For a fifth time this summer in Paris Marcos FREITAS will represent Portugal at the Olympic Games. He will be competing in both the team and singles events. Ranked world no. 18 alongside Tiago APOLONIA and Joao GERALDO FREITAS reached the quarterfinals of the World Championship in Busan securing the team’s qualification for the Olympics. Yesterday the Olympic team was received by the President of Portugal Marcelo REBELO de SOUSA. “Until yesterday we trained at our national training center in Porto. Then all the athletes who will play in Paris met with the President and from today we will continue our preparations. On Tuesday the table tennis team will go to Saarbrucken for a 10-day training camp in Germany. We will practice on the Olympic tables and with Olympic balls marking the final stage of our preparations for Paris 2024 ” said Marcos FREITAS. Since Beijing 2008 FREITAS has never missed the Olympics. His best result was in Rio where he reached the quarterfinals while in Tokyo he advanced to the Round of 16. “My goal is to go as far as possible. I will be playing in both the team and singles events and I hope to be in good shape. Right now my first goal is to win the opening match and then we will go step by step. It’s hard to talk about aspirations when the draw has not yet been made.”
Meeting of Czech and Slovak Referees
In the last weekend of June the village of Čeladná in the Beskydy Mountains hosted a meeting of the Czech and Slovak referees and umpires committees. This event followed a similar meeting held three years ago in Trenčianske Teplice Slovakia. The aim was to strengthen cooperation between the two commissions exchange experiences and discuss current issues and challenges facing umpires and referees in both countries. The meeting was attended not only by members of both commissions but also by representatives of the Executive Committees of CAST and SSTZ including Chairmen Nikolas ENDAL and Anton HAMRAN. Following the recent meeting of the Executive Committees of both associations this joint event further demonstrated the close cooperation between the two table tennis associations which will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Czechoslovak table tennis next year. Participants focused on the possibilities of cooperation at events the use of modern technology at the table umpires and referees’ education and comparing the playing systems of long-term competitions in the Czech Republic and Slovakia concerning referees’ delegations. A separate discussion was held on the credit system used for umpires at Czech events and its evaluation in terms of motivating umpires to apply for tournaments. Additionally the upcoming major international tournaments next year in both countries—the European U21 Championships in May in Bratislava and the Youth European Championships in July in Ostrava—were discussed. It was also agreed to jointly prepare candidates for the international umpire exams this autumn. At the end of the meeting several concrete actions were agreed upon aimed at further improving cooperation and information exchange between the commissions. The meeting in Čeladná confirmed that joint work and knowledge sharing are crucial for the successful development of table tennis umpiring and refereeing activities in both countries.
Alessio SARDELLI and Fosco PERINTI to Present “Ping Pong & Poetry” in Rome
Alessio SARDELLI and Fosco PERINTI who has been living in Paris for 40 years will be among the 6 100 athletes from 111 countries on five continents competing at the ITTF World Masters Table Tennis Championships presented by Stag Global – Rome 2024. Despite their competitive backgrounds both have also developed significant careers in acting and will be key figures in the Fan Village’s program of events. On Tuesday July 9th Thursday July 11th and Friday July 12th they will present the project “Ping Pong & Poetry ” where the table tennis matches will be guided by both the rules of the sport and the metrics of poetry and language. The ball will be struck on the tonic accents of the words and any mistake will result in a lost point similar to missing a shot in a regular match. This “poetic ping pong” concept was created by Emmanuel DEMARCY-MOTA the artistic director of the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris who previously launched a similar project with actor-tennis players. The initiative is supported by the Teatro della Pergola of Florence and the Théâtre de la Ville aiming to build a 21st-century theater that bridges various disciplines generations and countries. Three texts will be performed at the Rome Fair in three languages: Dante Alighieri’s famous sonnet “Tanto gentile e tanto onesta pare” from the XXVI chapter of Vita Nova in Italian Jean de La