After six days of competition, the Men’s Singles events at the 2025 European Veterans Championships concluded in Novi Sad with thrilling performances across all age groups from the 40+ to the 90+ category. Over 2,500 participants from across Europe showed not only skill and experience, but also passion and camaraderie that define veteran sport at its best.
In the youngest age group (Over 40), top-seeded Grigory VLASOV (AIN) justified his ranking by securing the gold medal after a strong campaign. France’s Thomas GUIGNAT clinched silver, while Josip HUZJAK (Croatia) and Mathias HABESOHN (Austria) earned bronze.
The Over 45 event saw a familiar face return to the top of the podium Lucian FILIMON, last year’s Over 40 champion, now competing under the French flag, lost in the final. Cédric MERCHEZ (Belgium) claimed gold, while Wojciech KOŁODZIEJCZYK (Poland) and Aleksei MLINARZH (AIN) shared bronze.
In the singles there was no medal for Serbia’s Aleksandar KARAKAŠEVIĆ, one of the most recognizable names in the Over 50 field, as Ioannis VLOTINOS (Greece) emerged as the champion in that category. Czechia’s David ŠTĚPÁNEK finished runner-up, and Fredrik ÅBORG (Sweden) and Krisztian SZABÓ (Hungary) completed the podium. However partnering Croatia’s Dragutin SURBEK in Doubles, KARAKASEVIC clinched gold.
In the Over 55, Lorestas TRUMPAUSKAS (England) proved unstoppable on his path to gold. Lars MATTSSON (Sweden) took silver, while Henric FORSBERG (Sweden) and Iván VITSEK (Hungary) shared third.
Hungary’s Zsolt-Georg BÖHM stood tall in the Over 60, ahead of Carsten EGEHOLT (Denmark). Serbia’s Zvonimir BRITKA and Miklós NAGY (Hungary) picked up bronze medals.
Austria celebrated gold through Yi DING in the Over 65 age group, with Igor ROLDUGIN (AIN) taking silver. Miroslav CECAVA (Czechia) and Šandor JANKOVIĆ (Serbia) completed the medal count.
The Over 70 category was dominated by Manfred NIESWAND (Germany), with Alexandr SAPRYKIN (Ukraine) taking silver, and Paal GUTTORMSEN (Norway) and Hristo DASKALOV (Bulgaria) earning bronze.
Germany’s strength in the older age groups continued in the Over 75, Over 80, and Over 90 categories: Gerd WERNER won gold in Over 75.Wilfried LIECK led a full German podium in Over 80, with Germany sweeping all medals.
In Over 90, Hans NOLTE (Germany) earned gold, followed by Georgijs LOBONOSOVS (Latvia), while Heini FUCHS (Switzerland) and Henri YAHIEL (France) took bronze.
Spain’s Josep MADURELL RODRIGUEZ also made headlines by winning the Over 85 crown, proving that age is truly just a number in veteran sport.
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Men’s Singles 40
- Gold Grigory VLASOV (AIN)
- Silver Thomas GUIGNAT (France)
- Bronze
- Josip HUZJAK (Croatia)
- Mathias HABESOHN (Austria)
Men’s Singles 45
- Gold Cédric MERCHEZ (Belgium)
- Silver Lucian FILIMON (France)
- Bronze
- Wojciech KOŁODZIEJCZYK (Poland)
- Aleksei MLINARZH (AIN)
Men’s Singles 50
- Gold Ioannis VLOTINOS (Greece)
- Silver David ŠTĚPÁNEK (Czechia)
- Bronze
- Fredrik ÅBORG (Sweden)
- Krisztian SZABÓ (Hungary)
Men’s Singles 55
- Gold Lorestas TRUMPAUSKAS (England)
- Silver Lars MATTSSON (Sweden)
- Bronze
- Henric FORSBERG (Sweden)
- Iván VITSEK (Hungary)
Men’s Singles 60
- Gold Zsolt-Georg BÖHM (Hungary)
- Silver Carsten EGEHOLT (Denmark)
