Four player are selected for the ITTF HOPES WEEK & CHALLENGE 2021 (Amman JOR December 2021) after the end of ETTU Hopes Selection Camp 2021 in Havirov. Boys: 1. Kacper PIWOWAR (ENG) 157 p. 2. Jakub KABELKA (CZE) 153 p. Girls: 1. Irina GIMENO (ESP) 152 p. 2. Hanka KODETOVA (CZE) 145 p. Also 4 players have been additionally invited (and selected in addition to the already announced 32 players) to participate in the final Eurotalents Selection Camp 2021 (Otocec SLO October 10th – 17th 2021): Boys: 1. Dario SALCEDO (ESP) 147 p. 2. Peader SHERIDAN (IRL) 142 p. 3. Roland BACA (SVK) 134 p. 4. Simon ENSKYI (UKR) 131 p. The deadline for the entries (Eurotalents Selection Camp) is September 26th 2021. Evaluation team: Renata STRBIKOVA (CZE) Sasa DRAGAS (SVK) Dominique PLATTNER (ITTF) Neven CEGNAR (ETTU) Â
Sofia POLCANOVA: I love to play at the Europe Top 16 Cup
Number one seed at the 2021 POMEGRANATE European Top 16 Cup in Thessaloniki Sofia POLCANOVA of Austria is ready for this weekend’s challenges. “I like to play Top-16 tournament it is one of my favorite tournaments ” admitted POLCANOVA. “Last year in Montreux I was third and that is my best memories of the tournament so far.” Like every year the competition is fierce. “I don’t know if I am adjusted I think every player here is very strong and anyone can win. This year the competition is in a different country we moved to Greece this is new experience. In general I am happy that we are allowed to participate in Top-16 because of COVID-19. I am looking forward to the start of the tournament! “ This summer Sofia was at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. “The Tokyo Olympics was of course something special. I am happy that it took place. It was strange and a little bit sad to play without spectators but that’s the situation now. My result was good considering my form at that moment. Of course I wanted to come further but in general I am satisfied with being in the last 16.” We ask her how she used her break. “I had 2 and half weeks rest after but the first week was a little bit stressful because I flew home for the opening of the first ever table tennis academy in Chisinau. It was very emotional. The other 10 days I enjoyed my time with family and friends ” stated Sofia POLCANOVA. The competition starts tomorrow. Watch it live on ettu.tv. Â
Mattias FALCK prepares for Top 16 in Germany and Sweden
Mattias FALCK of Sweden is at the top on the list of the favorites at the forthcoming 2021 POMEGRANATE Europe Top 16 Cup in Thessaloniki (Greece) on 18-19 September. This year it will be his fifth appearance at the tournament and he features as the number one seed. Last time in Montreux he was also the top seed but finished the tournament seventh. Timo BOLL Darko JORGIC and Robert GARDOS secured the top three places in Montreux. We asked FALCK how the pressure of being at the top of the list of seedings affects his performance. “I am getting used to it now. But it’s very close in Europe between the players so I know it will be a hard competition with hopefully a lot of tough matches ” said FALCK. “I am looking forward to playing in the Europe Top 16 Cup and playing against the best players in Europe. It’s a big title and I hope I can perform well.” FALCK played for a first time at the Top 16 in 2017 in Juan-Les-Pins Antibes. In Tokyo he reached the quarterfinal with the Sweden team and finished in the third round of the Singles Event. “The Tokyo Olympics was better than I thought. Of course it was not a “normal” Olympics but everything was good and I had a good experience there. The results could of course have been better but I’ve learnt a lot from there that will make me a better player. “ The base after the Olympics and before POMEGRANATE Europe Top 16 Cup in Thessaloniki is the same. “I took 10 days off after the Olympics and I was home in Halmstad recharging. I prepared with a lot of matches in Bundesliga and the same week as top 16 I had practice in Halmstad to come in a good shape.” Â Â Â
Panagiotis GIONIS will keep the Greek flag flying high in Thessaloniki
On his seventh appearance at the POMEGRANATE Europe Top 16 Cup in Thessaloniki Panagiotis GIONIS has a chance for the first time to play in front of his home crowd. On 18 and 19 September the five-time Olympian will keep the Greek flag flying high in second biggest city in Greece. “It is amazing that Greece finally will host one of the biggest events in Europe and for me it will be very exciting that I will have the opportunity to play for first time in this level with the best players of Europe in front of the Greek public ” admitted GIONIS. GIONIS also pointed out that he expects the event will generate a lot of attention. “Thessaloniki is a very beautiful city and it is a great opportunity for the people of Greece not only table tennis fans to watch the best players of Europe live! I am sure that the venue will be a full house. In addition I am sure that it will be exciting like