French President Emmanuel MACRON visited the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup in Chengdu, where he met both Team France and Team China during his state visit to China. He was welcomed by ITTF President Petra SÖRLING and CTTA President Liqin, who introduced him to leading Chinese stars Wang Chuqin, Sun Yingsha, Wang Manyu WANG, and Shidong LIN, as well as coaches Lin MA, Hao WANG and Zhan XIAO. MACRON also greeted the French squad, including Felix and Alexis LEBRUN, Prithika PAVADE, Simon GAUZY and Jia Nan YUAN. President MACRON even stepped to the table himself, receiving a racket from ITTF President Petra SÖRLING and enjoying brief friendly rallies with players. Delegations exchanged commemorative gifts, including a special ITTF Centenary racket and national team jerseys. The ITTF expressed its honour at being part of the French President’s official visit, noting table tennis’s long tradition of fostering friendship and international cooperation from historic ping-pong diplomacy to its modern global reach. The ITTF Mixed Team World Cup 2025 runs in Chengdu from 30 November to 7 December, ahead of the discipline’s Olympic debut at LA28.
Croatia Claim Win Over Sweden, FRANZISKA beat World No. 1, as Europe Battles Through a Challenging Day
It was a mixed and demanding day for European teams at the World Team Championships, but Croatia delivered the standout performance, defeating Sweden 8–1 . Croatia started strongly through Ivor BAN and Hana ARAPOVIĆ, whose composed and well-balanced mixed doubles display earned the opening point against Kristian KARLSSON and Christina KALLBERG. Momentum continued with an exceptional win from Lea RAKOVAC, who overcame Linda BERGSTRÖM 3–0 by smartly adjusting her tempo and exploiting the chopper’s variations. The decisive blow came from Tomislav PUCAR, who dominated Anton KALLBERG in straight games. Mixing his trademark backhand power with timely forehand attacks, PUCAR ensured Croatia completed a confident and controlled victory—one of their strongest performances of the tournament. France fell 8–7 to Hong Kong, China, despite strong singles wins from Charlotte LUTZ and Simon GAUZY. Germany lost to China 4-8, despite the Patrick FRANZISKA’s superb win over World No. 1 Wang Chuqin.
Frane Tomislav KOJIC Elected Chair of the ETTU Athletes’ Commission
The Chair of the ETTU Athletes’ Commission for the 2025–2029 term has been elected, with the members of the Commission placing their trust in Croatia’s Frane Tomislav KOJIC. The Commission, which serves as the official voice of athletes within European table tennis, consists of five elected members: four representing able-bodied athletes and one representing the Para table tennis community. The able-bodied athletes were elected earlier this year during the voting process held at the 2025 European Team Championships in Zadar, as well as through online voting for Associations participating in Stage 1 in Sarajevo. The elected members are: Linda BERGSTRÖM (Sweden), Tin-Tin HO (England), Elizabeta SAMARA (Romania), Frane Tomislav KOJIC (Croatia). Together with Para representative Jack HUNTER-SPIVEY (England) they will serve throughout the 2025–2029 term. Following the election, newly appointed Chair Frane Tomislav KOJIC addressed his fellow players: “I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your votes and the trust you have placed in me by electing me as the ETTU Players’ Representative. It is a great honor and a personal source of pride to be recognized by those I consider the most important people in our sport, the players themselves, and alongside them, our invaluable coaches without whom our progress would not be possible. Your support means a great deal to me, as it comes directly from those to whom this sport truly belongs. With a strong sense of respect and responsibility, I will do my best to listen to your ideas, represent your interests, and work on improving conditions for all players, as table tennis is first and foremost about you, the athletes. At the same time, I fully recognize the essential role of coaches. Even though my mandate is to represent players, I will also work to improve the situation and conditions for coaches, as our achievements are inseparable from their expertise, dedication, and guidance. Thank you once again for your confidence and trust. I look forward to working with you all and to meeting the challenges that lie ahead. United as one table tennis family,” said Frane Tomislav KOJIC. Acting as a direct link between players and the ETTU leadership, the Athletes’ Commission ensures that athletes’ voices, concerns, and perspectives are incorporated into key decisions shaping European table tennis. The Commission plays a vital role in strengthening athlete representation and providing guidance on matters related to competition, welfare, development pathways, and the long-term strategic direction of the sport.
