The 2022 ETTU Extraordinary Congress will be held in Amman (JOR) on 6th December 2022 starting at 1800 local time (1600 CET). The Extraordinary Congress will be held in a hybrid format during the ITTF Summit. The Extraordinary Congress is convened by the Executive Board to present the 2023 Budget. Agenda a) Appointment of a Chair b) Roll call c) Appointment of scrutineers d) Approval of the agenda e) Consideration of the Budget of income and expenditure 2023 f) Appointment of Auditors g) Presentation of the new ETTU 2023-2028 Strategic Plan h) Consideration of any other business i) Closure
1. FC Saarbrücken TT overcame AS Pontoise Cergy TT
For a second time in Stage 2 Germany’s 1. FC Saarbrücken TT overcame French AS Pontoise Cergy TT. In the Group D in the Champions League Men they recorded two wins against French club and once they overcame Roskilde Bordtennis BTK 61. They are one match away from the clear record in this stage. At the opening Patrick FRANZISKA needed full five games to overcame Emmanuel LEBESSON (11:6 14:12 9:11 8:11 6:4) but in the fourth match against Esteban DORR he was much quicker (11:6 11:6 11:7). Darko JORGIC also prevailed against DORR (11:6 11:5 11:8). Marcos FREITAS was the only player to score the point for Pontoise Cergy TT. He beat Takuya JIN (11:5 11:6 11:7). “We are very happy with the win because we reached our first goal which was to book the semifinal place ” said Darko JORGIC.” Franziska played very good in the opening encounter today. He had 2:0 and 6:1 against LEBESSON. However Emmanuel raised his level of the play and recovered to level the match. In the close finish Franziska won it. It gave us good start and great push forward.” Darko and whole team faced a little surprise in the second duel. “We all expected to see Korean player but instead it was young French guy. I do not know him so I just stood to my tactics. I played very well and eventually won in straight games. FREITAS did not left any chance to Takuya JIN. He had all the control in that match. At the end FRANZISKA performed expertly and sealed the match in the same way he opened it – with the win. We are very happy to finish at the top of the Group and reached the semifinal of the Champions Legue ” said JORGIC. Franziska also expressed the joy of being at the top of the standings at the position which leads to the semifinal. “ This was important win for us on our way to the semis. I was felt extremely relieved when I won the fifth game of the opening match. Six points decisive game always put extra pressure on us. In addition Jorgic play was full of confidence like in every other occasion this season ” stated Patrick.
TTC Neu – Ulm recorded another win after Tomokazu HARIMOTO joined the team
Germany’s TTC Neu – Ulm extended the wining row and recorded third victory in the Stage two of the Champions League Men in Group C. So far in 5 matches in top European club competition giants from Germany are unbeaten. Today they beat Sporting Clube de Portugal in their return leg played at home soil. First time in this year’s Champions League World’s no. two Tomokazu HARIMOTO joined the team. On a premiere he recorded two wins. In first exit to the table Japan’s star beat Diogo CHEN (4:11 11:5 11:4 11:7) and in fourth match he overcame Diogo SILVA (11:3 11:6 11:3). Dimitrij OVTCHAROV also beat SILVA (11:8 11:4 11:4). Diogo CARVALHO was the only player to score for guests. He beat Yaroslav ZHMUDENKO (11:9 11:7 11:5). In this Group two more matches remained to be played. POLK.S. Dekorglass Dzialdowo will meet both TTC Neu Ulm in Poland and Sporting Clube de Portugal in Portugal.
ITTF Summit Starts New Era for Federation
For the first time in two years the international table tennis community has gathered in Amman Jordan ready to tackle big questions facing the sport over the next half century. The first-ever ITTF Summit starts tonight in Amman a gathering of as many stakeholders as possible to make up for time lost from not being able to meet in person due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “I could not be more thankful for our Jordanian hosts stepping up and ensuring such a wonderful first-ever ITTF Summit is happening ” Petra SORLING ITTF President said. “When I was elected to my position I envisioned events like this bringing together such a wide variety of stakeholders to challenge each other and think through new solutions to grow the sport we love. Seeing you all for the first time in two years will be a pleasure and not something I take likely as your President.” ITTF leadership will also speak at the welcome session kicking off their goals for the Summit and the full schedule. Immediately following the welcome session will be a panel discussion entitled “Growing the Table Tennis Industry.” Special attention will be paid on the growth of World Table Tennis as the commercial arm of the ITTF Group and how the sport has innovated the way it is presented drawing top tier athletes to a professional circuit. The panel will also look at the rise of how athletes have marketed themselves and how their journeys fit into this industry growth with Sharath Kamal ASHANTA Chair of the ITTF Athletes’ Commission Claudia HERWEG President of German Table Tennis Association HE Xiao Deputy Secretary General of the Chinese Table Tennis Association. This morning just before the Summit opens the ITTF Board of Directors met to make some key decisions about the hosts for future events. The board awarded Nova Gorica Slovenia and Helsingborg Sweden hosting rights for the World Youth Championships in 2023 and 2024 respectively. Both events will carry the championships’ vibrant history as the ultimate platform for up-and-coming players from all over the world to compete and show their skills. Slovenia will provide a strong foundation for next year’s championships having been actively involved in the development of elite youth table tennis hosting several key events in the WTT Youth Series. As 2024 host Helsingborg will provide a fitting location for the stars of tomorrow in a country with a rich tradition of table tennis legends. The board also selected Roma Italy as the host for the ITTF 2024 World Veteran Championships. The ITTF Summit will concludes on 6 December with the Annual General Meeting.
