Archives | 1 May 2014

Future of European Championships on agenda

The Extraordinary Congress of the European Table Tennis Union was held today in Japan’s city of Tokyo. As it was announced, the spring Congress during World Championships would not be formal as the regular Congress during European Championships, so there

The Extraordinary Congress of the European Table Tennis Union was held today in Japan’s city of Tokyo. As it was announced, the spring Congress during World Championships would not be formal as the regular Congress during European Championships, so there were no voting on agenda. However, very important issues were the subjects of the discussion. Major priorities were: the look of future European events, as well as development plan.

President Ronald KRAMER addressed to the delegates and guests at the beginning of the meeting. “As it was announced in Schewechat the first things do to was to restore the relations with ITTF. Not only by signing the Affiliation of Agreement, but also on personal and professional level. I think we succeeded in that. Personally, I have been very busy preparing the participation of ETTU in the First European Games in Baku in 2015 and rehearsal test event in February same year. We also worked a lot in terms of finding the finances. We are spending a lot of time to generate income to bring down our deficit and to help organizing associations in staging ETTU Events,” said President KRAMER.

ETTU Development Program was presented by Ivo-Goran MUNIVRANA Deputy President of ETTU. MUNIVRANA stated that Program is and should be focused on building a basic model pathway for European players from a young age to the highest level. “The vision, plan and program according to it must be long term oriented, in order to create something new, instead of reproducing things done in the past. “If you do what you did, you will get what you got!”

ETTU EB appointed Mr. Neven CEGNAR, as a New ETTU Development Manager, a coach in charge of Development Program for youngest categories. Mr. Michel GADAL was appointed as ETTU DP Project Leader for 21 and Under Program.

The presentation of Future of European Championships from 2016 by ETTU EC member Sonja GREFBERG opened interesting discussion with lot of proposals. “We are facing great difficulties since the European Championships are too expensive to organize; Championships are not attracting enough media and public attention; Championships create too little revenues, neither for the organizer, nor for the Associations, nor for European TT in general; combined Championships are too long and tiring for top-players,” GREFBERG explained the reasons for opening the question of future of EC.

The Event Group suggests that the delegates should have a serious look at adopting the ITTF system by separating European Championships into Team Championships and Individual Championships. “We need to make our EC commercially more attractive and shorter.”

For finding best possible exit from this situation, team of experts offered solutions, which were the subject of open discussion.

Some of solutions are: Combined Championships, Individual and Team Events every year; Combined Championships, Individual and Team Events every second year ; Combined Championships odd years (2015) only Individual Events even years (2016); Combined Championships odd years (2015) only Team Events even years (2016); Individual Event even years (2016, 2018..); Team Events odd years (2015, 2017); Individual and Team Events every year but different Championships, Individual Events in Spring and Team Events in Autumn.

However, to prevent overlooking possible alternatives, as well as to give their opinion about the possibilities Group offers, all federation received questionnaire to be filled and returned until mid May so the Expert Group could create the best possible proposal for the Congress in Portugal.

Milica NIKOLIC, EWT, Milica NIKOLIC, EWT

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