Fontaine’s fairy tale “Le corbeau et le renard” in French and the iconic soliloquy “To be or not to be” from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet in English. Alessio SARDELLI born in Florence boasts a distinguished table tennis career having played for the Italian national team in the 1970s participated in the European Championships in Rotterdam and won the doubles title at the Italian Championships. Reflecting on his sports career SARDELLI shares “I am very attached to a memory of the 1974 Champions Cup match we played in Florence with Cus Firenze against the Swedish Mölndals BTK. I faced Kjell JOHANSSON nicknamed ‘The Hammer ‘ and my performance was very good. He complimented me on my fast game which was very flattering.” Later SARDELLI pursued a successful acting career collaborating with notable figures such as Gigi PROIETTI Giorgio ALBERTAZZI and Gabriele LAVIA. Fosco PERINTI originally from Sinalunga (Siena) paused his studies at ISEF to attend the mime school of Marcel Marceau in Paris and has since remained in France working as a theater and cinema actor and voice actor. PERINTI discovered table tennis seven years ago when he joined the Paris 13 Tennis de Table club with a friend and later served as its president. He continues to play and teaches the sport to Parkinson’s patients and children. “We are very proud of ‘poetic ping pong ‘” explains SARDELLI. “The public gets involved and they approach poetry and culture through table tennis. I am happy to pursue my two passions for table tennis and theater keeping the name of Florence and Italy high around Europe.” PERINTI adds “I first heard about this project from DEMARCY-MOTA in 2021. Since January this year we have been playing ping pong and performing poems at the Théâtre de la Ville and the interest is growing.” In the competition SARDELLI will play in Group 100 of the MS65 category facing Patrick WORREL from England Roger ROUSSON from France and Manfred JOCHEM from Germany. He will also compete in the MD65 with Alberico GUALFETTI and in the XD65 with Francesca MARCONE. “As a Master player this is my first participation in an event of this importance. The passion for table tennis has rekindled and playing in these World Master Championships feels like closing the circle ” he says. PERINTI in Group 168 of MD60 will compete against Roberto Tadashi ISHIKAWA from Brazil Cong XISHENG from Finland and Giuseppe GARUFI from Italy. He will also participate in MD60 with Eric NICOLE. “I came to Rome with two friends and we are in festive and friendly mode. We have no competitive ambitions; we participate for the pleasure of playing. This event is a celebration of sport and friendship through sport ” says PERINTI.
MALOBABIC Enjoys Her Rejuvenated ‘Second’ Career
Ivana MALOBABIC of Croatia had a break from the national team from 2001 to 2017. She returned and since then has set new heights in her career. “I trained and played for my club regularly but I did not play for the national team. In 2017 Croatia invited me to help them in the qualifications for the European Championship and that’s how my second career slowly began ” explained MALOBABIC laughing. “However it wasn’t until after the pandemic that I started playing singles tournaments more seriously.” Her seriousness is evident with her qualification for the Olympics in Paris 2024. MALOBABIC failed to reach the Games through the European Qualifications in Bosnia and Herzegovina but she achieved this goal thanks to her very good results and a strong position in the ITTF Rankings. “I am overjoyed to have qualified for the Olympics. Everything started at the European Games in Krakow and I’ve been playing well since then. I am satisfied with the whole season. The only bad luck I had was at the qualifications in Sarajevo where I woke up on the day of departure with a temperature of 38°C. I had the most important tournament in four years and had to fight a double fight with myself and the opponent ” explained Ivana. However she earned herself a second chance. “After Sarajevo I played at the WTT in Argentina where I reached the quarterfinals and secured my place in Paris. At the Games I will give my best because the best of the best compete there and a lot will depend on the draw.” From Ivana we could get “first-hand” info about the youth players preparing for the EYC in Malmö. “I am currently in the Czech Republic. I have already completed part of the preparations in Zagreb. I am in Havířov at their training center. The boy’s and girl’s national teams of the Czech Republic and Austria are preparing here for the upcoming European Junior Championship in Malmö so I decided to be here as well because the season is slowly ending and it is difficult to find adequate sparring partners.”
