The 2018 championships will be held at the Bendigo Stadium from December 2 to 9 in what will be the first time they have been hosted in the Oceania region since 2003.

A total of 32 teams and 160 under-18 table tennis players will compete at the championships, with events to include team, singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

Among the potential entries is 14-year-old Japanese sensation Tomokazu Harimoto. 

“This is another great example of Bendigo’s ability to attract and stage world-class sporting events,” City of Greater Bendigo councillor James Williams said on Friday.

“We have been able to secure the championships due to the investment in the Bendigo Stadium expansion project.

“Without the development of this state-of-the-art facility, including a showcourt with up to 4000 seats, it would not have been possible to host this elite competition.

“Events such as this help to showcase our tourism strengths and it’s expected around 500 travelling spectators per day will attend the event.”

The latest announcement of the World Junior Championships follows on from Bendigo hosting a number of International Table Tennis Federation events in recent years, including the Oceania Cup, Ocean Championships and Oceania Olympic Qualification Tournament.

Meanwhile, the Bendigo Stadium redevelopment continues to progess. 

The building for the new showcourt is now weathertight and the timber floor has been delivered and will begin to be laid on July 31.

The new court will be of an International Baksetball Federation level one standard.