- Bronze
- Zvonimir BRITKA (Serbia)
- Miklós NAGY (Hungary)
Men’s Singles 65
- Gold Yi DING (Austria)
- Silver Igor ROLDUGIN (AIN)
- Bronze
- Miroslav CECAVA (Czechia)
- Šandor JANKOVIĆ (Serbia)
Men’s Singles 70
- Gold Manfred NIESWAND (Germany)
- Silver Alexandr SAPRYKIN (Ukraine)
- Bronze
- Paal Edmund GUTTORMSEN (Norway)
- Hristo DASKALOV (Bulgaria)
Men’s Singles 75
- Gold Gerd WERNER (Germany)
- Silver Reinhard SORGER (Austria)
- Bronze
- Jozef BARDON (Slovakia)
- Nosratallah SAFAI (Sweden)
Men’s Singles 80
- Gold Wilfried LIECK (Germany)
- Silver Rene THEILLOUT (Germany)
- Bronze
- Wolfgang SCHMIDT (Germany)
- Heinrich BABINSKY (Germany)
Men’s Singles 85
- Gold Josep MADURELL RODRIGUEZ (Spain)
- Silver Dennis Bernard BROMAGE (Wales)
- Bronze
- Gunars JEKABSONS (Latvia)
- Raymond DIXON (England)
Men’s Singles 90
- Gold Hans NOLTE (Germany)
- Silver Georgijs LOBONOSOVS (Latvia)
- Bronze
- Heini FUCHS (Switzerlend)
- Henri YAHIEL (France)
MEN’S DOUBLES EVENTS
Men’s Doubles 40
- Gold Lucian FILIMON (France), Julien PIETROPAOLI (France)
- Silver Thomas GUIGNAT (France), Victor Guang SHI (England)
- Bronze
- Davorin PONGRAC, Zoran TURK (Croatia)
- Peter BERANEK (Germany), Josip HUZJAK (Croatia)
Men’s Doubles 45
- Gold Aleksandar KARAKASEVIĆ (Serbia), Dragutin ŠURBEK (Croatia)
- Silver Wojciech KOŁODZIEJCZYK (Poland), Tarek AL SAMHOURY (Austria)
- Bronze
- Cédric MERCHEZ (Belgium), Viktor VASYLEVSKYI (Ukraine)
- Iván VITSEK, Péter MUSKÓ (Hungary)
Men’s Doubles 50
- Gold Lorestas TRUMPAUSKAS (England), Sandijs VASILJEVS (Latvia)
- Silver Attila SZABÓ, Krisztian SZABÓ (Hungary)
- Bronze
- Ryszard GRZELAK, Piotr SZURGOT (Poland)
- Marcel HARLER, Michael HOEHL (Germany)
Men’s Doubles 55
- Gold Oljeg BASARIĆ, Petar ĐORĐEVIĆ (Serbia)
- Silver Detlef GAESSLER, Guido HEHMANN (Germany)
- Bronze
- Mika SORVISTO (Finland), Cornel STOICA (France)
- Piotr FRACKOWIAK (Germany), Jorma LAHTINEN (Finland)
Men’s Doubles 60
- Gold Miklós NAGY (Hungary), Evgenii KATSELENBOGEN (AIN)
- Silver Paul GILES, Paul WHITING (England)
- Bronze
- Jens NORDEN (Switzerland), Olaf KÖHLER (Germany)
- Phil SNELSON, Ivan LEWIS (England)
Men’s Doubles 65
- Gold Lars HAUTH (Denmark), Lars ERICSSON (Sweden)
- Silver Ove JOHANSSON, Dan LAGERLÖF (Sweden)
- Bronze
- Miroslav CECAVA, Jiri VOJTEK (Czechia)
- Clive CARTHY (England), Savas ERTUFAN (Turkey)
Men’s Doubles 70
- Gold Manfred NIESWAND, Jürgen HECHT (Germany)
- Silver Reinhard SORGER (Austria), Roger SUNDQVIST (Sweden)
- Bronze
- Nigel ECKERSLEY (England), Petr POLÁK (Czechia)
- Alexandr SAPRYKIN (Ukraine), Rein LINDMÄE (Estonia)
Men’s Doubles 75
- Gold Rudolf STEINER, Dietmar DIESING (Germany)
- Silver Niels RAMBERG, Erling Børge NIELSEN (Denmark)
- Bronze
- Frantisek JUST, Milan RAKOVICKY (Czechia)
- Göran SKOGSBERG (Sweden), Gerd WERNER (Germany)
Men’s Doubles 80
- Gold Wilfried LIECK, Izet BEGANOVIC (Germany)
- Silver Wolfgang SCHMIDT, Bernd Dr. WITTHAUS (Germany)
- Bronze
- Horst REINHART, Josef MERK (Germany)
- Günter FRAUNHEIM (Germany), Zdeněk BŘESKÝ (Czechia)
Men’s Doubles 85
- Gold Raymond DIXON (England), Dennis Bernard BROMAGE (Wales)
- Silver Gunars JEKABSONS (Latvia), Adam HNYDA (Poland)
- Bronze
- Stavros PLAKANTONAKIS (Greece), Palle LARSEN (Denmark)
- Julius HLUBINA, Jozef JAŠKO (Slovakia)
