The ETTU working week was the occasion for one special visit. President of the Fédération Luxembourgeoise de Tennis de Table André HARTMANN joined ETTU members for a nice evening. “We feel very honored for the visit of president of the Fédération Luxembourgeoise de Tennis de Table André HARTMANN during this ETTU Working Week. This was an excellent opportunity to celebrate the 30th anniversary of ETTU moving headquarters to Luxembourg and also to share plans and ideas for future cooperation ” said ETTU Acting President Pedro MOURA.
Sportradar Workshop with the future in mind!
ETTU family had very busy week packed with numerous of meetings. As it was previously arranged in Munich during the European Championships ETTU members gathered in Luxembourg with Sportradar representatives during a 2 day workshop providing opportunity to discuss new tools for further cooperation. “This ETTU Working Week started with a two day workshop with our longtime partner Sportradar. This was an excellent opportunity to be together and discuss different topics that will engage us for better cooperation in the near future ” explained ETTU Acting President Pedro MOURA.
Denamark beat Poland after five matches
In Roskilde in Group A of the Men’s Stage one of the European Championships Denmark beat Poland. Jonathan GROTH was in full swing tonight. In the opening match he overcame Milosz REDZIMSKI (11:4 11:6 4:11 12:10) and in the fourth duel he beat Jakub DYJAS (11:8 11:5 11:4). In the decisive match Anders LIND overcame REDZIMSKI (11:4 12:10 11:5). Jakub DYJAS beat LIND (11:6 13:15 12:10 11:9) and Samuel KULCZYCKI overcame Tobias RASMUSSEN (11:5 10:12 11:4 11:9). Denmark already beat Poland in the away match and lost to Portugal. Portugal also beat Poland.
New financial aid for female Olympians
WOA’s Olympian for Life awardee Simidele Adeagbo OLY has launched an Athlete Grant programme through her SimiSleighs Foundation. A one year program will provide financial support to female Olympians and those hopeful of becoming an Olympian who are training to represent their country at the Paris 2024 and Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic Games. The grants will help cover training and competition expenses provide meaningful personal and professional development experiences and access to a global network of elite athletes. “As an athlete I understand all too well the difference access to crucial resources can make ” said Simidele Adeagbo OLY founder of the SimiSleighs Foundation. “Making these strategic investments through our Athlete Grant program will help so many deserving women around the world who are currently in need of support. Now is the perfect time to elevate our comprehensive support of a new generation of female athletes with Paris 2024 on the horizon and the road to Milano-Cortina 2026 just beginning.” Applicants must be fluent in English. Applications must be received by Monday February 6 2023 at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time. More information can be found here: https://www.simisleighsfoundation.org/ssf-athlete-grant-program
Club Arena Győr welcomes European hopes
Hungarian Table Tennis Association and the Club Arena Győr invites your young players to participate at the International Open Table Tennis Competition for the Cup of Hopes. The tournament will be played in a venue that is part of the Network of the European Training Centers the Project launched by ETTU. Mini Cadet Boys’ Singles (U11) Mini Cadet Boys’ Singles (U12) Mini Cadet Boys’ Singles (U13) are invited to Hungary in Győr Club Arena Table Tennis Hall from 14th to 16th April. The Club Arena Sport Centre one of the most important table tennis complex in Hungary part of the ETTU’s Network of European Training Centres. Players may play in their own age group. Furthermore who play in age group U11 may also play in age group U12 and U13 who play in age group U12 may also play in age group U13. The competition is open to all National Associations Regional Delegations and Clubs. Closing date for entries is 31st March 2023 Entries should be sent to the following address: Hungarian Table Tennis Association H-1146 Budapest Istvánmezei út 1–3. Hungary E-mail: gyac@arenagyor.hu
Double joy for France tonight
In the Stage one of the Europe Championships both French teams played at home in Montpellier. In Group A3 in Men’s Event France beat England 3:0 and in Group A3 in Women’s Event host prevailed in four matches against Netherlands. For a second time in three days France overcame England. Same as on Friday in England France needed only three matches to close the duel. Simon GAUZY beat Tom JARVIS to give hosts good start Felix LEBRUN beat Paul DRINKHALL and Can AKKUZU overcame David MCBEATH (11:9 11:4 11:5). Women’s team needed one match more to beat Netherlands. Prithika PAVADE overcame Tanja HELLE (11:6 11:1 8:11 11:1) and MEN Shuohan (13:11 11:7 11:6). MEN scored for Netherlands in the match against Pauline CHASSELIN (6:11 3:11 10:12) but Camille LUTZ beat Emine ERNST (6:11 11:4 14:12 15:13).
Linz AG Froschberg secured penultimate round
The champions from the season 2013 and 2009 Linz AG Froschberg secured fifth semifinal of the Champions Legue Women. In the second leg of the quarterfinal Austria’s club beat French Etival Clairefontaine ASRTT. They needed one match less than in opening leg. Sofia POCANOVA won both her encounters. She beat Marie MIGOT in the opening match (11:5 11:6 11:7) and SHAO Jieni in fourth (11:9 8:11 11:7 9:11 6:3). Suthasini SAWETTABUT also prevailed against SHAO (12:10 11:7 12:10) whilst Hana MATELOVA won the only point for Etival Clairefontaine ASRTT against Margarita BALTUSHYTE (12:10 11:9 11:5). “It was tough match but we fought all together again! I think I was calm in my last match and it was the key. In the end we both knew which tactics to play and in came to who will play more on the table. I am very proud of the team and I hope we will continue this way! Thank you to the spectators for the support today was amazing atmosphere ” stated POLCANOVA. Champions league Women reigning champions KTS Enea Siarkopol Tarnobrzeg is also in semis alongside Metz and UCAM Cartagena TM.
