More than 120 players will contest the annual Newcastle Open Butterfly Grand Prix Table Tennis tournament at the city's Eldon Square Recreation Centre.
Entries are still flooding in for the two-day event, on December 3 and 4, which will see the region's top names do battle with stars from across Europe.
Already confirmed as competing in the men's event is Belgium's Bart Vermuesen, who plays league table tennis for Cramlington, and British Super League player Fabio Mantegazza of Italy.
Flying the North East flag will be Gateshead's Eddie Smith and Andrew Wilkinson and Sunderland's Dave Godbold, who won the veterans crown in 2004.
In the women's event, England No 1 Helen Lower will be defending the title she won last year, when she defeated Devon's Marketa Myskova 11-6 4-11 11-13 11-8 11-8.
So far 106 men and more than 20 women have entered the tournament, which features singles competition for men, women, under-21s and veterans plus a series of banded events.
Last year's band one singles was dominated by local players with Smith, Wilkinson and Durham's Michael Marsden reaching the last four.
Marsden knocked out top seed Smith to reach the final which was won by Wilkinson, who defeated Marsden 8-11 11-8 11-8 13-11.
Late entries are still being accepted up to and including tomorrow and should be sent to Aubrey Drapkin, 8 Garsdale Road, Whitley Bay, NE26 4NU, telephone (0191) 251 4983.
