The first eight places in the knockout stage of the Under 15 Girls Teams event at the European Youth Championships in Gondomar have been decided. Czechia, Spain, France and hosts Portugal topped their respective groups, while Croatia, Türkiye, Germany and Sweden joined them by finishing runners-up after a dramatic conclusion to the opening phase of the competition. op seeds Czechia completed a perfect Group A campaign, while Croatia claimed the second qualification place after edging Hungary in a dramatic final-round encounter. Czechia finished unbeaten with three victories from three matches. Croatia, Hungary and Belgium all ended on four points, with Croatia taking second place, Hungary third and Belgium fourth. Czechia wrapped up first place with a convincing 3-0 victory over Belgium. Laura MARSICKOVA survived a hard-fought five-game battle against Temperance TANG, prevailing 12-10 in the deciding game after twice trailing in the match. Adela BRHELOVA then comfortably defeated Amandine RIFFLART in straight games before BRHELOVA and MARSICKOVA completed the clean sweep with a four-game doubles victory. The battle for second place went all the way, with Croatia overcoming Hungary 3-2. Karla IVCIC gave Croatia the lead by defeating Borbala VASS in five games, but Zsófia FEGYVER levelled the tie after edging Lucija NOVAK in another deciding game. IVCIC and Sara RIVETTI restored Croatia’s advantage with a four-game doubles victory over FEGYVER and Izabell IVANICS. FEGYVER once again brought Hungary level by beating IVCIC in straight games, forcing a decisive fifth match, where NOVAK defeated VASS in straight games to send Croatia into the knockout stage. Czech coach Jakub MERTA was delighted with his team’s consistency throughout the group stage. “We were the highest-seeded team in the group, but we knew the group stage would be difficult. The opening match against Hungary was a very important step because it gave the team confidence. Our biggest strength was the balance across the whole squad. We didn’t lose a single singles match, which shows the players were in excellent form. I’m very satisfied with their performance.” Group B produced one of the closest finishes of the day. Spain edged Türkiye 3-2 in the decisive final-round encounter to finish first, while both teams progressed to the knockout stage. Poland and Italy both ended with one victory, but Poland claimed third place on countback. The decisive clash lived up to expectations. Ela Su YONTER gave Türkiye the perfect start with a commanding straight-games victory over Mireia PARAU, before Eloisa BARREDA levelled the tie by defeating Ceren KAHRAMAN in straight games. Türkiye regained the advantage in a dramatic doubles contest as YONTER and KAHRAMAN edged BARREDA and Esther HASEK in five games, recovering after letting a match point slip in the fourth game. Spain responded through BARREDA, who defeated YONTER in another five-game battle to force the decider. In the final match, PARAU held her nerve to overcome KAHRAMAN in five games and secure first place for Spain. Poland finished the group stage with a 3-2 victory over Italy. Matilde BUZZONI and Claudia BERTOLINI each won five-game battles to give Italy a 2-0 lead, defeating Aleksandra NAWROCKA and Lucja KOBOSZ respectively. Poland then mounted an impressive comeback. NAWROCKA and KOBOSZ reduced the deficit with a straight-games doubles victory before NAWROCKA defeated BERTOLINI in four games to level the tie. KOBOSZ completed the turnaround with a convincing straight-games victory over BUZZONI, but despite the win Poland narrowly missed out on qualification. France completed a perfect Group C campaign, while Germany secured the second qualification place after defeating Ukraine in the final round. The French team finished unbeaten with three victories from three matches. Germany claimed second place, while Israel finished third ahead of Ukraine. Germany confirmed qualification with a convincing 3-0 victory over Ukraine. Anna WALTER opened the tie with a straight-games win over Sofiia BOIKO, before Amelie Guzi JIA defeated Veronika PRYSHCHEPA in four games to double Germany’s advantage. Lotta ROTHFUSS and Chenhao CHEN then completed the clean sweep with a straight-games doubles victory over Mariia DROBOVA and Yuliia SLIESARENKO. France rounded off the group stage with a 3-1 victory over Israel. Chloé HUANG gave France the lead before Ofek NAHUSHI levelled the tie with a five-game victory over Lisa ZHAO. Zhao and Albane ROCHUT