The tournament, involving men's and women's team events, singles and doubles, will be participated in by some 50 paddlers from Korea (a and b teams), China, Russia, Mongolia and Nigeria.

Ju Jong Chol, secretary general of the Table Tennis Association of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, told KCNA that preparations for the tournament had already been finished.

He also said that Table Tennis Gymnasium in Chongchun Street, the venue of the tournament, had undergone facelifting and that training, lodging and boarding facilities were waiting for the participants.

A poster introducing the tournament had also been brought out, he added.

The Pyongyang International Invitation Table Tennis Tournament, which started in Juche 70 (1981), has served as a good occasion in strengthening sports exchange and cooperation among nations and propelling the development of table tennis technique.