A statement from the ITTF Executive Committee announced that the members will take all decisions on a majority basis until the next Annual General Meeting.

The ITTF Executive Committee said it had taken the action to help find "positive solutions to recent and ongoing difficulties", adding they needed to "act on their democratic and constitutional rights in order to unify the Executive Committee in the best interest of the ITTF".

The ITTF Executive Committee also announced it had voted in favour of reinstating Khalil Al-Mohannadi as the ITTF Deputy President.

The Qatari will be reinstated "until such time as the initial purported decision-making authority of the President and any and all allegations against the Deputy President have been fully clarified and dealt with in accordance with due process and natural justice and as set out in the ITTF Constitution".

"For me there is nothing to celebrate in the middle of a crisis, but today won the democracy, common sense and justice," a statement from Nestor Tenca, ITTF Executive Vice-President responsible for rules and the constitutional review.

Weikert promised he would take legal action before the respective sports courts against the decision of the Executive Committee, which he described as "unauthorised interference with his rights and a blatant violation of the ITTF Constitution".

Weikert had written to National Federations, the ITTF Board and Committees last month to inform them that Al-Mohannadi had been removed as Deputy President on February 23.

Weikhert wrote "agreement on strategic goals and mutual trust are the prerequisites for effective cooperation between President and Deputy" but said "this unity no longer existed, and that led to my decision".

In a letter to Member Associations sent today and seen by insidethegames, Weikert said a letter had been sent by Al-Mohannadi to him last month, along with all Executive Committee members and senior ITTF officials.

Al-Mohannadi reportedly wrote that to Weikert that "In the last few months, I have found you are mainly only bringing to the ITTF conflicts and problems".

Weikert claimed the letter had come around the same time as a "plethora of documents containing serious accusations were submitted to the ITTF and all its member federations by the Swiss Table Tennis Federation".

"These accusations concerned the moral conduct of Mr Al-Mohannadi and question whether he had concealed his connection with the table tennis industry in 2017, therefore being ineligible according to the ITTF Constitution and thus deceiving the Member Associations at the AGM," Weikert’s letter said.

"This case is currently being handled by the ITTF Integrity Officer.

 “I consider the reinstatement of Mr Al-Mohannadi as Deputy by a majority of the EC to be unlawful and have therefore appealed to the independent Tribunal of the ITTF, which can decide in such conflicts.”

Swiss Table Tennis last month expressed concerns over Al-Mohannadi’s position.

The national governing body claimed it was "more than understandable why our President has taken this step" to remove Al-Mohannadi as Deputy President and questioned whether it is "even legal for Mr. Al-Mohannadi to remain a member of the EC".

Swiss Table Tennis accused Al-Mohannadi of having misled the Annual General Meeting, suggesting that he should not have been able to have run for ITTF vice-president.

The organisation included documents, seen by insidethegames, which claim the Qatar Table Tennis Federation President was using his own private company to do business with the Joola company in Germany.

Joola are among the leading table tennis manufacturers.

Swiss Table Tennis highlighted that under the ITTF Constitution, a person "connected in any way with the manufacture, sale or endorsement of table tennis equipment or with consultation on such equipment" shall not be eligible to stand as a member of the Executive Committee.

The action taken by the ITTF Executive Committee marks a resurfacing of longstanding tension within table tennis' worldwide governing body.

The ITTF claimed last year that it remained united in its efforts to manage the effects of COVID-19, despite Weikert being criticised by members of the Executive Committee.

Al-Mohannadi and executive vice-president for finance Petra Sörling wrote a joint letter criticising Weikert last May.

The ITTF officials had questioned his ability to run ITTF and expressed their desire to see a new President elected in 2021.

Sent to the ITTF members by the Swedish Table Tennis Association, they claimed to offer "a new direction for the ITTF membership under the leadership of a new President".

Weikert said at the time that the letter contained "discrediting allegations" but has vowed to continue with his bid for re-election this year.

In a separate move, the ITTF Executive Committee has sent a formal letter to the German Table Tennis Federation (DTTB) setting out its position and offering proposals.

This followed the DTTB raising concerns over the established of the World Table Tennis (WTT) commercial vehicle.

The DTTB claimed in November that WTT violated "essential principles of good governance and transparency" and disempowered national associations.

These concerns were voiced in a letter to ITTF associations, officials and the ITTF management team.

An independent review by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) found the WTT was set up with good governance and financial compliance.

The ITTF said WTT, formed last year, will help to modernise the commercial business activities of table tennis and has led to the introduction of a series of new events.

The ITTF claim it will lead to increased prize money and a more modern experience for fans, broadcasters, players and hosts.

The ITTF Executive Committee said the PwC report had "exonerated the ITTF, WTT, their related entities, their staff and officials in clear and unequivocal terms from the harmful and baseless allegations set out on the DTTB letter of 18 November 2020".

The Executive Committee claimed it "had no choice but to seek advice on the appropriate legal and disciplinary actions available against the DTTB so as to protect the image, reputation and goodwill of the ITTF parties".

A response to the ITTF’s latest letter is expected to be provided by the DTTB within around two weeks.

Agreements to finalise the application documents and open the 2024 World Table Tennis Championships bid process, as well as preparing for bids to the 2022 World Para Table Tennis Championships, were also discussed at the Executive Committee's latest meeting.

The bid process will officially launch when table tennis is confirmed on the programme for the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.

The Executive Committee said it will seek to finalise seeding regulations for the Olympic Games draws and engage with Houston in the United States to find solutions to host the World Championships at the end of November 2021.

Discussions also took place over the WTT structure, including over a proposal to ensure the athletes had more of a voice.

insidethegames has contacted Al-Mohannadi for comment.