restored France’s advantage by defeating Gali BEZALEL and NAHUSHI in the doubles, before ZHAO returned to seal the victory with a commanding singles success over BEZALEL. Germany coach Jie SCHÖPP admitted France had justified their status as favourites. “The defeat against France didn’t come as a big surprise because we knew they were the favourites. What was really disappointing was that we lost the doubles match.” Hosts Portugal completed a defeat-free Group D campaign, while Sweden secured the second qualification place after defeating Greece in the final round. Sweden confirmed their place in the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory over Greece. Siri BENJEGARD gave the Swedish team the perfect start with a commanding straight-games victory over Anastasia MICHALAROU, before Nike LUNDQVIST doubled the advantage by defeating Elpida TASIOU in four games. Greece kept the tie alive through the doubles, as MICHALAROU and TASIOU overcame Alicia ENBOM and LUNDQVIST, but BENJEGARD returned to the table to seal Sweden’s qualification with another convincing straight-games victory. Portugal secured first place with a 3-1 victory over Romania in the decisive clash for the top of the group. Maria RUIVO put the hosts ahead by defeating Maya MADAR in four games, but Kariss SERBAN responded for Romania with a four-game victory over Irina SILVA. Portugal regained control in the doubles as RUIVO and SILVA defeated SERBAN and Nadalia IONASCU in four games before RUIVO produced another outstanding performance, overcoming SERBAN in straight games to complete Portugal’s perfect group campaign. Pedro OLIVEIRA: “It was a very emotional match because we knew it would decide whether we finished first in the group or had to go through the play-off. We were very strong in the service and receive phase and tried to attack every point aggressively. We knew our opponents were technically very strong, so that

The knockout stage picture in the Under 19 Girls Teams event at the European Youth Championships in Gondomar is now complete. France, Romania, Germany and Portugal all finished their group campaigns with perfect records to claim top spot, while Austria, Ukraine, Poland and Spain secured the remaining places in the main draw after a dramatic conclusion to the group stage. The race for the knockout stage intensified in the Under 19 Girls Teams event at the European Youth Championships in Gondomar, with France, Romania and Germany all completing flawless group campaigns. Austria, Ukraine and Poland joined them in the main draw after securing second place in their respective groups. France topped Group A with three victories from three matches, while Austria claimed the second qualification place after defeating Croatia in the decisive final-round encounter. Croatia finished third, with Serbia fourth. Austria booked their place in the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory over Croatia. Lana BENKO gave Croatia the ideal start by edging Nina SKERBINZ in a dramatic five-game contest. Mariia LYTVYN quickly restored parity with a four-game victory over Franka MISKIC, before Elina FUCHS put Austria ahead by defeating Neva GOJKOVIC, also in four games. SKERBINZ then returned to the table and produced a commanding straight-games victory over MISKIC to seal Austria’s qualification. France rounded off the group stage with another convincing performance, sweeping Serbia 3-0. Nina GUO ZHENG recovered after dropping the opening game to defeat Teodora GOJKOV in four games, before Jade HUYNH comfortably overcame Jelena BAJIC in straight games. Alexia NODIN then completed the clean sweep with a dominant straight-games victory over Maja VANJO. Romania also completed a perfect Group B campaign, while last year’s runners-up Ukraine claimed the second qualification place after defeating Belgium in the decisive final-round encounter. The second seeds wrapped up first place with a convincing 3-0 victory over Türkiye. Bianca MEI ROSU gave Romania the perfect start with a four-game victory over Aybuke SIMSEK, before Alesia Sofia SFERLEA doubled the advantage by defeating Busra DEMIR, also in four games. Andreea BAIASU then completed the clean sweep with a straight-games victory over Nil BASARAN. MEI ROSU was delighted with the way Romania concluded the group stage. “We knew this opponent, so we understood that we had to fight for every point, every game and every match. In the end, we are very happy that we managed to win quite comfortably.” Looking back