Czech Table Tennis stands on a threshold of a new era. It changed its thinking visions goals and also identity. It wants to follow up on successes from times of Czechoslovakia. The aim is to have both three-member teams of men and women at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028 as well as start collecting medals from European competitions. „We will concentrate on the youth in order to expand the member base. We will support the education of coaches with the help of modern methods. We also aim to support marketing and communication activities. We want to show that table tennis is easily affordable fun “ said the chairman of the Czech Table Tennis Association Zbyněk SPACEK in yesterday’s press conference. The unifying brand ‘Czech Table Tennis’ will connect official communication social media podcast its own broadcasting or newly Czech Television broadcasting on channel CT Sport.  „We observed the sports environment and tried to juggle with elements relevant for the brand with national identity. And we mixed it into a cocktail. So that it works it’s simple fun and understandable. Here it was quite specific as this sport is similar to badminton and tennis. So we were looking for something to differentiate it “ explained Pavel CADA from Triple Bang Agency which made the new graphic identity. The new direction and logo also caught the eye of the Czech Olympians. „I find it cool authentic no other country has anything like this. We try to give direction. I like it. If we will concentrate on the youth and education of their coaches then it’s the right direction “ described Lubomír JANCARIK. As a two time Olympian he’d like to compete in Paris or Los Angeles Olympics even though he’s 34 years old and then help table tennis in another way. „I worked on myself a lot throughout my career. I have something to offer so I’d like to take advantage of that and help “ he said.  

Apuania Carrara continued their successful row. In the Partenope gymnasium in Naples club clinched third Italian Cup as an addition to the Italian Super Cup raised at the beginning of the season and to five national championships. The team led by Alessandro MERCIADRI beat in the final the usual great opponents from Top Spin Messina Fontalba trained by coach Wang HONG LIANG 3-0. In the doubles Mihai BOBOCICA and Lubomir PISTEJ overcame Marco RECH DALDOSSO and João MONTEIRO to give their club good start. The first singles staged an international challenge at the highest level and Andrej GACINA took the lead in the first game and prevailed without problems. In the second one he reached Jonathan GROTH who had run fast out of the blocks and overtook him. The Croatian player missed the first two game-points and converted the third one. In the third game GACINA was always in the lead and withstood GROTH’s attempts to recover. Top Spin Messina relied on RECH DALDOSSO who lost the first game and won the second and the third. PISTEJ was behind 1-2 and came back. In the decider he changed sides in the lead was recovered earned three match-point which vanished and converted the fourth one. “We are proud of this result ” said Mihai BOBOCICA “even if I think that 3-0 does not reflect the real difference between the teams. In the decisive moments of the various games we managed to win the points sometimes with a bit of luck in particular in the second and third games of the doubles. In both we recovered and prevailed by the very narrow margin. Also the second game which opposed GACINA to GROTH could have gone in another direction but according to me Andrej fully deserved the win. In the last singles Lubomir came back. He never gives up and I’ve seen him win many matches like the one against RECH DALDOSSO. I was pretty confident that he would eventually make it.” Mihai BOBOCICA/Lubomir PISTEJ – Marco RECH DALDOSSO/João MONTEIRO 3-0 (11-7 11-9 11-9) Andrej GACINA – Jonathan GROTH 3-0 (11-7 13-11 11-8) Lubomir PISTEJ – Marco RECH DALDOSSO 3-2 (12-10 2-11 8-11 11-9 13-11) Final for the bronze medal: Brunetti Castel Goffredo – Marcozzi Cagliari 3-2: Alessandro BACIOCCHI/Luca BRESSAN – Antonino AMATO/Jorge CAMPOS 1-3 (11-8 5-11 7-11 8-11) Viktor YEFIMOV – Tommaso GIOVANNETTI 3-0 (11-5 11-8 11-9) Luca BRESSAN – Jorge CAMPOS 0-3 (7-11 7-11 5-11) Alessandro BACIOCCHI – Tommaso GIOVANNETTI 3-1 (11-8- 11-8 8-11 11-8) Viktor YEFIMOV – Antonino AMATO 3-0 (11-9 11-6 11-7) Semifinals: Top Spin Messina Fontalba – Marcozzi Cagliari 3-2 Marco RECH DALDOSSO/João MONTEIRO – Antonino AMATO/Tommaso GIOVANNETTI 2-3 (6-11 8-11 11-6 11-5 10-12) Jonathan GROTH – Jorge CAMPOS 3-2 (11-8 7-11 15-13 11-13 11-5) Marco RECH DALDOSSO – Tommaso GIOVANNETTI 3-0 (11-4 11-6 11-9) Matteo MUTTI – Jorge CAMPOS 2-3 (11-8 6-11 11-9 8-11 9-11) Jonathan GROTH – Antonino AMATO 3-0 (11-7 11-6 11-4) Apuania Carrara – Brunetti Castel Goffredo 3-0 Mihai BOBOCICA/Lubomir PISTEJ – Alessandro BACIOCCHI/Viktor YEFIMOV 3-0 (11-5 11-5 11-8) Andrej GACINA – Luca BRESSAN 3-0 (11-8 11-8 11-5) Mihai BOBOCICA – Viktor YEFIMOV 3-0 (11-8 11-6 11-9) 