UCAM Cartagena TM concluded the Group Stage at the top of the standings
The winners of the Europe Cup last season Spanish UCAM Cartagena TM concluded Stage 2 of the Champions League Women at the top of the Group A. In the last match of the phase they overcame Italian club ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari. That is their third victory in the Stage two previously they lost only to TTC Berlin eastside. Five times winners of the Champions League Germany’s club will also progress to the quarterfinal from the position no. two. They lost two matches; beside UCAM Cartagena TTC Berlin eastside lost to ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari. That was the only victory Italian side recorded in Group A. Today in Spain Maria XIAO broke the ice with the victory over Tania PLAIAN (5:11 11:4 11:7 12:10). Despite the shaky start she took over the control from the second game. “Today it was a very hard match despite of the result. We knew we were already qualified but we wanted to be first in the group . We are really happy about our performances in the Champions League second stage. We played really well in overall. We didn’t expect to beat Berlin at home and we also surprised them in their home soil ” said Maria. Silvia ERDELYI succeeded against Andreea DRAGOMAN (11:6 8:11 11:8 11:7) and Dora MADARASZ sealed the match in superb style. She beat Edem OFFIONG in straight games (11:9 11:5 11:5) “We are very happy that we reached quarterfinals this was our ultimate goal before group stage. First match’s victory against Berlin gave us so much confidence and we kept it until the end. We are very happy with this result. I am proud of our team” stated Dora.
Wins for Linz AG Froschberg
Austria’s Linz AG Froschberg concluded Stage 2 of the Champions League Women with the victory over French Saint-Quentin TT. In their Group they recorded three wins in four matches suffered only one defeat last week by the hands of the same French side. Previously Linz AG Froschberg beat TT Moravsky Krumlov twice 3:0; Saint-Quentin TT also beat Czech club once. Tonight Sofia POLCANOVA overcame Olga MIKHAYLOVA in three quick games (11:4 11:3 11:4) before Suthasini SAWETTABUT beat Camille LUTZ in same style (11:9 11:3 12:10). Margarita BALTUSHYTE sealed the match with the victory over Sarah DE NUTTE (11:7 13:11 12:10). “It was unbelievable match today we are very happy with the win and I am proud of my teammates they did an amazing job. It was almost impossible to win like this and to be number 1 in the group. We were in the situation where we could only lose one game. If we had lost 2 then the points would be counted…but we won 3:0 and all matches 3:0 unbelievable! Also big respect for our opponents even though they maybe feel sad today they delivered a very good match in France and they all play very good ” said Sofia POLCANOVA. After long five matches TTC Berlin eastside overcame Spanish UCAM Cartagena TM 3:2. That is the first defeat for Spanish side in Group A. On the other side Germany’s club beat UCAM Cartagena TM and ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari but also lost to both clubs previously so the win ratio is 2:2. In next Round the last match in the group will be played between Italian and Spanish club. ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari has two defeats and win. In tonight’s match Nina MITTELHAM gave TTC Berlin eastside perfect start with the victory over Silvia ERDELYI (11:4 12:10 11:9) but Maria XIAO leveled the score with the win over SHAN Xiaona (11:7 11:6 11:9). In five long games DING Yaping beat Dora MADARASZ (5:11 13:11 11:5 2:11 6:0). That was really close but next match was even closer because Nina MITTELHAM lost to Maria XIAO by sudden death point (9:11 11:9 11:3 10:12 5:6). In the decisive match SHAN Xiaona beat Silvia ERDELYI (12:10 11:4 11:6).