over the tournament so far, the reigning European Under 21 champion admitted the opening tie against Ukraine had been the toughest challenge. “The first match against Ukraine was difficult because they changed their line-up, but we still managed to win. I think we have found a good team formula. This is the first junior year for some of the players, and this fresh start gives us a lot of confidence.” MEI ROSU also spoke about embracing the responsibility of leading the Romanian team. “I have enjoyed being the leader of the team for the past two years. I try to give confidence to my teammates so that they can play freely and express themselves. Away from the table, we also have a very good relationship.” The battle for second place went Ukraine’s way as Daria KOVALOVA and Veronika VASYLENKO guided last year’s finalists to a 3-1 victory over Belgium. Lilou MASSART claimed Belgium’s only point, but KOVALOVA returned to defeat MASSART in a hard-fought five-game contest and secure Ukraine’s place in the knockout stage. Germany completed campaign in Group C undefeated, while Poland secured the second qualification place after overcoming Slovakia in the final round. The sixth seeds finished with three victories from three matches, while Poland claimed second place with five points. Italy ended the group in third position ahead of Slovakia. Coach Lara BROICH pointed:”The match against Poland was balanced on a knife edge several times. Koharu got her revenge against BOGDANOWICZ after losing to her at the Under 21 European Championships. Lisa also had her chances, but she focused too much on one point and couldn’t close out the match. Lorena then produced a very disciplined performance to win her match and shift the momentum in our favour. After that, Koharu sealed the victory for us. It showed the strength of this team. Against Italy, we were then able to play with much more confidence and delivered a convincing performance.” Lorena MORSCH: “We’re really happy that we managed to beat Poland. We went into the match as underdogs, but our team spirit was fantastic and helped us pull it off. That victory gave us a lot of confidence, and we carried that momentum into our match against Italy.” Poland confirmed their place in the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory over Slovakia. Natalia BOGDANOWICZ put Poland ahead by defeating Nina DAROVCOVA in four games, before Zofia SLIWKA doubled the advantage with another four-game success against Emma MOLNAROVA. Sara HABAROVA kept Slovakia’s hopes alive by recovering from two games down to edge Karolina HOLDA in five games, but SLIWKA returned to defeat DAROVCOVA in four games and complete Poland’s qualification. Germany rounded off the group stage with another commanding 3-0 victory, this time against Italy. Lisa-Sophie WANG opened with a straight-games success over Sofia MINURRI, before Lorena MORSCH recovered after dropping the opening game to overcome Candela SANCHI in four games. Elisa NGUYEN then completed the clean sweep by defeating Irene MORETTI in four games, sealing Germany’s perfect record heading into the knockout stage. Group D provided the most dramatic finish of all. Spain completed its schedule early with a convincing 3-0 victory over Hungary and was then forced to wait for the outcome of the Portugal–Bulgaria clash to discover whether it would finish first or second. In the end, hosts Portugal held their nerve to edge Bulgaria 3-2 and complete a perfect group campaign, leaving Spain to qualify in second place. Spain swept Hungary without dropping a game. Maria BERZOSA defeated Nora DOHOCZKI, Camila MOSCOSO overcame Johanna PETERY, and Renata SHYPSHA completed the clean sweep with

The opening ceremony of the 2026 European Youth Championships was held in Gondomar, marking the official start of one of the most important events on the European table tennis calendar. European Table Tennis Union President Pedro MOURA welcomed all participants to Gondomar and expressed his gratitude to the institutions and individuals involved in staging the Championships. The ceremony brought together athletes, coaches, officials and distinguished guests, including President of the Portuguese Table Tennis Federation Fernando MALHEIRO, Councillor for Sport, Municipality of Gondomar José Fernando MOREIRA, Secretary of State for Sport Pedro DIAS and Regional Delegate of the Portuguese Institute of Sport and Youth Vítor DIAS . “It is a great honour and pleasure to welcome you to the 2026 European Youth