One of the main objectives of the project is to support female match officials on their umpire career and to give them possibilities to learn outside their own country. WTT Youth Contender Linz was the first event which gave two places for candidates of this project. Iva VUJOVIC from Montenegro and Milena UCHMANOWICZ from Poland are both umpires who are aiming to become International Umpire. They applied through the ETTU project “Development of Female Match Officials” for this event. Iva and Milena did not only umpire in Linz but they also had the chance to attend the Advanced Umpires Training (AUT) and worked together with a lot of experienced umpires. “I used to play table tennis for more than 10 years although I gave up as I got more and more busy with school. However as I wanted to “keep in contact” with this sport I decided to become an umpire. I officially started umpiring in the 2017. The experience I got from umpiring on the WTT Youth Contender in Linz was extraordinary. I met so many people and everyone was really kind and eager to help me. I learnt a lot of new things as well and I believe my umpiring skills have become even better. Furthermore I got extremely motivated and currently can’t wait to take another step in my career.I’m really eager to improve my skills even further and finally become someone who can umpire the greatest players in the world ” said Iva VUJOVIC.
Rēzekne BJSS 1and Salaspils GTK crowned champions in Latvia
In the Latvian Clubs Championship 2021/2022 the Men’s Top League champions laurels had won by Rēzekne BJSS 1and Salaspils GTK team is crowned champions in the Women’s Top League. On April in the mood of the Easter holiday in Salaspils Sports House ended the Latvian Teams Table Tennis Championship 2021/2022. In the final stage – all six leagues took part in the Finals. The best teams were awarded with medals and cups. The Salaspils GTK team was crowned as the champions in the Women’s Top League beating the Jekabpils SC team 4:1 in the final whilst in the game for the 3rd place the Latvian RTU team won the Kuldiga SS team 4:2. In the Men’s Top League the laurels of the champions were won by Rezekne BJSS 1. In the final Rezekne BJSS 1was superior to the Saldus NP team 4:2 but in the game for the 3rd place GTK Namejs-Baltais team won the RTU team 4:0. Competition photos Competition Videos – Men’s Top League Final – Rezekne BJSS 1 vs Saldus NP. Competition results: Women’s Top League: https://lgtf.lv/#/competition-results/5414 Men’s Top League: https://lgtf.lv/#/competition-results/5121
Summer starts in Podgorica with Under 13 Challenge
After the successful organization of the Pre-Selection Development Camp within the ETTU in May 2021 Montenegro Table Tennis Association (MNE TTA) decided to apply for the organization of the Europe Under 13 Challenge the first tournament of its kind to be the forerunner of the European Championship under the auspices of ETTU for young players up to 13 years of age. This competition is planned for the period from June 16 to 19 2022 in Podgorica. “The event will be held in sport complex Verde which provides great benefits for the participants. Located perfectly in the capital – Podgorica the event venue provides all in one experience for all the participants: competition and practice halls 5 stars hotel excellent facilities for training and recreation pool and wellness center fully equipped gym etc. Namely the hall is located just beneath the hotel which excludes the need for shuttle busses and enables players coaches and officials to use their time for rest without much hassle. The main hotel is a 5* hotel and the feedback MNE TTA got from the Development Camp participants was great so we expect that the participant will once again be satisfied with the conditions of their stay ” said MNE TTA Generaly Secretar Suncica ROGIC. In addition to the fact that the MNE TTA is entrusted with the organization of the Europe U13 Challenge this event is important for society as a whole. Positive effects are reflected in: strengthening the potential for organizing future table tennis competitions of this type; better positioning of table tennis in Montenegro and sports in general; positioning MNE TTA as a relevant partner in national and international frameworks; presentation of sports tourist and cultural potentials of Podgorica and Montenegro; promoting the participation of young people in physical activities; promotion and development of volunteerism in sports; encouraging inter-institutional cooperation between key actors national association local government Sports and Youth Administration and Montenegrin Olympic Committee.” Taking into account the potential number of participants and the importance of the competition as well as the organizational resources it requires in Montenegro TTA believes that in addition to the Games of the Small States of Europe (2019) and the Balkan Senior Championships (2019) this competition will be the largest and most important ever organized. “We are certain that this event will be successful and that participants will enjoy their time in Montenegro. We are looking forward to hosting Europe’s young hopes and national associations’ delegations. Finally we are grateful that the ETTU trusted us with this task and as a small national association we believe that we are ready for the challenge “concluded ROGIC.
