( CNN ) -- North and South Korea ... India and Pakistan ... the United States and Iran . No , these are not the next predicted wars but the unlikely doubles teams for an international ping pong event . The International Table Tennis Federation and the Peace and Sport Foundation are organizing an international tournament in Doha , Qatar in November , and they 're hoping the unusual teams could help to develop understanding between feuding countries . Joel Bouzou , president of Peace and Sport says he hopes the tournament `` will allow us to reach a stage where we can bury the quarrels of the past . '' `` We have witnessed many examples in recent history which show the power of sport to overcome political differences between nations . For example , the recent cricket match between India and Pakistan , or the qualification matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup between Turkey and Armenia , '' Bouzou told CNN . North and South Korea have been asked to form a doubles partnership . The two countries are still technically at war since the 1950-1953 Korean war ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty , but the organisers are hopeful the two teams will agree to work together . And it 's not just at the player level . The ITTF says key government officials and diplomats from the competing nations will be in the stands cheering their country on . The ITTF calls this , `` an unprecedented sports event that will break political tensions and unite nations in a way that only table tennis can . '' It is hard to imagine ping pong succeeding where decades of political negotiations have failed but the vice-chairman of the Seoul-based Korea Table Tennis Association tells CNN , `` We will have to look into the procedures , but since it 's an exhibition match , I do n't think there will be any major obstacles as long as North Korea agrees . There 's no reason for us to turn this down . '' Ju Jong-chol , secretary general of the North Korean Table Tennis Association tells Yonhap news agency he thought the idea of promoting world peace through table tennis was `` a good one . '' `` We have n't heard anything specific about how this event will be run , '' Ju added . `` After learning all the details , we will look into whether or not to accept the invitation . '' Japan , China and Russia are also being invited to compete in Qatar . The ITTF says that all nations have agreed in principle to compete . Peace and Sport is hoping to make this tournament an annual event using a different sport each year . Table tennis was an obvious sport to start with , because it is forty years after an American table tennis team competed in China . The matches are credited with helping open up China to the world and paved the way for a groundbreaking visit from U.S. President Richard Nixon the following year which forged diplomatic channels between the two countries .
Organizers hope the unusual events will help develop understanding . North and South Korea have been asked to form a strategic partnership . Table tennis is credited with helping open up China to the world 40 years ago .