In a week packed with action in European Champions League last year’s runners up 1. FC Saarbrücken TT e.V. will host Group C in Germany. Team led by the captain of the German national team at the European Championships earlier this year Patrick FRANZISKA will host Roskilde Bordtennis BTK 61 from Denmark Polish K.S. Dekorglass Dzialdowo and former winners from 2016 French AS Pontoise Cergy TT. “We are looking forward our matches in Group Stage. It is great pleasure to play in front of the home crowd and our fans. It will be special for them too I guess. There will be a lot of action to be seen. The group is very balanced; all the adversaries are tough to beat; there will be a lot of close matches because every team can beat everyone. It is important that we have a good start against K.S. Dekorglass Dzialdowo but the main goal is to reach the top of the standings and progress to the quarterfinals ” said FRANZISKA. Darko JORGIC is also in fantastic shape and awaits the challenges with the good and long winning row. “ I am very happy that we are playing in front of home crowd but most of all I am happy that we are able to go on with the competitions and play Champions League in this uncertain times. We have slight advantage with the home soil but the Group is very tough. We are favorites for sure but the wins would not come easy. On Friday we starts with Polish club which has a very dangerous four players. I cannot wait for the tournament to start. Experienced Danish side Roskilde is very well known to us. We played many times against them and we know how hard is to beat them. Pontoise I heard will not be able to count on ROBINOT and FLORE due the injury but all kind of upsets are possible. We cannot be relaxed and we are ready that all their players could create surprising wins ” said Darko JORGIC. 1.FC Saarbrücken TT e.V. had shaky start in opening two rounds of the Bundesliga but since then they are unbeatable. In addition they reached the final four in the Germany’s Cup last week. Coach WANG Zhi added: “The shape of our players right now is at the very high level. FRANZISKA won European Top 16 Cup at the European Championships he was the captain of the German team which reached the gold medal. He had a short break and then return to Bundesliga’s matches without the defeat. Darko is for a four weeks already in top shape. At the European Championships in Cluj he did not lose single match in the Slovenia’s team and continued in same pace in the Bundesliga Cup matches – without defeat. Thomas POLANSKY also can performed at the high level. Our goal is to reach the top of the group and the place in the quarterfinals.” Coach put the adversaries on “scanner”: “We played against Roskilde last year in Dusseldorf the have very experienced team. It will be hard to beat them but I think the main obstacle on our way to the top position will be Polish side. Concerning French team it is questionable who will be in their line up.”
Last year’s semifinalist’s Metz looking forward new challenges at home in Group B
The host of the Group B in the Stage 2 of the 2021/2022 TAMANNEFTEGAS European Champions League Women is French Metz TT. Czech Republic’s SKST PLUS Hodonin Spanish Girbau Vic TT and Serbia’s TTC Novi Sad will travel to France fight for their place in the next round. Egypt’s Dina MESHREF Romania’s Adina DIACONU Germany’s WU Jiaduo Russia’s Mariia TAILAKOVA Hungary’s Leonie HARTBRICH and French player Julia KOCH are listed in Metz TT line up. “After reaching the semifinals last season for first time in club history we are delighted to welcome the Champions League back to us in Metz. After this long break caused by the Covid Pandemic we are impatient to return to our supporters for this Champions League ” said Manager Loïc BELGUISE The matches in Groups B commences on Friday. Metz and Girbau Vic TT already played in the final of the Europe Cup in 2019 and French club won the title two years ago. “Group B is very balanced with four good teams it will therefore be very close and fierce fight in all matches to secure the two qualifying places for the quarter-finals. The battle promises to be close and interesting. We have a crazy week with 1 match on November 2nd in the French Championship followed by the Champions League from 5th to 7th and to finish this program we will end on November 9th a new important match in the French Championship. A busy and exciting program ahead ” said Loïc BELGUISE. In SKST Plus Hodonin are among the others Natalia PARTYKA Sakura MORI Tetyana BILENKO Karin ADAMKOVA. Top stars in Girbau Vic TT are Sofia-Xuan ZHANG Charlotte CAREY Tamolwan KHETKHUAN whilst Novi Sad is strengthened with Annamaria ERDELJI and LAM Yee Lok alongside Aneta MAKSZUTI and Tijana JOKIC.