Poland Sweden Slovenia and the Hosts Training in Croatia
Seventeen-year-old Milosz REDZIMSKI of Poland will make his Olympic debut this summer in Paris. He is currently conducting his final preparations for the event in Croatia. “Team Poland is here working with the hosts players from Sweden Slovenia Austria… We have a very nice group so it’s a pleasure to practice with them. We go back home on July 7 and on the 12th we go to Saarbrucken with Maciek KUBIK for a 7-day camp. They have Olympic tables so we can get used to them ” said REDZIMSKI. Since it will be his first experience at the Olympics Milosz said “I don’t set any goals for myself; I just want to play as best as I can and then I’m sure I can go far.” From July 1 Croatia specifically Vrsar is the center of European table tennis. In this village on the western coast of Istria the Croatian table tennis team has begun their preparations for Paris. On the roster of coach Neven KARKOVIĆ are Tomislav PUCAR Andrej GAĆINA Filip ZELJKO Frane KOJIĆ and Ivor BAN. In Vrsar alongside Croatia’s team the Poles Swedes Slovenians two Belgians (ALLEGRO and RASSENFOSSE) and an Austrian (HABESOHN) are also training. Out of the 16 teams in the Olympic team event seven are from Europe and three of them are in Vrsar. “The initial plan was for only the Poles Slovenians and us to be in Vrsar but as word quickly spread we received many inquiries from other teams. In the end there will be about twenty of us in Vrsar which is the maximum we can accommodate due to the hall’s capacity and the organization of the preparations. Realistically this number is more than enough for optimal training. Unfortunately we had to decline some players and teams. We will have a variety of players available and some preparatory matches will be played ” emphasized coach Neven KARKOVIĆ. After that Team Croatia returns to Zagreb and then they fly to Sweden to train with one of the strongest European teams. “They invited us and we will be their guests from July 14 to 19. After that we return to Zagreb where Slovak WANG Yang might join us and soon after that we fly to Paris ” he concluded.
Luxembourg Table Tennis Stars Prepare for Paris 2024 Olympics
There are only three weeks left before the start of the Olympic Games. The qualifications have concluded and the list for the teams’ and individual events can be seen here. Among the passengers for Paris 2024 is Sarah DE NUTTE of Luxembourg who reached the Olympic Games by the ITTF Rankings. She will be part of the table tennis delegation with the legendary Xia Lian NI who will be playing in her fifth Olympics as well as Luka MLADENOVIC who will make his Olympic debut in Paris. Sarah revealed that she experienced pleasant private moments alongside the joy of qualifying for the Olympics. “I took a few days off to visit my sister and her husband in Switzerland because I recently became an aunt for the first time so it was important to me to visit her. The whole last year was so busy with so many competitions and I never had time to do so ” she said. “Yesterday I have started again with the preparation for the upcoming Olympic Games. I will practice in Luxembourg with a few sparring partners from France as well as my coach. I’m looking forward to preparing well and then heading to Paris on the 22nd together with Xia Lian Luka Tommy and thanks to my Olympic Committee my private coach Peter TEGLAS can also join me. This means a lot to me to have him there as well.” Luxembourg’s Olympic Team has already received their Olympic outfits and concluded a nice photo shoot.
Lithuanian Table Tennis Association Hosts Training Camp for Cadet and Junior Players
The Lithuanian Table Tennis Association in collaboration with the ETTU’s National Association Assistance Program is currently hosting a training camp for cadet and junior players. The camp which began on July 1 and will continue until July 7 aims to prepare the young players for the upcoming European Youth Championships enhance their game skills improve physical performance and provide coaches with additional knowledge for working with cadet and junior players. The camp is led by coaches Viktor FRIZEL and Rolandas STASIULISHAS and includes a total of 15 participants: 9 athletes and 4 sparring partners. The roster is as follows: Ignas SISANOVAS Vilius KAVALIAUSKAS Ervinas UZIALO Martin FRIZEL and Kasparas MAROZAS from the boys’ team and Marija MIKALAUSKYTE Eivile ABRAMAVICIUTE Deimante ADLYTE and Aida KAVECKYTE from the girls’ team. The sparring partners are Veronika ROMASKO Lukas LAKETCENKO Valdas MARTINKUS and Mindaugas STEPONKUS. Throughout the week-long camp participants are engaging in various training activities focused on improving their technical skills and physical conditioning including multi-ball training service practice and technique exercises.