always and I am sure that the Greek Federation with the help of ETTU will organize everything perfectly.” The venue is YMCA Sports Center “Mimis TSIKINAS”. Despite his big international experience the European silver medalist has not had a chance to play there yet. “It will be the first time I will play in this venue and in Thessaloniki ” explained GIONIS who was born in Athens. From his previous six apparencies in the Europe Top 16 GIONIS singled out one memory in particular. “My fondest memory is from Baku 2014 when I won the bronze medal! My performance was amazing; I beat the legendary Vladimir SAMSONOV in the group stage and I had an amazing match in the semifinal against Dimitrij OVTCHAROV that I lost 4-3.” At the Olympics in Tokyo GIONIS beat Zolt PETE and Ahmed SALEH before he lost to JEOUNG Youngsik. “I had one of the best performances in my career and also the most unluckiest against JEOUNG Youngsik. For me it was very difficult after this defeat but this is the magic of sport and I have to live with this and to go through for new goals.” The Greek star took a short break after the Olympic Games in Japan. “I had a few days to rest but not as much as I would like. However always after the Olympics there is not enough time. On the other hand I’m very motivated for this season generally so I cannot wait to start. Right now I am in Greece with my teammates in the national team and I will try to enjoy it.” Â
TTU President Igor Levitin reflects on “unity and progress” in first year of Presidency
European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) President Igor Levitin was elected President of the organisation one year ago today and working with the Executive Board over the past year has helped unite the European table tennis family and progress the sport during a challenging period. Upon his election in September 2020 President Levitin shared a vision comprising of two key pillars – innovation and influence. Since then the ETTU has implemented a number of new initiatives that have modernised the ETTU and helped the sport grow in a sustainable way despite the difficulties presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. President Levitin set out to engage with a modern generation of fans and attract young people to the sport. This ambition was aided by the successful and safe delivery of a number of major European events including the European Championships European club competitions and the European Youth Championships as well as the strong performances of European athletes at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The ETTU has undergone a series of governance and organisational reforms with President Levitin and the Executive Board seeking to place athletes at the heart of all key decisions increase transparency and develop a fairer quota system. The ETTU has also made progress in terms of empowering member associations increasing ETTU influence on the global stage and growing revenues for the reinvestment to European table tennis. Representative of the dynamic new era for the ETTU was the launch of the organisation’s new logo on International Table Tennis Day in April. The logo reflects the organisation’s new vision and the dynamism of the sport it represents. The two ‘T’s of the ETTU in the logo form a table – a central element of table tennis and a symbolic element of the sport. The new ETTU logo now forms the base for the event logos of all ETTU properties and ensures a consistency and uniformity to the brand reflective of the unity in sport. Reflecting on his first year President Levitin said “It has been an honour to work with the European table tennis family over the past year a year which has at times been hard but also rewarding and very memorable. The outstanding performances of our athletes in our ETTU events and at the Olympic Games are of course a key highlight. I also want to commend all of the ETTU event organisers for the flexibility and tenacity in ensuring elite athletes continued to have the opportunity to compete safely throughout the pandemic. I would also like to pay your attention to the fact that due to uneasy and challenging times because of COVID pandemic we will be able to show surplus budget for 2021 which did not happen before COVID times. That is why I would like to say thank you to our sponsors who believed in our projects and events and always ready to contribute for the best interest of table tennis development in Europe. “There has been significant progress over the past 12 months but there is still so much more than can be done to elevate European table tennis. I am thankful to all Member Associations the ETTU Executive Board and secretariat for their hard work and commitment and most of all for showing unity in the face of adversity. I am also very grateful to our athletes coaches referees and volunteers who give so much time and effort to growing table tennis across the continent and inspiring the future generations.”