Stefan FEGERL and Elizabeta SAMARA Athletes’ Commission – deputy chairs
For the first time the International Table Tennis Federation Athletes’ Commission will have two chairs – one woman and one man – elected to lead the body today in Amman Jordan ahead of the ITTF Summit. Sharath Kamal ACHANTA and LIU Shiwen were elected as joint Athletes’ Commission chairs a shift into how the commission is run as part of the ITTF’s drive for gender parity at more levels in the federation. In addition to Sharath Kamal ACHANTA and LIU Shiwen’s election the Athletes’ Commission elected two deputy chairs Stefan FEGERL and Elizabeta SAMARA. Like the two chairs one male athlete and one female athlete was elected to ensure gender parity at the highest levels of the commission. The other members of the Athletes’ Commission are Omar ASSAR Ingela LUNDBACK Jon PERSSON Daniely RIOS Melissa TAPPER and Kelly Van ZON. The Athletes’ Commission is the voice of table tennis athletes in the federation allowing an avenue for them to advocate for themselves directly to the ITTF leadership. To further reinforce the voice of athletes and provide overall support the ITTF also established an Entourage working group.
Borussia Düsseldorf went full distance against Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki
In the Second Stage of the Champions League Men in Group A Borussia Düsseldorf went full distance against Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki in Poland. Previously they overcame HB Ostrov Havlíčkův Brod twice. Tonight Anton KALLBERG was the backbone of Borussia Düsseldorf’s success. He won two matches against Michal GAWLAS (11:6 11:9 11:5) and against Milosz REDZIMSKI (11:8 11:3 9:11 11:5). Timo BOLL lost the opening match against REDZIMSKI (7:11 11:8 12:14 5:11) but overcame GAWLAS in the decisive match (11:7 11:6 11:6). Panagiotis GIONIS overcame QIU Dang (11:7 3:11 12:10 11:9). “It was very close match. I am very glad we have Anton in our team. He saved us again. We faced very enthusiastic team and enthusiastic fans in Poland. It was not easy. Now we have to close this and to beat them in Germany ” said Timo BOLL. Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki will play against HB Ostrov Havlíčkův Brod on December 16 and two days later against Borussia Düsseldorf.
STK Novi Sad joined Metz TT in the quarterfinals
In Group B of the Women’s Champions League Serbia’s Novi Sad joined Metz TT in the quarterfinal. Novi Sad beat SKST Plus Hodonin in Czech Republic to recorded second victory in the Group. Novi Sad beat Hodonin in both legs whilst Metz recorded all four wins. “For the first time in the history of the club we made it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League so we are very happy. The home match against Hodonín which we won 3:0 was very important for our success. But we also came here to win. Two games were enough for us to advance but a win is better. We were the stronger team the win at the end of the second game of the match between Aneta MAKSZUTI and Markéta ŠEVČÍKOVÁ was very important. Then the huge weight and pressure fell off us it was a good match from both sides ” said Novi Sad coach Slobodan STOJANOV. The key player in winners side was Anamaria ERDELYI with two wins over Natalia PARTYKA (12:10 11:8 5:11 11:8) and Markéta ŠEVČÍKOVÁ (9:11 11:7 11:7 11:2). At the beginning Aneta MAKSZUTI beat Markéta ŠEVČÍKOVÁ (14:16 12:10 11:3 15:13). Karin GROFOFA scored for HODONIN. She overcame Tijana JOKIC (10:12 8:11 11:8 20:18 6:3). SKST Plus Hodonín coach Jaroslav MIKESKA said: “We had a very difficult task. To advance we needed to win three times 3:0. That’s why we subordinated the line up to this goal. I believed that Natalia PARTYKA had the best chance against ERDELYI. In the end everything was different. The key moment was the end of the second set of the first singles. As soon as MAKSZUTI won the set she calmed down and was better.” This is historical achievement for Novi Sad. It is the first time since the new format of Champions League that Serbia’s club reached the Top 8. Previously in 1967 55 years ago Novi Sad reached the quarterfinal of the Cup of European Champions. Further back in history Serbia’s Coka reached the semifinal of the same competition at the end of 1970.
Croatia opened the European championships campaign with the win
In the opening match in the Men’s Group A4 in the First Stage of the European Teams Championships Croatia beat Spain in Granada 3:1. In the same Group is also Austria. Andrej GACINA opened the encounter with the win over Marc GUTIERREZ 3:1. “It was very close match and very tough. The Spanish side came with the very young team but nevertheless it was far from easy. They put a lot of pressure on us. Maybe it was less stressful in my opening encounter which I won in four games and the last one that Filip ZELJKO won in straight games but the other two matches were really close ” said GACINA. Young Miguel Angel PANTOJA created big upset by beating ZELJKO and leveled the score after Croatia took the lead with GACINA’s win. “We did not have enough time to prepare we were not familiar with those balls and tables…We were not adjust to the conditions and struggling a bit at the start. On the other side PANTOJA played very good. He seized the opportunity and grab it to overcame ZELJKO. At 1:1 Tomislav PUCAR beat Carlos CABALLERO. He went full distance and succeeded at 11:7 in the last game. That made a big step forward toward our victory. We expected it but not as hard as it came ” said GACINA. In the last match Filip ZELJKO beat GUTIERREZ in straight games.