Wins for KS Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki and Tecnigen Linares
After five matches KS Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki secured the opening leg win in the Europe Cup Men. Polski Cukier Gwiazda Bydgoszcz lost their home match. Vladislav URSU was the only player to score for the hosts. He beat Marek BADOWSKI (10:12 11:9 11:9 11:5) and Miłosz REDZIMSKI (12:10 16:14 11:1). On the other side all three players in Bogoria managed to recorded the win. REDZIMSKI beat Carlos CABALLERO (11:9 12:10 8:11 11:8) Panagiotis GIONIS beat Artur GRELA (11:7 11:9 7:11 11:7) and in the decisive match BADOWSKI beat CABALLERO by sudden death point (5:11 11:6 7:11 11:9 6:5). In the semis are already: AS Pontoise Cergy TT K.S. Dekorglass Dzialdowo and GV Hennebont TT. In Women’s Europe Cup quarterfinal Tecnigen Linares beat SH-ITB Budaörsi Sport Club. Roxana ISTRATE gave hosts in Spain great start. She beat Maria FAZEKAS (11:8 12:14 11:7 12:10). Georgina POTA leveled the match. She beat Carmen TORES (11:2 11:1 11:4) before Claudia GARAGEAS beat Helga DARI (11:9 6:11 9:11 11:7 6:5). Roxana ISTRATE beat POTA in the last match (9:11 9:11 11:8 11:6 6:5). ALCL TT Grand-Quevilly Italian Quattro Mori Cagliari and Czech Moravsky Krumlov already secured their semi-final’s spots.
ETTU Working Week in Luxembourg
ETTU Executive Board and ETTU staff gathered this week in Luxembourg for meetings. The Working Week was highlighted with the change of the position of the ETTU Secretary General. After 9 years Richard SCRUTON stepped down as Secretary General but he will remain on duty as a Senior Advisor. Unanimously Executive Board decided to appoint Pierre KASS as ETTU Secretary General. “Pierre’s history competence and compromise within ETTU is more than enough to justify the Executive Board unanimous decision of nominating him as ETTU Secretary General. While we are so grateful to Richard’s dedication to ETTU as we wish to keep his experience and knowledge inside the organisation we all feel very confident about our future in this new era. Having ETTU General Secretariat leaded by Pierre KASS having Galia DVORAK as Deputy Secretary General is also securing the future of our organisation ” said Acting President Pedro MOURA. Secretary General KASS thanked the EB members for their trust in him and promised to put all his efforts to good use and do great work with all members and staff. KASS is in more than three decades dedicated to table tennis firstly as an active player former national team player and later as a tireless administrative officer working under leadership of Jeanny DOM and SCRUTON. Not only as administrative who connects the ETTU members the Executive Board and clubs leagues event organisers KASS is also moving power behind new event. Beside great energy he was putting into improving Europe club competitions his efforts to involve more European clubs resulted in creating and launching the Europe Trophy. Secretary General KASS started in ETTU in 2009; worked at the position of ETTU Assistant Secretary General until 2013. From 2014 to 2022 KASS was carried duties of ETTU Deputy Secretary General. From 2018 he was appointed ETTU General Data Protection Regulation Officer and he is still on this position; since 2014 in charge of ETTU finances KASS also worked as Euro-Asia All Stars Challenge team Europe manager in 2017 and he is European Champions League Men and Women Management Board member. Galia DVORAK is appointed Deputy Secretary General whilst Andrea BJURSTRÖM is full time Executive Assistant and club Competition Manager.
Fantastic night for France
In the Stage one of the European Championships teams of France recorded wins tonight. In both Men’s and Women’s matches France came up with the clean record; in away matches they beat England and Slovakia. England beat Serbia last night but tonight they failed to repeat the result. France was in the driving seat from the beginning. Paul DRINKHALL lost to Can AKKUZU after thrilling five games (12:14 13:11 9:11 11:5 8:11) at the beginning of the match. In next Tom JARVIS failed to change the course of the duel and lost to Felix LEBRUN (11:5 7:11 8:11 7:11). David MCBEATH suffered by the hands of Jules ROLLAND (7:11 11:13 13:15). “I think I started well but Paul was playing quite well also. Felix was maybe a little bit nervous at the beginning but let’s not forget he’s only 16. He got better and better in the rally and in the receive. In the third match David was ahead in the beginning of every game but then he was more precise in the end of the games ” said AKKUZU. In Women’s Event France won the match against Slovakia 3:0 but in two duels was forced to go full distance. Barbora BALAZOVA lost to YUAN Jia Nan after five close games (18:16 11:4 10:12 6:11 8:11). Only Prithika PAVADE solved her match against Ema LOBOSOVA in straight games (11:9 11:5 12:10). Charlotte LUTZ beat Tatiana KUKOLKOVA by narrow margin (13:11 10:12 9:11 11:9 13:11).
