The Mayor of Novi Sad, Žarko MIĆIN, and the City Council member for Sports and Youth, Tatjana MEDVED, met with the President of the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU), Pedro MOURA. MOURA visited the City Hall with a delegation from the Serbian Table Tennis Association to discuss the European Veterans Championship, which will take place from June 15 to 22, 2025, at the Novi Sad Fair.
Pedro MOURA emphasized that the championship, which is expected to attract over 5,000 visitors from nearly all European countries and more than 3,000 competitors across 11 age categories, along with numerous table tennis enthusiasts, would be a spectacular sporting event.
“Beyond the competition itself, I am confident that this event, given its significant tourism potential, will also contribute to the city’s economy and promotion,” MOURA stated.
Mayor MIĆIN expressed confidence that Novi Sad would successfully rise to the challenge and be an excellent host for the European Veterans Championship, the largest table tennis competition on the continent. He also highlighted Novi Sad’s rich history of hosting major table tennis events, including the European Senior Championship in 1974, the European Youth Championships in 1988 and 2003, as well as the World Championship in 1981. Additionally, Novi Sad is a candidate for the title of European City of Sport in 2026.
“Table tennis is inseparably linked to Novi Sad, a city that nurtures a strong sporting spirit. One of the city’s symbols, our SPENS arena, built specifically for the Table Tennis World Championship in the 1980s, is a testament to this legacy. Given that Novi Sad is a candidate for the European City of Sport 2026, I hope that this event, one of many prestigious sporting competitions held in our city, will contribute to securing that prestigious recognition,” said Mayor MIĆIN.
Members of the Serbian Table Tennis Association delegation—Predrag NIČIĆ, Dan FRACILE, Vladimir ŠIŠKA, Marko JEVTOVIĆ, and Dušan CVEJIĆ—expressed their gratitude for the strong support from the ETTU President. They also affirmed their readiness to tackle all logistical and organizational challenges ahead as hosts of the championship. They proposed that Mayor MIĆIN assume the role of President of the Championship’s Organizing Committee, which he accepted.
