Table Tennis Victoria and Greater Dandenong Table Tennis Association are excited to announce a new tournament format trial at the 2026 Dandenong Junior Open. 

Junior players will compete in ratings-based divisions rather than traditional age-based events, creating a new tournament experience designed to maximise matches, increase competitiveness, and improve the overall player experience. 

The trial will apply to all junior events (Under 17 and below) and will take place on Saturday 8 August, with Junior Boys and Junior Girls competing on the same day. 

Why Are We Trialling This Format? 

Based on feedback from key stakeholders being players, parents, coaches and tournament organisers has highlighted opportunities to explore alternative formats that may better cater to player development and participation. Traditionally the STC has followed an age-based structure across Victorian tournaments. 

A significant challenge with age-based events is the prominent variation in playing standards within the same age group. A ratings-based structure allows players to compete against opponents of a similar level, creating more competitive matches and a more engaging tournament experience. 

The Dandenong Junior Open is an ideal tournament to trial this concept. The event regularly attracts strong participation numbers and has historically faced scheduling challenges due to venue capacity. A revised format provides an opportunity to test whether tournaments can be delivered more efficiently while maintaining a high-quality player experience. 

What Will the New Format Look Like? 

The proposed schedule for the junior tournament is: 

9:00am Session 

1:00pm Session 

3:00pm Session 

Players may enter one singles event in each timeslot, providing opportunities to compete across multiple events throughout the day. 

Singles events will begin with round-robin groups before progressing to knockout stages, ensuring players receive multiple matches regardless of results. 

What Are the Benefits? 

This trial aims to: 

Many successful tournaments around Australia utilise division-based formats, allowing players to enjoy more matches and greater competition throughout the day. 

What will happen for State Team Selection given there are no age group singles? 

Players will be awarded State Team Points in all eligible Age singles as per the exemption rule, however all players will be given an additional 6 State Team Points as a bonus for participating in this trial. 

Help Shape the Future of Victorian Tournaments 

This trial is an important opportunity for the Victorian table tennis community to help shape future tournament formats. 

Following the event, players, parents, coaches and officials will be invited to provide feedback on their experience. This feedback will help TTV assess the effectiveness of the format and determine whether similar approaches should be considered for future events. 

Importantly, this is a trial only. The purpose is to gather information, understand player preferences and evaluate the benefits and challenges of a ratings-based structure. 

We encourage all junior players to get involved, embrace something new and help us explore ways to continue improving tournament experiences across Victoria. 

We are looking forward to constructive feedback about this trial to continuously look to improve the State Tournament Circuit in Victoria. 

Further event information and entry details can be found here.