szocs
At the 2021 POMEGRANATE European Top 16 Cup Romania’s Bernadette SZOCS will fight for the title again on 18 and 19 September. The winner of the 2018 event will be the No. two seed this year in Thessaloniki. “I am very happy to play again at the Top 16 Cup. I want to win it again. When I learnt that we will play it this year it was great news for me ” said SZOCS. Asked about memories from the competition when she clinched her crown in Montreux Bernadette said: “I could not forget 2018 when I won the title but my memories from the year after that are also very vivid. In 2019 I was one step short from doing it twice in a row – I reached the final. It was hard but being second among the 16 best players in Europe is not that bad after all ” smiled Bernadette. SZOCS was a member of team Romania at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 this summer. “It was a very good tournament for me. In the singles and doubles I finished fifth. I did not manage to reach the medal rostrum but above us were only Asian players. That is something that makes me proud ” explained Romania’s young player. Bernadette used the short break after the Olympic Games for a little getaway to Egypt. “I went there to “chill” a bit and then I flew back quickly to start preparations. We have a very hard September with the Top 16 Cup and European Team Championships in Cluj Napoca. I want to defend our title and win it for the third time in a row in front of a home crowd. I have only gold on my mind and I prepare in order to achieve this.” How do you prepare? “My training is very hard but I also spend a lot of time watching the videos of matches. I am also very positive and I am trying to keep that attitude no matter what ” said SZOCS. Â
For Polina MIKHAILOVA things looks brighter in sunny Greece
The 2021 POMEGRANATE Europe Top 16 Cup in Thessaloniki on 18 and 19 September will bring few new names like FU Yu SHAO JIENI Ganna GAPONOVA and Aikaterini TOLIOU but Polina MIKHAILOVA from Russia will be seven appearances far from her premiere. Seeded at the position no. seven Polina played at her first Top 16 in Baku 2015. “Top 16 is a very nice interesting and well organised tournament. Unfortunately my strongest memories from the event is the one from 2016 in Portugal’s Gondomar. I failed to pass the group just by points ratio. Once I was seeded no. 8 and got NI Xia Lian in the opening round. That is the worst option for me ” explained Polina. After three events in Montreux 2021 POMEGRANATE Europe Top 16 Cup will be played for a first time in Greece. “We will see how it is going to work for me. It is first time that we are playing in Greece and actually it is the first time that I am visiting Greece. Maybe this change will bring luck to my side ” said MIKHAILOVA laughing. Polina played at the Tokyo Olympics this summer. “I am disappointed with my result because I lost my first match at the tournament. However I can say that LIU Jia played a really good. She managed to recover from 0-2 in reverse to win the match.” The vacation time Polina spent in Russia at the sea shore. “It was just a short week. Now we are at the camp in the mountains for 12 days and then we will have about two weeks to prepare for Top 16 ” explained Polina MIKHAILOVA. In the women’s event the other athletes who will participate are: Sofia POLCANOVA (Austria) Bernadette SZOCS (Romania) Britt EERLAND (Netherlands) Elizabeta SAMARA (Romania) Nina MITTELHAM (Germany) NI Xia Lian (Luxembourg) Polina MIKHAILOVA (Russia) Georgina POTA (Hungary) Hana MATELOVA (Czech Republic) Barbora BALAZOVA (Slovakia) YU Fu (Portugal) Yana NOSKOVA (Russia) SHAO Jieni (Portugal) Dora MADARASZ (Hungary) Ganna GAPONOVA (Ukraine) Aikaterini TOLIOU (Greece).
