European Championships | 4 Jun 2017
In Luxembourg anticipation for the European Championships mounts
The players invites you to the LIEBHERR ITTF European Championships
After the LIEBHERR World Championships in Düsseldorf exhibition halls 5, 6 and 7, after 8 days of fabulous sport have been thoroughly tidied up, the next international table tennis highlight is close: in less than a hundred days the 2017 Liebherr ITTF European Table Tennis Championships begin. From 13th to 17th September the best male and female players compete for the European title in the Team Event in the arena of The Sports and Cultural Centre named the „Coque“ (The Shell) at the edge of Luxembourg-City. The German ladies will attempt to repeat the success achieved two years ago. The men Dima OVTCHAROV, Timo BOLL and Co target a gold medal again (after two silver ones) and wish to push Austria off the throne.
Watch the "100 days to go" video here with the Europan stars!
Men and women play in three divisions each: the best 16 teams serve in the Champions Division, the teams ranked between 17 and 32 in the Challenge Division, and the rest in the Standard Division. The exact number of teams is not official yet, but ought to reach about 40 for both men and women.
In Luxembourg anticipation for the Liebherr Championships is on the rise; as confirmed by André Hartmann, the President of the Luxembourg association, the sale of tickets is in full swing. Most bookings come from Luxembourg, but a number of fans from France, Germany and Belgium have purchased tickets as well. Even from Ireland there has been some interest. The Early-Bird Tariff (cheap tickets) is valid up to July 12th. From that date, when the draw of the groups is carried out, the final programme will be made out and the prices will be adapted to the usual tariffs appropriate for such an international event. Entry tickets are available from ticket-regional.lu
Each entry ticket which is bought through ticket-regional.lu comprises free use of public transport (bus and train) across the whole country. This also means that the 3 Park-and-Ride car parks Bouillon, Howald and Foire will be available for free bus transport to the“Coque“. André HARTMANN specifies: „The number of parking spaces is limited at the Coque and therefore we offer this service for specators to reach the European Championships comfortably.“
No early elimination is possible
ITTF President Thomas Weikert knows from experience how attractive a team championship can be. „From the perspective of the German Table Tennis Association one can say that the DTTB likes organising such team events. There is the guarantee that one’s favorite team will participate from the beginning to the end, which is very interesting for all spectators.
Besides, due to the lack of domination of a team like China in the World Championships the result remains open. Among the favorites to win one can mention present European Champion Austria with Robert Gardos and Stefan Fegerl, Vice-Champion Germany with Timo Boll and Dima Ovtcharov, France with Simon Gauzy and Emmanuel Lebesson as well as Portugal with Marco Freitas and Tiago Apolonia. Concerning the ladies’ event the following could be favorites: Germany with Petrissa Solja and Kristin Silbereisen, Hungary with Georgina Pota, Romania with Elizabeta Samara and the Netherlands with Ji Lie.
Because of the attractive playing system with group games, direct elimination and the following placement games an early elimination is impossible. Therefore anticipation grows for a unique event nobody should miss, barely a hundred days before the first serve.
Further Information:
ettc2017.lu
coque.lu
Like it on Facebook (2017 LIEBHERR ITTF European Table Tennis Championships)