A bouquet of upsets and surprises at WTT Contender Tunis
The first-ever WTT Series in Africa concluded with the WTT Contender Series in Tunisia. The winners in the singles events – Hana MATELOVA of the Czech Republic and Anton KALLBERG of Sweden – claimed their first WTT titles. MATELOVA’s title is a first for the Czech Republic. In contrast KALLBERG’s win is the second title for Sweden after Truls MOREGARD won the Men’s Singles title at WTT Contender Budapest in August. MATELOVA and KALLBERG started their campaigns from the main draw and both edged out top seeds on their way to the podium. Eighth seed MATELOVA edged out fourth and top seeds Nina MITTELHAM of Germany and Sofia POLCANOVA of Austria respectively in the quarter-final and semi-final of the Women’s Singles. On the final day she overcame Monaco’s comeback queen Xiaoxin YANG with a 4-3 (11-9 11-9 10-12 6-11 11-7 2-11 11-4) win to emerge champion. Following her triumph MATELOVA said: “I will say my journey in Tunis has been amazing and incredible. This is my first WTT title and it means a lot to me. I did not have a good season after the COVID-19 lockdown. I could not find myself. But now I am back and it is amazing.” The 2019 Croatia Open champion KALLBERG was at his very best in his semi-final 4-3 win over second seed Quadri ARUNA of Nigeria. He was on the verge of defeat against ARUNA but fought back to win the tie at 4-3 ((10-12 11-7 8-11 11-5 4-11 11-7 11-7) in a match he admitted was the toughest for him in Tunis. “The semi-final against Aruna was the toughest for me. It was a big match which lasted almost until midnight. After that I was really exhausted. But I was a bit more confident going into the final after the semi-final win ” said the Swede. However Kallberg applied icing on that superlative performance with a 4-0 (13-11 11-9 11-7 12-10) drubbing of the German Dang Qiu to emerge champion in the Men’s Singles. “I am very happy winning all four sets but it was not an easy one. I am very happy. So many good and strong players played in this tournament. Winning it makes me happy. It is a confidence booster for me going forward ” said KALLBERG . The Women’s Doubles final saw the Swedish pair of Linda Bergstrom and Christina KALLBERG claim their first WTT title in Tunis. They had only recently started their partnership three months ago. The second seeds defeated qualifiers Rachel MORET of Switzerland and Daria TRIGOLOS of Belarus 3-2 (10-12 115-11-7 7-11 11-9) in the final. “It was unexpected and it is an amazing feeling because this is our second tournament since August when we started playing together in the doubles. We were a bit nervous in the first game but we started dictating the game from the second set to win. The title means a lot to us being our first title and it is a motivation to us to continue to play together to win more titles ” said BERGSTROM. India won their second WTT title after Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Harmeet Desai defeated Emmanuel Lebesson and Alexandre Cassin of France 3-1 (11-9 4-11 11-9 11-6) in the final of the Men’s doubles. GNANASEKARAN and Manica BATRA won the Mixed Doubles title at the WTT Contender Budapest to give India their first WTT title. In Tunis GNANASEKARAN claimed his second this time with Desai in the Men’s Doubles. In the Mixed Doubles Emmanuel LEBESSON and JIA Nan Yuan of France justified their status as top seeds after coming back from 2-0 down to beat Belarus’ Aleksandr KHANIN and Daria TRIGOLOS 3-2 (3-11 9-11 11-5 11-8 11-9). Impressive performances came from Croatia’s Filip ZELJKO who dumped top seed Patrick FRANZISKA of Germany from the quarter-final of the Men’s Singles. Plus teenage sensation Prithika PAVADE a WTT Youth nominee beat Romania’s Adina DIACONU former European Junior medallist in the first round 3-0 (11-7 11-9 11-7). The 17-year-old also defeated the fifth-seeded and six-time African champion Dina MESHREF of Egypt 3-0 (12-10 12-10 11-4) to qualify for her first quarter-final at the WTT event.