Truls MOREGARDH reached no. 1 in Europe and no. 5 in World
This May Swede Truls MOREGARDH hit the top spot at European Rankings and reached the position no. 5 in World. Last year very same when he finished the junior’s career at the top spot of the World’s list Truls clinched the silver medal at the World Championships in Huston. He proved he is already mature for the world’s heights even before he reached senior age category. “It feels amazing to say that I am number 1 in Europe and number 5 in the World. It has been a long time goal and I am “super” happy to achieve it. Ever since I was a little kid at like 8 years old I said that I want to win medals at the Championships and to be top 10 in the World so it feels fantastic ” explained Truls. When you become sure you will achieve it? “I become sure I would achieve the goals when I saw the rankings yesterday ” said MOREGHARD laughing. What is your vision of moving next step how to become World’s no. 1? “It’s extremely difficult to become the World number one. FAN Zhendong has like double the ranking points of MA Long who is number 2 in the World .So that’s not my goal my goal is to improve my level so I can feel that I fit in there on that position and try to stay in the top 10 ” explained Truls. Can you give the major highlights of first part of your season which led to this success on the World championships success and top spot at the rankings in Europe? “When I won the WTT in Budapest my life started to change. I felt it. I was extremely happy with that achievement and one achievement led to another one.” European championships is getting closer less than 100 days to go how you will prepare for that? “It is still long time to Europeans but that is obviously a Championship and one of the most important tournaments of the year. First it’s a long summer I will take care of and then I will be in top shape for the Europeans. My goal is to take the medal in Munich.” Before EC in Munich what is your plans for next few months which tournaments has priority? “Swedish championship is in one month from now and then hopefully a grand smash in July. These tournaments will be fantastic.” Are you satisfied with the results in club? “My season in DEKORGLASS was successful in the European Champions League. We reached the quarterfinals and that was the first time for the club. We were happy with that. It is pity that Eslövs AI BTK didn’t win Swedish league.” What motivate you the most? Who is your inspiration? “I’m motivated by myself. I want to be better all the time. In life in general it’s my dad that motivates me. In the way he works really hard and is very motivated but still a fantastic father is amazing. We have little bit same mindset in stuff.” How can you describe yourself? “Motivated for more!”
Fourth title for Metz TT in France
The winners in Europe Cup 2018 Metz TT won this year’s French Championships title after victory over Entente Saint Pierraise. After winning 3-0 in the first leg the Messines repeated the performance in Saint-Pierre-les-Elbeuf. Deprived of their n°1 ZENG Jian vice champions fought a good battle with in particular a very tight match 2 (5 sets) between Stephanie LOEUILLETTE and Adina DIACONU. Lucie GAUTHIER lost to the Russian Mariia TAILAKOVA 3:1 just like Laura GASNIER to the Germany’s WU Jiaduo. Laura had not been able to play the first leg final because of COVID.
DR CASL defended the title in Croatia
The women’s Super League in Croatia came to conclusion. For a seventh time in the row DR CASL is the champion in Croatia. It is club’s nineth title overall. Dr CASL won the title in the European Champions Legue in the season 2017/18. In this season for DR CASL played: Klara Cakol Mirela DURAK BLAZICEVIC NI Xialian Dorina SREBRNJAK ZHANG Mo i Tena POZNIC led by a coach Luka VRANCIC. DR CASL justified their status of top favorite by reaching the top position without major problems. The closest adversaries Varazdin and Aquaestil both recorded three defeats. On the other side DR CASL remained unbeaten until the last round. They suffered only one defeat against Aquaestil (3:2). Before this match DR CASL was unbeaten in 65 matches since 18th November 2018 (1260 days). Interestingly on that date they were defeated by the same adversaries. Final standings: DR CASL 35 (17-1) Varazdin 33 (15-3) Aquaestil 33 (15-3) TIS 28 (10-8) Zagreb 27 (9-9) Vrsar 26 (8-10) Mladost 25 (7-11) Bjelovar 22 (4-14) Pula 22 (4-14) Pozega 19 (1-17).
Krisztina TOTH helps Ukrainian players
Seven time European champion and World Championships bronze medalists Krisztina TOTH of Hungary she is very involved in helping Ukrainian players. TOTH is looking for opportunities to help Ukrainian girls to attend international tournaments as Youth WTT in Poland Germany and Spain. Veronika MATIUNINA runner up at the Youth European in cadet girls singles in 2021 who won altogether 3 medals Olya PONKO and Anastasiia KHATCHATUROVA arrived after a long trip from Kyiv to Munich at the end of March with a lot of help from Family Hermann MÜHLBACH and Thomas THEISMAN. They live now in the Internat in Munich at the Bavarian national center. They are fully integrated into the group with German youth national players such as Hannes HÖRMANN Tom SCHWEIGER Matthias DANZER and Naomi PRANJKOVIC. They study German with Krisztina every day and the Internat helps them also a lot same as their coaching team Dustin GESINGHAUS. Bavarian table tennis association provides the practice facilities where Krisztina is the head coach. “I try to help girls to attend international tournaments such as Poland Germany and Spain. I’m very happy the girls are here and we become friends and work very good together! They adjusted very fast they are in one Internat so they can combine practice with school and to learn the language. Now we are in contact with the ITTF federation about getting help from them ” said TOTH.
