Ningbo, China, hosted the 7th World Racket Sports Science Congress from October 23 to 25, 2026, gathering researchers, practitioners, and sport federation representatives to examine the latest scientific developments in table tennis, badminton, tennis, padel, squash, and pickleball.
University Consortium Revives Congress
The 2026 gathering marked the return of the global event after its previous edition in Bangkok in 2018. The congress was revived through a consortium of partner universities including Ningbo University, the University of Ljubljana, the University of Granada, and the Niigata Institute of Technology.
The multi-day event also received support from major international governing bodies. Those organizations included the Badminton World Federation, the International Table Tennis Federation, the International Tennis Federation, the International Society of Sport Science and Technology, the China Sport Science Society, and the Zhejiang Institute of Sport Science.
Researchers Examine Elite Performance and Leisure Participation
Sessions throughout the three-day schedule addressed multiple scientific disciplines, ranging from biomechanics and physiology to motor control, sports psychology, data analysis, education, technological development, and sports management. Presentations focused on applications for both elite performance and leisure-time participation.
Delegates attending the sessions included university faculty members, sports science students, doctors, physical therapists, coaches, athletic trainers, and professionals in the field of sports materials, equipment, and new technologies.
University of Bologna Researchers Present Motor-Cognitive Studies
The University of Bologna maintained a visible research presence at the congress. Ivan Malagoli attended the event both as a representative of the University of Bologna and as a member of the organizing scientific committee.
Zijun Yao, a doctoral student at the University of Bologna, delivered two presentations during the congress sessions. Yao presented findings from the study titled Motor-cognitive interference in amateur Table Tennis,
co-authored alongside Nefeli Ppali, Zijun Yao, Gabriele Russo, Samuele Maria Marcora, and Ivan Malagoli. Yao also presented a second study titled Motor-cognitive interference in racket sports: a scoping review,
co-authored with Ivan Malagoli and Samuele Maria Marcora.
Worth a look