ETTU Executive Board meeting
On Friday 29th October a meeting of the ETTU Executive Board was held virtually under the leadership of President Igor Levitin. The President and the Secretary General reported on feedback received from member Associations concerning visa application procedures for the 2021 ITTF World Championships at Houston USA next month. There were two European players with outstanding visa application interviews. It was noted that some European National Associations such as The Russian Federation (TTFR) had incurred considerable additional expenditure having to arrange for their delegation to travel to the American embassy in different country. It was reported that from 8th November it will be necessary to be vaccinated with a WHO recognised vaccine to gain entry into the United States a requirement that numerous ITTF member Associations are unable to meet. Continental Federation Presidents have called upon the ITTF Executive Committee to urgently resolve this situation with the American authorities as in regards to compensation of additional expenses for obtaining visas as regarding vaccine situation to enable all qualified players and delegates to come to the World Championships. A request from the Balkan TT Union for financial assistance was discussed and various options will be considered before the next Board meeting. The Executive Board discussed the financial aspects of the ITTF Continental Agreement including for the 2nd half of 2021 and the use of monies received by the ITTF after Olympics in Tokyo. It was agreed to waive the entry fee for those teams participating in European Team Championships stage 1 C groups to be played in 2022 of Associations which had entered and played in the stage 1 groups of the 2021 qualification. It was agreed to hold a virtual meeting prior to the ITTF AGM and Board of Directors meeting to discuss all propositions and resolutions. President Levitin thanked members for their contribution and closed the meeting.
Titleholders from Borussia Düsseldorf kick up the action in Champions League Men on Wednesday
The second stage of the Champions League commences on Wednesday next week. Four groups will be hosted in Germany and in Russia. Borussia Düsseldorf the most successful club in the history of Champions League Men winners of 12 titles will be the host of Group A in ARAG CenterCourt Düsseldorf. They will face no. two seeds in that Group Sporting Clube de Portugal. In addition from Stage 1 progressed Spanish CTT Borges and Austria’s SPG FELBERMAYR Wels. The host in Group B is Russia’s TTSC UMMC. They were finalists in 2019. In the Group is French GV Hennebont TT whilst Solex Consult TTC Wiener Neustadt from Austria booked their position through the Stage one as well as Italy’s Top Spin Messina Fontalba. Group B starts on Thursday. Last year’s runners up 1. FC Saarbrücken TT e.V. will host Group C in Germany. Roskilde Bordtennis BTK 61 from Denmark is seeded at the position no. 2 whilst the Polish K.S. Dekorglass Dzialdowo and French AS Pontoise Cergy TT are already warmed up after September’s matches. AS Pontoise Cergy TT won the title in 2016. In Group D Russia’s Fakel-Gazprom Orenburg five times winners are at the top of the group but the hosts are no. two seeds KS DARTOM BOGORIA Grodzisk Mazowiecki. In Poland will also play Germany’s TTC Neu-Ulm and SF SKK El Nino Praha from Czech Republic. The matches in the last Groups commences on Friday.
The TAMANNEFTEGAS ECLW Stage two kicks on in Linz – champions from ttc Berlin eastside on dutu on Saturday
Austria will break the ice on Wednesday with the first matches in Stage 2 of the 2021/2022 TAMANNEFTEGAS European Champions League Women. Runners up last season Linz AG Froschberg is the host of Group D where will also play Poland’s KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL Tarnobrzeg the winners in 2019 French Saint-Denis US 93 Tennis de Table the winners of last year’s Europe Cup and TT Moravsky Krumlov of Czech Republic. Groups B and C starts on Friday. In Group B the host Metz TT awaits for Czech Republic’s SKST PLUS Hodonin Spanish Girbau Vic TT and Serbia’s TTC Novi Sad. Metz and Girbau Vic TT played in the final of the Europe Cup in 2019 and French club won the title then. Group C will also play in France. TT Saint-Quentinois is the host. There will also play Spanish UCAM Cartagena T.M Austria’s TTC Villach and French Etival Clairefontaine ASRTT. The winners of the last year’s Champions League will commence last – on Saturday. Germany’s ttc Berlin eastside will welcome SH-ITB Budaörsi Sport Club of Hungary CP Lyssois Lille Métropole of France and GDCS Do Juncal of Portugal. SH-ITB Budaörsi Sport Club played in the final of the Europe Cup last year whilst French club won the title in Europe Cup in 2016.