OVTCHAROV plans comeback for early July
How difficult the past weeks have been for Dimitrij OVTCHAROV the six-time Olympic medalist has now shared in major interviews with the German leading quality newspapers “Süddeutsche Zeitung” and “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”. The 33-year-old former world number one was born in Kiev came to Germany with his parents as a small child and has friends and relatives in Ukraine. Since 2010 OVTCHAROV played for the Russian top club Fakel Gazprom Orenburg. The war now also changed everything for the 2017 World Cup winner and his family as he describes in the interviews. “At the beginning (Editor’s Note: of the war) I didn’t think about table tennis at all I only thought about how I could move my grandma out of Kiev ” he tells FAZ. His 85-year-old grandmother is the mother of Dimitrij’s father Mikhail who was also born in Kiev too and was a former national champion and national player for the Soviet Union. After a few weeks she escaped to Germany with the help of an old friend of Mikhail. Even though Dima helped and continues to help friends and acquaintances from Ukraine who are seeking refuge in Germany he does not consider himself an “active refugee aid worker”. In the first two weeks of the war he made a huge number of phone calls learned a lot about German entry regulations and above all experienced a wonderful willingness to help among his German compatriots OVTCHAROV told the FAZ. A real estate company in Düsseldorf for example made several flats available at short notice and without red tape to the Ukrainians who had approached OVTCHAROV. Many friends and acquaintances of Germany’s number one had also arranged housing. Borussia Düsseldorf was one of the first to help. OVTCHAROV also called in the German Table Tennis Association. When he decided to change clubs the Fakel Orenburg did not put any obstacles in his way. The personal bond after 12 successful years is a strong one. “I told them: I know you have nothing to do with it but I can’t play in Russia any more. They showed understanding for that ” Dimitrij OVTCHAROV told the Süddeutsche Zeitung. “Sport should be a symbol that anyone can play with anyone no matter where you come from.” He had turned down offers from Japan for his transfer back to Germany to TTC Neu-Ulm for the news season and it was OVTCHAROV himself who made the fist approach and gave a phone call to club boss and publisher Florian EBNER. Ovtcharov: “He was extremely enthusiastic and wanted to make a big project out of it right away. Within a week we then put the team together.” In addition to the Champions League the current world number seven will play in the German Cup and possibly – depending on the WTT calendar – in TTBL the Bundesliga every now and then. After his foot injury and surgery in the autumn and a relapse in February he is planning his comeback for the beginning of July. He is currently training 4 hours a day 2 at the table 2 in the gym. “Out of caution however I am still playing with protection on my foot and I am not moving to the maximum yet because I want to avoid another setback by all means ” explains Dimitrij OVTCHAROV. Fortunately the international calendar currently allows him time for convalescence. Links To the detailed interviews in the FAZ and the Süddeutsche Zeitung in German (both free to subscribers only) https://www.faz.net/aktuell/sport/mehr-sport/dimitrij-ovtcharov-ueber-den-ausschluss-russischer-sportler-17982619.html https://www.sueddeutsche.de/sport/tischtennis-dimitrij-ovtcharov-krieg-in-der-ukraine-russland-interview-1.5572257?reduced=true
ETTU EB
The ETTU Executive Board has received the decision of the Board of Appeal (BoA) on the appeal of the Table Tennis Federation of Russia Fakel Gazprom Orenburg and TTSC UMMC. The ETTU welcomes the BoA’s ruling to uphold the decision that Russian and Belarusian national teams are banned from ETTU competitions until further notice and that no Russian or Belarusian national symbols flags or anthems will be displayed at ETTU events until further notice. The ETTU notes with disappointment that the BoA has ruled against its decision to suspend Fakel Gazprom Orenburg and TTSC UMMC from last season’s semi-final and final of the Champions League. While the ETTU has no wish to punish athletes for the decisions of their governments the decision to suspend the Russian clubs was taken to protect athlete safety and ensure the integrity of its competitions in line with the recommendations of the IOC and ITTF. The ETTU Executive Board will meet to discuss the next steps following the BoA’s decision.
ETTU launches the Network of European Training Centres
The European Table Tennis Union is pleased to announce the Network of European Training Centres. The Network will consist of various Training Centres endorsed by their respective National Associations and open for international players and coaches. The goal of this project is to strengthen the collaboration between the European Table Tennis Union and their members by firstly having an updated database of high performance centres and then promoting the exchange of knowledge and implementing development projects such as training camps seminars or individual training arrangements. Each Centre as part of this network will continue operating on its own financial merit under the laws and regulations of that country and with their own set of priorities. The Network for its functioning doesn’t require any affiliation fees nor is a membership fee envisaged to be charged by ETTU. It is understood by all the parties that the ETTU financial support is completely tied to activities events and individual support of players and coaches towards their long term or short term training stays in a particular Centre. In exchange the centres willing to be part of the Network are expected to be able to provide operational technical and scientific support services to high performance athletes and coaches and be willing to exchange knowledge with the other high performance sport centres to interact and share ideas and work methods. The minimum standards required to be part of the Network are: Venue The 10 ITTF approved tables a non-slippery sports floor and light intensity at the table surface of at least 800 Lux a ceiling height of at least 3.5 m. Coaches 2 coaches (one with international level experience). Players and Capacity A regular group of 12 players + capacity to host at least 6 more players (total capacity to host at least 18 players). Accommodation Accommodation restaurant and gym at walking distance. Training Centres interested in becoming members of the Network are requested to fill in the form and enclose an endorsement letter from their National Association not later than Tuesday 31st May 2022. if you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact ETTU Special projects Operations Manager Galia Dvorak: projects@ettu.org Application form is here
