The European Under 13 Championships start tomorrow in Kosta, Sweden (24–28 September), bringing together teams from more than 30 countries. After successfully hosting the 2023 STUPA European Team Championships and the 2024 European Youth Championships, the Swedish Table Tennis Association continues its strong tradition of staging major ETTU competitions. “We are delighted to be back in Sweden for another ETTU event, this time the U13 European Championships. The Swedish TTA has proved to be a very reliable organiser, and I am sure this event will also build on the excellent momentum table tennis is enjoying in the country,” stated ETTU President Pedro MOURA. Swedish Table Tennis Association Secretary General Thomas BUZA also expressed his enthusiasm on behalf of the Organising Committee: “We are absolutely delighted to host this fantastic event on home soil, where we get to experience the stars of the future up close. It aligns perfectly with our long-term ambition to continuously bring table tennis events of all categories to Sweden. For us, it is important that our young players have the chance to shine in front of their families, friends, and passionate fans. Right now, table tennis is enjoying great momentum in Sweden, which makes the timing of this event even more special. We are also excited to welcome guests to Kosta and the wonderful CRAFT Arena. Together with the dedicated local organisers, we will do everything we can to make sure everyone leaves with lasting memories.” This will be the third edition of the Under 13 European Championships. The last crowns were awarded in Bucharest, May 2024, where Turkey’s Görkem Ocal claimed the boys’ singles title ahead of Germany’s Lukas Wang, while Sweden’s Siri BENJEGÅRD triumphed in the girls’ event against France’s Eva Lam. Germany won the mixed team competition over Spain, while Ocal partnered Ela Su YÖNTER to capture mixed doubles gold for Turkey.
Sabine WINTER and Benedikt DUDA Lead German Teams in Zadar
Germany’s line-ups for the Team European Championships in Zadar (12–19 October) have been confirmed. For the first time, Sabine WINTER and Benedikt DUDA will lead the five-player women’s and men’s squads at the 44th edition of the continental event in Croatia. The German women will compete as defending champions, while the men’s side returns as silver medalists from the last Team Europeans two years ago in Malmö, where they finished behind hosts Sweden. In Zadar, the women’s team will feature world no. 27 Sabine WINTER, who has recently moved up the ITTF rankings and will act as Germany’s number one for the first time. She is joined by Olympic team fourth-place finisher Yuan WAN, U19 World Champion Annett KAUFMANN, European bronze medalist Nina MITTELHAM returning after a long back injury, and Mia GRIESEL, U19 World bronze medalist who debuted at the 2024 European Championships in Linz. On the men’s side, Benedikt DUDA now world no. 8 and runner-up at the last Europeans, leads the German squad as top player for the first time. He is joined by former European champion Dang QIU, world no. 17 Patrick FRANZISKA, Ricardo WALTHER and Andre BERTELSMEIER, who made his debut last year. The nominations, made jointly by national coaches Jörg ROSSKOPF (men) and Tamara BOROS (women) together with DTTB sports director Richard PRAUSE, provide rest periods for two key veterans: Dimitrij OVTCHAROV, double Olympic bronze medalist, and Ying HAN, winner of the Europe Top 16. PRAUSE underlined that the field is tougher than ever: “Sweden, led by Truls MÖREGÅRDH, have recently won both the European Championships and Olympic team gold. France, driven by the LEBRUN brothers, earned bronze at both the World Championships and Olympics. Denmark, with Anders LIND and Jonathan GROTH, is also strong. Croatia as host and Romania will also aim for medals. Among the women, I expect a duel with Romania, our long-standing rivals, but also France and Sweden cannot be underestimated. The competition is very strong.” The road to the trophy requires six victories for the eventual winner. After two group-stage matches, the top two of each of the eight groups will advance to the round of 16, where the knockout stage begins. Germany’s women, drawn in Group B against Serbia and Slovenia, are clear favorites. Coach Tamara BOROS: “We will do everything to defend our title in Zadar. For Nina, especially after her long break, it’s vital to gain match practice. Of course, we also already have London 2026 in sight.” The men’s team face Serbia and Ukraine in Group C. Coach Jörg ROSSKOPF anticipates a thrilling event: “We have a team capable of beating anyone. But France and Sweden have become extremely strong, recently more successful than us. We are one of several favorites. It might be the most exciting European Championships in many years.”