Championships here in the wonderful city of Gondomar,” said President MOURA. “On behalf of the European Table Tennis Union, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Portuguese Government, the Municipality of Gondomar, the Portuguese Table Tennis Federation, our partners, volunteers, officials and everyone whose dedication has made this Championship possible.” President MOURA emphasised that the European Youth Championships represent much more than the pursuit of sporting success. “This event is about much more than medals. It is about bringing together the next generation of European table tennis, inspiring excellence, building friendships across borders and promoting the values of respect, fair play and unity through sport.” He also praised Portugal’s continued commitment to organising major international table tennis events. “Portugal once again demonstrates its outstanding commitment and ability to host major international events, and I am confident that Gondomar will provide an unforgettable experience for everyone taking part.” Addressing the young players directly, President MOURA encouraged them to embrace the occasion and enjoy every moment of the competition. “To all our young athletes: compete with passion, respect your opponents, enjoy every moment and make memories that will stay with you for a lifetime. I wish you all an excellent Championship.” The ceremony officially opened the Championships and set the stage for several days of competition featuring Europe’s leading young table tennis players. Secretary of State for Sport Pedro DIAS welcomed all participating nations to Gondomar, describing the Championships as one of Europe’s most important youth sporting events and a source of great pride for Portugal. “It is a great pleasure to welcome you to Gondomar for the 2026 European Youth Table Tennis Championships. Portugal is proud to host one of Europe’s most important youth sporting events. Over the coming days, Gondomar will welcome Europe’s most promising young table tennis players, competing with passion, respect and team spirit. Your presence honours Portugal and enriches this Championship. I would also like to send a special message of encouragement to the Portuguese team, proudly representing our country. May every delegation enjoy an unforgettable experience in Portugal. I hope these Championships become much more than a competition, inspiring personal growth, friendship, cultural exchange and fair play. I wish every athlete, coach and delegation a memorable stay in Portugal, and I hope Gondomar becomes a place of friendship, unforgettable experiences and sporting excellence.” President of the Portuguese Table Tennis Federation Fernando MALHEIRO thanked everyone involved in bringing the event to Portugal and underlined the values at the heart of the Championships. “This event is an opportunity to demonstrate our organisational excellence and to celebrate the values that unite our sport, respect, friendship, fair play and sporting excellence. I warmly invite all table tennis fans to join us throughout the Championships. Your support will help create a memorable atmosphere and inspire our young athletes. On behalf of the Portuguese Table Tennis Federation, I wish every participant an excellent Championship.” Councillor for Sport of the Municipality of Gondomar José Fernando MOREIRA highlighted the significance of hosting athletes from across Europe and the lasting legacy the event will leave for the city. “Hosting these European Championships is a moment of great pride for Gondomar and for Portugal. It reflects the quality of our sports facilities, the dedication of our partners and our long-standing commitment to sport and major international events. With athletes, coaches and delegations from 44 European countries, Gondomar once again becomes a place of sport, friendship and international cooperation. These Championships are about much more than medals. They celebrate the values that unite us, respect, friendship, determination, equal opportunities, team spirit and fair play. To all the athletes, enjoy every moment, challenge yourselves, honour the values of sport and grow both as players and as people. I hope everyone visiting Gondomar feels at home and leaves with the image of a welcoming city that is passionate about sport. I am confident these Championships will leave a lasting legacy, inspire future generations and further strengthen Gondomar’s position as a leading destination for major sporting events.”