Table Tennis England CEO Sara Sutcliffe MBE to leave
Table Tennis England Chief Executive Sara SUTCLIFFE is leaving her role after more than eight years. She will step down at the end of this year to take up a similar position with the Royal Yachting Association (RYA). Sara joined the then ETTA as Chief Executive in July 2013 at a time when the organisation had failed to secure long-term funding from Sport England and an independent review had shown that the governing body and the sport were in need of a radical overhaul. She oversaw fundamental changes to the structure and governance of the organisation including the move from Hastings to Milton Keynes and the transition to the new identity of Table Tennis England. The changes culminated in the restoration of Sport England funding. Since then she has overseen sustained improvements in governance performance and participation in the sport. Among the highlights of her time in office was leading the bid to host the ITTF Team World Cup in London in 2018 where the best players in the world thrilled sellout crowds at the Copper Box Arena. Sara said: “Whilst I am excited by the challenges that lie ahead at the RYA it is with a heavy heart that I am leaving Table Tennis England. In the eight-and-a-half years I have been the CEO there have been considerable improvements in governance strategic planning participation programmes and elite performance to name a few. It has of course been a huge team effort and I want to thank Sandra (DEATON Chairman) the Board the staff and all the wonderful volunteers for their support and contributions. Table tennis truly is a sport for all for life and puts a smile on the face of millions of people every year. I have thoroughly enjoyed and been honoured to play a part in the history of Table Tennis England and send everyone in the sport my very best wishes in this its centenary year.” Paying tribute to Sara’s contribution Table Tennis England Chairman Sandra DEATON said: “It has been my pleasure and delight to work side by side with Sara for the last eight-and-a-half years. She is the ultimate professional who has been the backbone of the changes the sport needed to embrace. Taking the governing body into the next era she has established the sport as a significant player within the industry. Sara’s ability to bring the team ethos into the direction of travel has cemented a strong and respectful relationship with the staff. The Board will be continually indebted to her for the guidance support respect and professional approach she has presented throughout her whole time with us. As she moves into the next stage of her illustrious career I am delighted that she has secured such a high-level position within the sporting industry. “Sara leaves us with an outstanding legacy and we will move forward building on this success. The Board will be focusing on this over the next few weeks and we will make the relevant announcements at the appropriate time. I am sure I can say with great confidence that all of us in the table tennis family wish Sara continued success and express our sincere thanks for all her devotion to our sport.” Sara a qualified lawyer who started her career in the City of London moved on to the British Olympic Association where she attended four Olympic Games as General Counsel to Team GB and was instrumental in the London 2012 bid. Following the London Olympics and Paralympics she joined the ETTA. Sara was awarded the MBE for services to table tennis in the delayed 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours and was presented with the award by the Princess Royal in a ceremony at Windsor Castle earlier this week.
PLETEA and TAILAKOVA lead the list for the 2021 GAZPROM European Under 21 Championships
In less than two weeks Belgium’s city of Spa will host the 2021 GAZPROM European Under 21 Championships. Last year’s champion from Varazdin Vladimir SIDORENKO of Russia will be on duty from November 10th but he is seeded only at the position no. 4. Leading name in the Men’s Under 21 Singles Eevent is Cristian PLETEA of Romania who will return n on the European scene after a break. In the Women’s Singles top seeded player is Mariia TAILAKOVA of Russia. Last year’s champion Prithika PAVADE of France will not play in Belgium. Total prize money for 2021 Gazprom European Under 21 Championships is 30.000 Euros. The winner will earn 2 750 runner up 1 750 losing semifinalists 1 250 losing quarter finalists 1 000 and losers round of 16 – 500 Euros. In Men’s Singles below PLETEA who won the Doubles title in Varazdin and silver in 2018 in Minsk in top 10 are winner in Singles in 2019 in Portugal Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS of Greece Rares SIPOS of Romania who won gold in Doubles with Cristian and silver in singles in Varazdin; title holder SIDORENKO of Russia Bastien REMBERT of France host nation representative Laurens DEVOS Germany’s Fanbo MENG and Cedric MEISSNER Leo DE NODREST of France and at the position no. 10 Alex NAUMI of Finland. At the list are 56 players. No. one seed TAILAKOVA won silver in Singles two years ago. At the position no. two is Serbia’s Sabina SURJAN followed by Tatiana KUKULKOVA of Slovakia Ozge YILMAZ of Turkey Jamila LAURENTI of Italy Anastasia KOLISH of Russia Tijana JOKIC of Serbia Nikoleta PUCHOVANOVA of Slovakia Anna WEGRZYN of Poland and last year’s finalist Andreea DRAGOMAN of Romania. There are 55 names at the list.
