Identifying and Analyzing the Factors Affecting the International Development of Table Tennis in Iran

The aim of this study is to identify the factors affecting the international development of table tennis in Iran. From the paradigm perspective, this research is an interpretive research, a qualitative approach, a grounded theory strategy, and a hidden content analysis tactic. The present study is of exploratory nature. The statistical population of this research included the table tennis experts, , the coaches of the Iranian national table tennis teams, senior managers in the Ministry of Sports and Youth and the Table Tennis Federation, were members of the scientific board in the field of sports management. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with these individuals. 226 Preliminary codes were extracted from the initial interviews regarding the factors influencing the improvement of Iranian international table tennis, with the frequency of 460. 13 main categories and 37 pivotal categories were considered regarding the factors affecting the international development of table tennis in Iran. The highest coefficient of importance belonged to managerial factors and specialized and technical factor that were calculated with the coefficient of importance 104 and 80, respectively. Also, the lowest coefficient of importance was related to the category of government and governance, the nature of the field and the media factor that were as 7, 12 and 13, respectively. Managers of the Iranian Table Tennis Federation should consider the role of causal conditions (economic, social factors, infrastructure development and technical and professional factors), intervening conditions (motivational factors, media factor, nature of table tennis) and background conditions (talent identification, managerial factor, government and governance, educational institutions and the development of public sports) as factors influencing the international development of table tennis.