CTT Borges unbeaten in Romania’s Odorheiu Secuiesc
With three wins out of the three matches in the opening round of the Group stage of the Table Tennis Champions League Men Spanish CTT Borges secured the top position in the Group A. Despite the absence of Quentin ROBINOT in today’s last round French AS Pontoise Cergy is second in Romania. Tomorrow 6 more matches are scheduled in three remaining Groups. In Group B in Austria’s Wels will play TTC Neu-Ulm vs PTE PEAC Kalo-Meh and TTC Sokah Hoboken vs. SPG FELBERMAYR Wels. In Group C in Verkhnaya Pyshma in Russia will play Top Spin Messina Fontalba vs. TTC Ostrava 2016 and TTSC UMMC-ELEM vs. K.S. Dekorglass Dzialdowo. In Group C in Croatia’s Varazdin SF SKK El Nino Praha will meet Leka Enea Marpex and STK Starr Croatia will meet SolexConsult TTC Wiener Neustadt. Third Round Group A AS Pontoise Cergy – GDCS Juncal 3:2 Emmanuel LEBESSON – Konstantin CHERNOV 3:1 (11:7 10:12 11:3 11:1) Adrien MATTENET- Kirill SHVETC 0:3 (10:12 7:11 9:11) Quentin ROBINOT- Nuno GONZAGA 0:3 Emmanuel LEBESSON – Kirill SHVETC 3:0 (11:4 11:6 11:7) Adrien MATTENET- Konstantin CHERNOV 3:2 (6:11 9:11 11:5 12:10 6:1) CTT Borges – CSS-SZAK Odorheiu Secuiesc 3:0 Alberto LILLO – Lucian MUNTEANU 3:0 (13:11 11:7 11:9) Joan MASIP – Szilard GYORGY 3:2 (11:7 11:7 3:11 9:11 6:3) Marc DURAN – Sebastian LOSO 3:1 (9:11 20:18 11:9 11:8) Second Round CTT Borges – AS Pontoise Cergy TT 3:2 Alberto LILLO – Quentin ROBINOT 3:0 (11:6 11:0 11:0) Viktor BRODD – Emmanuel LEBESSON 0:3 (9:11 3:11 7:11) Joan MASIP – Adrien MATTENET 3:2 (16:14 11:8 5:11 4:11 6:3) Marc DURAN – Emmanuel LEBESSON 0:3 (8:11 9:11 7:11)  Viktor BRODD – Quentin ROBINOT 3:0 CSS-SZAK Odorheiu Secuiesc – GDCS Juncal 1:3 Sebastian LOSO – Konstantin CHERNOV 1:3 (4:11 3:11 11:6 8:11) Szilard GYORGY – Kirill SHVETC 0:3 (5:11 5:11 7:11) Lucian MUNTEANU – Nuno GONZAGA 3:0 (11:8 11:6 11:9) Sebastian LOSO – Kirill SHVETC 0:3 (9:11 2:11 7:11) First Round CSS-SZAK Odorheiu Secuiesc – AS Pontoise Cergy TT 0:3 Sebastian LOSO – Quentin ROBINOT 0:3 (2:11 2:11 7:11) Gyorgy SZILARD – Emmanuel LEBESSON 0:3 (2:11 8:11 12:14) Krisztian CSERVIK – Adrien MATTENET 0:3 (5:11 8:11 6:11) GDCS Juncal –  CTT Borges 1:3 Kirill SHUETS – Marc DURAN 3:1 (10:12 11:9 11:7 11:6) Nuno GONZAGA – Viktor BRODD 0:3 (8:11 6:11 2:11) Konstantin CHERNOV – Joan MASIP 2:3 (7:11 13:11 8:11 12:10 3:6) Kirill SHUETS – Viktor BRODD 2:3 (11:9 11:7 3:11 8:11 4:6) Â
Dora MADARASZ had silver start to the season
Dora MADARASZ of Hungary is among the participants of the 2021 POMEGRANATE Europe Top 16 Cup this weekend in Thessaloniki Greece. This will be her second appearance at the tournament having overcome her nerves in her debut appearance at the event last year. “I really enjoyed my first TOP 16 last year and I really hope I can play every year in the future. I played against PESOTSKA and that was the opening match. I lost but I was satisfied with my game and it was a good encounter ” said MADARASZ. Dora played at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 this summer. Much like every athlete MADARASZ is never satisfied with her performance. She was the key player of Hungary’s fantastic run in qualifications in Portugal but her performance in Japan did not meet her expectations. “I am not satisfied with how I played at the Olympics; it was a big disappointment for me but I learnt a lot from it. I did not have a problem with the measures there I got used to it quite easily. It was my performance that made me uncomfortable.” It has been a busy summer for Dora. “I haven’t had a break because right after the Games we played the WTT Contender in Budapest. I am happy that Nandor ECSEKI and I clinched the silver medal in the mixed double event in front of a home crowd. It was a good start to the next season.” When asked if she is ready for the challenge MADARASZ answered: “I suffered from some injuries and I had to make some changes to my preparations. But I’m now getting closer and closer to my goals.” Â