The half of the knockout stage lineup in the Under 19 Boys Teams event at the European Youth Championships in Gondomar was completed after the final round of group matches. Top seeds France and Sweden maintained perfect records to finish first in their respective groups, ninth seeds Romania continued their remarkable run by topping Group B ahead of higher-ranked Poland and Czechia, while Italy secured qualification in a decisive battle with Portugal. France completed Group A with three victories from three matches to finish on six points. Austria joined the top seeds in the knockout stage after edging Hungary for second place, while Norway finished fourth. France rounded off the group phase with a commanding 3-0 victory over Norway. Nathan LAM opened with a straight-games win over Mathias HALVORSEN, before Nathan PILARD overcame Khai Noah LAM in three closely contested games. Nathan DOUSSINET then completed the sweep by defeating Filip DAGSLETT in straight games. France completed Group A with three victories from three matches. Austria joined the top seeds in the knockout stage after edging Hungary for second place, while Norway finished fourth. France rounded off the group phase with a commanding 3-0 victory over Norway. Nathan LAM opened with a straight-games win over Mathias HALVORSEN, before Nathan PILARD overcame Khai Noah LAM in three closely contested games. Nathan DOUSSINET then completed the sweep by defeating Filip DAGSLETT in straight games. French coach Alice JONEAU explained that the changes to her line-up throughout the group stage were never tactical. “It wasn’t about strategy. We wanted every player to have the opportunity to play, and that was the main reason for changing the line-up from match to match. I’m very happy with the way the team has played. The players are confident, they’re performing well, and we feel ready for what’s coming next.” Nathan LAM admitted France had expected a demanding encounter against Norway. “We knew it would be a tough match because their first player is very good, but we managed to perform well and win 3-0, which was exactly the result we wanted.” LAM also reflected on his dramatic five-game defeat to Austria’s Julian RZIHAUSCHEK, revealing what made the encounter so difficult. “His serve and third-ball attack caused me a lot of problems. The last two games were extremely close, but I couldn’t find the right solutions at the key moments.” Despite that individual setback, France still secured the team victory, something LAM believes highlights the squad’s strength. “It shows the strength of our team. NOIRAULT and PILARD played really well and won their matches, so we were able to secure the overall victory. We have a great team spirit, we’re playing well, we feel confident and we’re ready for the knockout stage.” Group B produced one of the biggest stories of the tournament so far. Ninth seeds Romania topped the group with a perfect record, defeating both second seeds Poland and eighth seeds Czechia to qualify for the knockout stage. Poland also progressed after finishing second. Romania completed their outstanding group campaign with a 3-1 victory over Czechia. Jindrich MORAVEK gave the eighth seeds the ideal start by defeating Robert PODAR in straight games, but Robert ISTRATE levelled the tie with a commanding victory over Jan SKALDA. Andrei TIBIRNA then edged Martin VAIGL in a five-game battle before ISTRATE secured first place in the group, recovering after surrendering a two-game lead to defeat MORAVEK in the deciding game. Poland booked their place in the knockout stage with a 3-1 victory over Belgium. Marcel BLASZCZYK opened with a straight-games win over Per GEVERS, surviving two deuce games. Charles JANSSENS levelled the tie by defeating Samuel MICHNA in five games, but Mateusz SAKOWICZ restored Poland’s advantage with a dominant victory over Jamie EILING. MICHNA then overcame GEVERS in another five-game contest to complete the win. Group C went down to the final round before Slovakia and Italy emerged as the two qualifiers. Both teams finished with two wins and one defeat, with Slovakia claiming first place courtesy of their head-to-head victory over Italy. Italy secured qualification with a 3-1 victory over Portugal. Tiago ABIODUN edged Danilo FASO in five games to give Portugal an early lead, but Francesco TREVISAN restored parity with a straight-games victory over Lourenço SARDINHA. Jacopo CIPRIANO then battled past Carlos GONCALVES in five games before FASO recovered from his opening defeat to beat SARDINHA in another deciding game and send Italy through. Italian coach Romualdo MANNA stressed the importance of the victory. “It was a very difficult match and it was extremely important for us to win because otherwise we would have finished third. Danilo FASO lost a very close match against Tiago ABIODUN. It was a great contest and both players performed at a very high level. In the end, I think Danilo became just a little cautious, and against a player as strong as Tiago, if you give him an opportunity, he will take it.” MANNA revealed that tactical adjustments before CIPRIANO’s match proved decisive. “We changed a few tactical things before his match. At first it looked as though it would be straightforward, but it became very difficult. I was really happy because Francesco stayed focused throughout the match and played an excellent deciding game.” Looking back at the group stage, MANNA was satisfied with his team’s response. “It was a very difficult group. Against Slovakia we also had a good chance, but we missed a few important points at the end. Even against Israel, although the score was 3-0, it wasn’t an easy match because they played well. Overall, I’m happy with the way my players performed, and now we’ve reached the knockout stage.” FASO was equally pleased to see Italy progress despite his opening defeat. “It was a really good match. I think I played well and produced a high-level performance. In the deciding game I was leading 6-5, so I had a real chance to win. But that’s table tennis—sometimes these things happen.” He admitted ABIODUN’s serve proved decisive.