First ever ETTU Under 23 Paraeurotalents Development Camp
From Sunday 5th to Friday 10th December 2021 Slovenia’s city of Lasko will host the first ever Under 23 Paraeurotalents Development Camp. ETTU PTT Eurotalents invites one Under 23 Para player per Nationa Association for who ETTU will cover the cost of the camp (participation fee accommodation workshops and transport from and return to the airport/railway station). Players need to have a valid International classification card. If the NA would like to send more players and coaches this is possible but on the cost of the NA. The maximum number to be accepted in the camp is 30 players. The camp will be led by coaches with Para Table Tennis and Paralympic experience. Expert coaches on duty will be: Head Coach/ Performance Director GBR Gorazd VECKO Assistant Head Coach/Head Coach ITA Alessandro ARCIGLI Coach/ Pathway coach GBR Matjaz SERCER Coach/ Head Coach SLO Andreja Ojstersek URH Coach/ Head Coach MNE Sasa DRAGAS and Coach/ Coach Saarbrücken club Joze URH. Organisers are ETTU ZSIS POK NPC Slovenia Due to the uncertainty of the COVID-19 evolution in various parts of Europe including Slovenia ETTU and the organiser are closely monitoring the pandemic situation. Therefore registrations are considered conditional. Updates will be provided as soon as additional information is available. Thus it is suggested that participants make flexible and/or reimbursable travel plans as no costs will be reimbursed by CTTC-E / ETTU in case of cancellation. Associations should sent their entries NOT later than 15th November 2021 to Gorazd Vecko gorazd.vecko@gmail.com with cc to Alessandro Arcigli alessandroarcigli@gmail.com Ana IVOŠEVIĆ ana.antic.ettu@gmail.com ETTU will cover all full accommodation cost for one invited player per / NA The camp will be held in Slovenia city of Lasko accommodation will be in hotel Thermana Lasko and the playing hall will be Tri Lilije. All participants (players and coaches) should be tested negative for COVID-19 on PCR test on the arrival and show test result to the organiser on the arrival to the hotel in Lasko All participants should be tested negative for COVID-19 on PCR test within 72 hours before entering the country.
ITTF presidential candidate Petra Sörling announces manifesto with unity growth and sustainability as strategic pillars
ITTF presidential candidate Mrs. Petra Sörling has announced her manifesto that will in cooperation with the continents put the spotlight on creating value and growth through a membership centered governance strengthen the movement and innovation in the commercial partnerships and with the athletes in mind drive the sustainability agenda for a prosperous future. The ITTF AGM and elections will be held in Houston USA on November 24th. The official manifesto is the result of many strategical discussions with the ITTF memberships combined with valuable feedback from international stakeholders including the majority of the continental federations. The strong support for Mrs. Petra Sörling campaign is evident from all corners of the Table Tennis world with the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) President Mr. Igor Levitin leading the way with his statement: “Mrs. Petra Sörling has the complete and full backing from the ETTU membership”. – From the many discussions I’ve held during the six months of campaigning I strongly believe I have been able to identify the most important areas to cover in the near future says Petra Sörling. Clearly we must work to unite the ITTF family. It is time to bring the ITTF into the modern area and I’m ready to work hard to position our federation as one of the best in the world of sports with full focus on the people the planet and the profit Petra Sörling continues. A value driven commercial growth approach will be key to building a strong organisation that will enable ITTF to be perceived as a front-runner in development and innovation. There is a need to create a solid strategic map where events and the commercial rights associated to them are the most important commercial assets. – By evolving the structures with our member associations and athletes in mind we will increase brand awareness build stronger relationships with key stakeholders and give more players the chance to participate in professional events says Mrs. Petra Sörling. Mrs. Petra Sörling hailing from the vibrant city of Malmo in Sweden was elected to the ITTF Executive committee in 2009 and quickly advanced to take charge of several key areas for the 226 member strong federation such as Para Table Tennis staff sustainability and most importantly accepting the role as the ITTF Executive Vice President of Finance in 2013. Since the start of ITTF Foundation 2019 Mrs Sörling also holds the position as Chair of the Board of Trustees in the foundation. The 2021 ITTF World Championships is scheduled for Houston USA between November 22-29th. The ITTF AGM will elect the new ITTF President alongside with seven ITTF Executive committee members to serve for a period of four years on November 24th.