STAMATOUROS is the new Greek champion in men’s singles 4th title for TOLIOU in the Women’s
George STAMATOUROS and Katerina TOLIOU are the Greek champions for the 2020-2021 season. The 22-year-old player of Olympiacos won his first national title in this event and reached the new milestone in his career. In the spectacular final he beat Giorgos KONSTANTINOPOULOS of Panathinaikos 4-3 after he recovered from the 1-3 back. The 26-year-old girl of Panathinaikos justified her status as the 1st favorite and reached the first place for the 4th time (2015 2018 2019 the previous ones). In the final TOLIOU overcame her teammate in Panathinaikos Elisabeth TERPOU with games. The winners in singles left the table tennis hall of the Peace and Friendship Stadium with two titles. STAMATOUROS also won the men’s doubles with his Olympic teammate Tasos RINIOTIS. TOLIOU and Konstantina PARIDI of Olympiakos kept the scepter which they have in the women’s doubles since 2019. In the men’s singles the doubles in the final created interest on its own as the right-hander George STAMATOUROS reached this point for the first time and the left-hander George KONSTANTINOPOULOS second (after 2015). The player of Panathinaikos passed his game initially and managed with 3-1 sets to lay the foundations for the victory. STAMATOUROS however did not lose positive thinking and self-concentration he increased his performance and created the big upset. He added this title in the men’s singles Under 21 two years before (7-11 10-12 11-7 7-11 11-8 11-6 and 11-7). In the women’s singles Katerina TOLIOU (number 1 on the table) and Elisabeth TERPOU (No. 3) met for the first time in a final. Close and spectacular match inspired TOLIOU to use good tactics in the critical points; champion prevailed in six games and clinched the title again after two years. The match lasted almost an hour and had a forced stop at the end of the 5th set. TERPOU felt discomfort in her left leg took the medical timeout and returned after 7-8 minutes with a bandage. She was able to make a new big effort in the 6th game but she missed some critical rally nails (8-11 11-9 11-9 7-11 11-8 and 11-7). MEN’S SINGLES George STAMATOUROS (Olympiakos SFP) George KONSTANTINOPOULOS (Panathinaikos AO) Nikos ANTONIADIS (OA Chania) -. Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS (Panathinaikos AO) WOMEN’S SINGLES Katerina TOLIOU (Panathinaikos AO) Elisabeth TERPOU (Panathinaikos AO) Malamatenia PAPADIMITRIOU (GAO Piraeus) -. Konstantina PARIDI (Olympiakos SFP) MEN’S DOUBLES: Tassos RINIOTIS / George STAMATOUROS (Olympiakos SFP) Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS / George KONSTANTINOPOULOS (Panathinaikos AO) Dimitris KORDOUTIS / Stratos DAMIANIS (AS Pera Athens) -. Dimitris PAPADIMITRIOU / Nikos ANTONIADIS (AO Tatavla / OA Chania) WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Katerina TOLIOU / Konstantina PARIDI (Panathinaikos AO / Olympiakos SFP) Malamatenia PAPADIMITRIOU / Aliki KIOUFI (GAO Piraeus / Olympiakos SFP) Elisavet TERPOU / Ioanna GERASIMATOU (Panathinaikos AO) -. Olga GEORGOPOULOU / Dimitra TSEKOURA (AS Pera Athens) Â
