracts more than 600 athletes.

Photo courtesy of the Grand Rapids/Kent County Convention & Visitors Bureau

“USA Table Tennis is proud to take one of our most prestigious events to Grand Rapids and to work with a committed local organizing committee led by the West Michigan Sports Commission,” said Mike Cavanaugh, USA Table Tennis CEO. “The submitted bid was impressive in many ways, including the fact that the Amway Hotel Corporation stepped up as a significant event sponsor demonstrating strong community support. We are confident that Grand Rapids will build upon a legacy for table tennis in this area as a result of hosting the U.S. Open.”
  
Photos courtesy of the Grand Rapids/Kent County Convention & Visitors Bureau

The summer spectacular will be contested on 90 tables with the finals on a championship table centered among 1,500 seats in DeVos Place Convention Center and will be the highlighted event for the Grand Rapids July 4th celebration. The Amway Grand Plaza Hotel will be the tournament headquarters, which is connected via a skywalk to the competition venue.

Photo courtesy of the Grand Rapids/Kent County Convention & Visitors Bureau

The Local Organizing Committee was led by the West Michigan Sports Commission and USA Table Tennis Foundation president Dell Sweeris (Grand Rapids, Mich.), who is also a USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame inductee. The local organizing committee also includes support and leadership from the Grand Rapids/Kent County Convention & Visitors Bureau, DeVos Place, Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and the City of Grand Rapids.

"We are very excited that the USA Table Tennis Board selected Grand Rapids to host the 2010 U.S. Open,” said Mike Guswiler, Executive Director of the West Michigan Sports Commission. “We know that their participants will enjoy all that Grand Rapids and our West Michigan region have to offer. Working with USA Table Tennis and local USA Table Tennis Hall of Famer Dell Sweeris, it will be our goal to shine a spotlight on this exciting sport leading up to and following the 2010 U.S. Open."

Founded in 1931, the event hosts the top table tennis athletes from the United States and the world. In 2010, USA Table Tennis will introduce the Junior Teams and Senior Veteran age divisions to the schedule. The Amway Hotel Corporation, headquartered in Grand Rapids, will also sponsor the 2010 U.S. Open.

Event registration and tournament information for the 2010 U.S. Open will be available starting in February and posted on the USA Table Tennis website at www.usatt.org. The tournament entry deadline will be in May.

Since 1996, the U.S. Open has been held in Anaheim, Calif.; Charlotte, N.C.; Chicago; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Houston; and Las Vegas, Nev.

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About USA Table Tennis: USATT is the national governing body for table tennis in the United States. Created in 1933 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo. Its staff serves the 9,000-plus members and nearly 300 clubs that are affiliated with USATT. It oversees a wide variety of membership services, the national teams, rules of the game and numerous online instructional and historical articles. USATT is governed and run by the nine-member board of directors, committees and professional staff. USATT is affiliated with the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), the world governing body for table tennis, as well as the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).

About the West Michigan Sports Commission: The West Michigan Sports Commission, a non-profit 501 (c) (3), was founded in 2007 to promote Michigan’s West Coast as the premier venue for a wide variety of youth and amateur sporting events. The West Michigan Sports Commission works with tournament and event directors and with community leaders to ensure highly successful events and to enhance the economy and quality of life in the region.  www.westmichigansportscommission.com

Competition Venue: DeVos Place Convention Center located at 303 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. For more information visit www.devosplace.org

Host Hotel: Amway Grand Plaza Hotel located at 187 Monroe Ave. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503. For more information and reservations call (800) 253-3590 or visit www.amwaygrand.com.

Grand Rapids/Kent County Convention & Visitors Bureau: For more information on Grand Rapids and the surrounding area, visit www.visitgrandrapids.org.

Media Contacts:
USA Table Tennis
 Anthony Bartkowski, (719) 510-7331 or abartkowski@comcast.net

West Michigan Sports Commission
Amy LeFebre, (616) 776-1111 ext. 117 or Lefebre@hanon-mckendry.com