In five years Brunetti Castel Goffredo won four titles in Italian Cup. Last week they rose the trophy in the Partenope gymnasium in Naples by beating 3-0 Polisportiva Bagnolese Panino LAB in the last match of the round robin which included also Eppan Tischtennis Raiffeisen. Castel Goffredo won the 13th of the last 14 national events which were played taking into consideration also five championships (2016 2017 2018 2019 and 2021) and four Italian Super Cups (2018 2019 2020 2021). The number rises to 26 totally since the best Italian club won eighteen titles in First Division. In the opening doubles Gaia MONFARDINI and Maria XIAO dominated against Veronica MOSCONI and Olga VOROBEVA. In the all-Romanian challenge Bernadette SZOCS overwhelmed in the first two games Alina ZAHARIA who started better in the third one but was recovered and defeated by her compatriot. She cancelled two match-points and lost to the third one. XIAO started very well then VOROBEVA recovered saved five set-points and took advantage of her first chance. In the second game the Russian player had a positive start and suffered the comeback of the opponent who levelled the score. Also in the third game the Spaniard prevailed in the last rallies. After the change of sides VOROBEVA kept on fighting and took the lead but the verdict was in favor of XIAO. “We had ” coach Alfonso LAGHEZZA comments “two very nice days here in Naples. Against Eppan we kicked off very well. We struggled in the doubles and that win in five games was the turning point of the match. Maria XIAO had to travel during the day to come to play and therefore she was not exactly in top shape. Despite this against Szandra PERGEL she did her job. In the final day Maria faced Olga VOROBEVA and in the first game she had a blackout but she recovered. She never gives up even when she is aware that she is not playing at her best. From this point of view she also gives a good example to the young athletes we have in the team who can learn a lot from her way of being in the field. Gaia MONFARDINI in the first doubles had some ups and downs instead against Bagnolese had a more consistent performance. Bernadette SZOCS carried out her task quite easily in both the singles she played”. Brunetti Castel Goffredo – Polisportiva Bagnolese Panino LAB 3:0 Gaia MONFARDINI/ Maria XIAO – Veronica MOSCONI/Olga VOROBEVA 3-0 (11-8 11-7 11-6) Bernadette SZOCS – Alina ZAHARIA 3-0 (11-2 11-2 11-9) Maria XIAO – Olga VOROBEVA 3-1 (12-14 11-9 11-8 11-8) In the first two matches of the round robin Castel Goffredo and Bagnolese accounted for Eppan: Brunetti Castel Goffredo – Eppan Tischtennis Raidffeisen 3-0 Gaia MONFARDINI/Maria XIAO – Zsandra PERGEL/Diana STYHAR 3-2 (9-11 8-11 11-5 11-7 11-9) Bernadette SZOCS – Debora VIVARELLI 3-0 (11-8 11-7 11-5) Maria XIAO – Szandra PERGEL 3-0 (12-10 13-11 11-9) Polisportiva Bagnolese Panino LAB – Eppan Tischtennis Raiffeisen 3-2 Olga VOROBEVA/Veronia MOSCONI – Diana STYHAR/Debora VIVARELLI 3-0 (11-4 11-7 11-4) Alina ZAHARIA – Szandra PERGEL 0-3 (8-11 7-11 5-11) Olga VOROBEVA – Debora VIVARELLI 3-1 (11-7 11-5 6-11 11-9) Veronica MOSCONI – Szandra PERGEL 0-3 (10-12 4-11 2-11) Alina ZAHARIA – Diana STYHAR 3-1 (12-10 12-10 2-11 11-9)

Danish player Anders LIND was awarded with the prize “Nothing is impossible” at the Star award Galla in Denmark for all sports where all the good results were celebrated. Anders LIND was awarded for the great achievement after fantastic recovery. He earned the award only six month after a very heavy car accident in which LIND broke his back and it was uncertain several weeks after if he will become able to walk again and to play table tennis again. Six month later he was the key player in the National team. At the European Championships in Cluj Romania Anders led Denmark to the medal rostrum. They clinched bronze. In the Category “Nothing is impossible” Anders LIND was up against strong opponents: National team in football which reached the semifinal in Euro 2020 played in the summer of 2021 after a turbulent European Championships and the handball player Mathias GISSEL who played his first match in the national team in 2021 and won Olympic Gold in the Olympics and later at the World championships where he was honored as the most valuable player.