Announcements
Tees Sport is Official Ball Supplier for 2025/26
Tees Sport and Butterfly have been announced as Official Ball Supplier for leading Table Tennis England national events in the 2025/26 season after an open tender process.
Under the terms of the partnership, Tees Sport will supply more than 15,000 of the Butterfly R40+ 3* ball across the season, along with a £2,000 contribution towards the running costs of competitions.
The ball will be supplied for the following events:
Mark Bates Ltd Senior National Championships
Mark Bates Ltd Senior National Qualifiers
Mark Bates Ltd Junior & U21 National Championships
Mark Bates Ltd Cadet & U17 National Championships
Mark Bates Ltd U10-13 National Open Championships
Senior British Clubs League
Cadet & Junior British Clubs League
U13, Cadet & Junior National Series
U21 National Cup
Pathway Development Team Cup
County Championships
English Leagues Cup Competitions (ELCC)
The Mark Bates Ltd Senior National Championships and qualifying tournament are part of the tender for the first time, as is the Pathway Development Team Cup, a new competition for 2025/26.
Alan Ransome OBE, Tees Sport Managing Director, said: “The adoption of our Butterfly R40 Three-Star as the Table Tennis England official ball, together with the selection (by the ITTF) as the exclusive ball for the 2026 World Championships in London this season, makes Butterfly the top ball in England for another year.
“We are delighted that our R40 ball will be used for all the National Championships, the Senior British Clubs League, County Championships, the Cadet & Junior British Clubs Leagues as well as a number of other important competitions this season.
“Butterfly’s objective is to provide top quality for all table tennis equipment and our Three-Star ball is an important part of this.
We hope that all members of Table Tennis England enjoy competing and training with the balls.”
Ms Takako Osawa, President of Butterfly said: “With ‘Open the World’ as our motto, we believe table tennis has the power to connect people, inspire communities and enrich lives.
“We are proud to support Table Tennis England and to see our Butterfly R40+ Three-Star ball selected for the World Championships in London in 2026 – a true honour that reflects our commitment to the sport at the highest level.”