Baku 2015 a place and a year…

January 28, 2015
12:00 am
Archives

2015: another year ahead of us. And how the year is starting! Apart from the ongoing club competitions and the many challenges we are meeting in that area we are starting with the NN Table Tennis Club ITTF Europe Top-16 Cup in Baku (AZE) on February 6-8^th. For the first time in history the Azerbaijan Table Tennis Federation (ASTF) is organising one of our most prestigious events.

Baku will also be hosting the first ever European Games in June with table tennis prominent on its programme. When we started preparations for the Top-16 the event would be used as a testing event for the European Games being played in the same venue and most of the conditions would be comparable to those that will prevail in June 2015. It also meant that three partners would have to work closely together: the ASTF with a new board BEGOC the local organising committee and ETTU. Realising that “two is company and three is a crowd” we had very little time to develop an adequate preparation of the event with the ‘last minute’ change of the venue as an upsetting element.

ASTF its President Vice-President and its newly elected Secretary General did an enormous job in the months behind us. Their eagerness to really learn what it means to organise a major table tennis in their country deserves more than our respect. A compliment should also be made to BEGOC: of course we had discussions with them and will continue to do so but always in a good atmosphere of trust shared ambition and optimism. One of Europe’s greatest virtues is its diversity in many respects. Respecting this diversity we will have to continue learning from each other’s successes and failures in all aspects of our sport. And I feel proud to say that we have all learned a lot in preparing for the 2015 NN Table Tennis ITTF-Europe Top-16 Cup and with all ETTU members I am very much looking forward to the result of our cooperation in Baku!

Kindest regards
Ronald KRAMER

Félix LEBRUN targets European Singles crown in Ljubljana

France’s Félix LEBRUN will arrive at the 2026 European Championships in Ljubljana with one major ambition still to fulfil – winning the European Men’s Singles title. At just 20, LEBRUN...

SAMARA: The passion and excitement are just as strong as ever

Almost 21 years after making her first appearance at the European Championships, Romania’s Elizabeta SAMARA is preparing for another challenge on the continental stage. At 37, with eight European titles...

Greece, Poland, Sweden and Romania claim Team titles at JOOLA EYS Czech Open

The first four titles at the 2026 JOOLA Europe Youth Series Czech Open have been decided in Pilsen, with Greece, Poland, Sweden and Romania celebrating victories in the Team competitions....

POLCANOVA Returns to Defend European Title, WINTER Heads the Seeds

Two years after Sofia POLCANOVA of Austria stood on top of the podium in Linz, the European Women’s Singles title will once again be up for grabs, with a deep...