"I have been involved in table tennis as a player till now, and I am thrilled WTT has recognised my results and experience," said Fukuhara. I had the honour of being approached by WTT Council Chair Liu Guoliang and ITTF Group CEO Steve Dainton to take up the role of WTT Japan General Manager. I'll work very hard and try my best to meet the essential and pressing needs of the players.

"As WTT Japan General Manager, I'll be able to support the players and the table tennis family from a different angle and perspective, and I hope to be able to liven up the sport. I feel that the WTT events are really player-centric, which will benefit the players greatly. Moreover, the competition setting now is truly exciting. And I think that's an excellent thing. I started playing when I was three years old, and I've learnt a lot from table tennis. I would like to pass my experience down to the next generation, to focus on the important needs of the players, and work hard for them."

Fukuhara's missions include generating tournament opportunities for WTT, driving sponsorship and investment efforts, supporting the sport's growth, and boosting media rights sales in Japan.