Table tennis umpire Foote promoted to world's elite
Ben Foote is one of just 25 elite tier table tennis umpires in the world
- Published
A British table tennis umpire has become one of just 25 people in the world to reach the sport's elite level of officiating.
Ben Foote has been promoted to 'Gold Badge' level by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).
The Guernsey-based umpire is one of just two Britons at such a level and officiated the men's final at the World Team Championships in London earlier this month.
"The Gold Badge is for the elite level," Foote explained to BBC Radio Guernsey.
"You get invited to the real big ones, the World Cups, the World Championships, the smashes - which is the equivalent of the tennis Grand Slams. You get direct invites rather than just having to apply and hope you get accepted to some of the major competitions."
Table tennis world cup final umpire from Guernsey
- Published20 December 2024
Ben Foote umpired the final of the World Team Championships in London between China and Japan earlier this month
Foote has travelled around the world from his home in the Channel Islands with the sport - he officiated in the finals of the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and in Birmingham four years later.
Despite being a relatively low-key sport in Great Britain, table tennis is huge in some countries, particularly China.
It means there is a lot of pressure to make the right decision, with big crowds in attendance.
"You get used to it, you sort of have to block it out," Foote says.
"The World Team Championships was at Wembley Arena, so it's quite a big stadium, it's 7,000 capacity, mainly Chinese fans.
"So the atmosphere was fantastic, really, really loud, but you just sort of learn to block it out and just get on with your job in hand."
With table tennis removed from the slimmed-down Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer, Foote will not be able to make it a hat-trick of finals at that event.
But he is hoping his new status can help him officiate at an Olympic Games for the first time in 2028.
"The Olympics is actually quite a small tournament, so they don't need that many officials," he says.
"I was lucky enough to be part of 2012 as a volunteer, I wasn't near qualified by then.
"I'll apply to go, I think there's a chance, it'll be the same pool of people that go."
