Hundreds have applied to become the next president of the International Table Tennis Federation, the committee has examined the applicants and sifted through.
The Chinese Table Tennis Federation nominated its chairman Liu Guoliang (individual Olympic and World Cup gold medalist), the Swedish chairman - Petra Sörling - and the incumbent ITTF chairman Thomas Weikert also wanted to extend his term in office by another four years.
But Weikert withdrew, and Guoliang's candidacy forced him to settle for one of the eight remaining board seats.
Because among the hundreds who applied, there is only one who is nominated to get the highest position in the ITTF - namely Petra Sörling.
Third woman so far
- It turns out that I have strong support, says Petra Sörling who today is chairman of the Swedish Table Tennis Association.
On November 24 - at the same time as the ping-pong World Cup is decided in Houston, Texas - 226 member nations will vote on who will be the new ITTF chairman and Sörling is the only name they can click on.
She will then be the federation's first female president, and among the federations in the Summer Olympics, she will be the third woman so far to lead an international federation.
One of the other two is Annika Sörenstam, chairman of the International Golf Association.
- Some think it was time, others think it's hard to get beaten by a female candidate.
I feel that there is a will for a leadership and a Swedish leadership has been longed for, the table tennis family has had a hard time during the pandemic.
There are opportunities to develop our sport, spread our sport.
What does this mean for you?
- If I am elected on the 24th, it is a great responsibility and trust to have.
It is very nice to write history, but even nicer to be able to deliver.
"Can play all my life"
Since 2009, Sörling has been a member of the ITTF's board, and in 2013 she became vice chairman.
And in 2013, she also became chairman of the Swedish Table Tennis Association, where she has sat since 2003. When she is appointed ITTF chairman in November, she can no longer remain in the Swedish Table Tennis Association.
- I felt that there was an opportunity to make a difference, that was why I ran.
Table tennis has its power in that it is possible to play all your life, but we must grow in the target groups we reach today.
In some markets we are big on the leisure side, as in the USA where it needs to be bigger for the professionals, and in some the elite side must grow more in breadth.
What will be the first thing you do after you have been elected?
- It is important to restart the business, in this way it is positive to get into a restart with the pandemic.
It is important to do the analysis in peace and quiet and see what will need to be done now and then.