Newfoundlander has big job with world table tennis body

Newfoundlander Bruce Burton is the new executive vicepresident of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

Burton, a Twillingate native and resident of St. John’s, was elected by a solid margin over a large number of contenders for the position during the ITTF’S annual general meeting in Düsseldorf, Germany. As a result, Burton will serve as a member of the executive committee for four years. “There is no doubt in my mind that our biggest contribution has to be in the area of promotion,” said Burton after his election. “With the recent growth of table tennis in North America, our continent has shown its potential as a huge market for table tennis. The challenge is to break through the barriers posed by the major professional sports that dominate television coverage.”

A former provincial team player who represented Newfoundland at the 1975 Canada Winter Games, Burton became president of the Newfoundland Table Tennis Association that same year. He eventually became president of the Canadian Table Tennis Association. He has been a council member of the ITTF since 1995.