The movement is the first phase of the "Ping Pong pour la Paix" programme, which translates as Ping-Pong for Peace, to encourage over 400 children from youth centres in Burundi to play supervised table tennis at least twice a week.

Swedish table tennis legend and Peace and Sport "Champion for Peace" Peter Karlsson, a five-time World Championship gold medallist, visited Burundi to launch the programme and hold coaching clinics.

"Being in Africa is a fantastic experience for me I want to pass on the values I have gained through sport: respect, discipline and planning," he said.

"Sport provides many valuable lessons that can help shape a better future for everyone and this is what I want to pass on to all of the players and coaches I meet in Burundi."

This is the third time that the charismatic world champion has attended a Peace and Sport-ITTF event to launch a table tennis programme, following similar projects in Colombia and Timor-Leste.

Additionally, the German Table Tennis Association is working with the ITTF to support and send two children from each village – Luvungi, Bwegera, Gihanga and Gitega – to Dortmund for the World Championships, which are due to begin on March 25.

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