Mikael APPELGREN a star in Rome for the World Master Championships
Mikael APPELGREN will be one of the stars of the ITTF World Masters Table Tennis Championships Rome 2024 – presented by Stag Global. Among the 6 100 people who will play at the New Fair of Rome no one has won like him having been a four-time world champion and a nine-time European champion. The 62-year-old Swede will play MD55 doubles with Carsten JUNG from Germany. Roberto LEVI Italian press officer talked with APPELGREN in the eve of the Masters. “I practice just a little bit not much and then I have some trainings in my club Spårvägen BTK in Stockholm (the biggest club in Europe) for the first team. I also teach some elite players. That’s it. I do not play in the League anymore. I started playing table tennis in 1971 when I was 12 years old quite late and I stopped playing in the First Division when I was 52.” Of course you have a lot of wonderful memories. Which are the best? “The biggest team achievement was in 1989 when we beat China 5-0 in the finals of the World Championships in Dortmund. We had lost many times against China but that time we had a great win. My teammates were Jörgen PERSSON and Jan-Ove WALDNER with number four being Erik Lind and number five Peter KARLSSON. We were five very good players. During that period Sweden played in seven world finals in a row from 1983 to 1995 losing the first three and the last to China but beating China in 1989 and in 1993 in Göteborg and Yugoslavia in 1991 in Chiba.” And individually? “The best memory is when I won my third European title in singles in 1990 in Göteborg. I defeated Andrzej GRUBBA from Poland in the finals. It was historical for me. We were at home in Sweden we had television coverage every day and we were in the newspapers. The sport arena was crowded with ten thousand people. It was fun. My first gold medal in singles was in 1982 in Budapest against WALDNER and the second in 1988 in Paris against Andrey MAZUNOV the Russian player. In Göteborg it was also very nice to win the world title in doubles in 1985 with Ulf CARLSSON.” Did you expect such a great career when you started playing? “I did not think I would win so much but we had a very good team at that time we practiced a lot together we respected each other and helped each other to improve. In other teams there were one or two good players but in Sweden we had seven or eight European and world-class players and that made the difference. There was also a very good organization in the Swedish team.” Last year Sweden returned to the top step of the European podium in Malmö. “I was there for two days to watch and it was very nice. We have a lot of good players and the team is very strong. I think we have some chances for the Olympic Games in Paris. I am confident.” Are you still in contact with your teammates from your golden period? “Of course we meet very often and we speak a lot by telephone. Last month we were together to play golf and had a very good time.” What about the World Master Championships? “I won the Over 40 singles in 2004 in Yokohama and the Over 50 singles in Stockholm in 2012 and was a silver medalist in doubles in Yokohama. I lost in the semifinals of the singles in Bremen in 2006. Now I will play in Rome but only in the Over 55 doubles with Carsten JUNG from Germany. For me it’s enough.” What is your objective? “I do not know much about the other players. We will see what happens. Carsten was in Stockholm last December and we practiced a little.” Do you have memories of Italy? “The first time I was in Italy was in 1966 in Rimini with my family. I still have a picture of those days. As a player I was in Rome in 1979 at the Junior European Championships and after that I was in the capital for vacation maybe seven or eight times. I know Rome very well. I played the Italian Open many times in cities like Bolzano Como and Bologna. In Italy I remember a wonderful vacation with the family more or less twelve years ago when the children were younger. We visited Amalfi Positano and Sorrento. This time I will come with my wife Marita (she will play singles and doubles).” In Rome there will be 6 100 players. What do you think? “It’s unbelievable an incredible record. Rome is a very special place. Many people will come to play and then stay for holidays. I think I will meet many friends again. I’m looking forward to seeing them.”
Borussia Düsseldorf Wins the Liebherr TTBL Final and Becomes 2024 German Champion
Borussia Düsseldorf has successfully defended its title as the German Champion. In a high-class and partly dramatic Liebherr TTBL Final the record-holding team of the Tischtennis Bundesliga (TTBL) triumphed over their perennial rivals 1. FC Saarbrücken TT 3:1 once again relegating Saarbrücken to second place. For Düsseldorf this marks their first double of championship and cup titles in three years. The Liebherr TTBL Final was witnessed by 3 000 fans at the Süwag Energie ARENA in Frankfurt. Just minutes after the match ended Borussia Düsseldorf’s coach Danny HEISTER summed up the atmosphere: “You never get used to this ” he said referring to his team’s ongoing success. On Sunday the record champions secured the German Championship for the fourth consecutive time in the Liebherr TTBL Final yet the celebration did not feel routine. The victory was hard-fought: In the perennial giant duel with 1. FC Saarbrücken TT Düsseldorf delivered a match of world-class caliber ultimately triumphing with a 3:1 score and celebrating the 34th championship in the club’s history. “Our season didn’t go entirely smoothly ” Düsseldorf’s Dang QIU admitted afterward. “But in the past few weeks we performed well again and we’re very happy to have won the title. We can be very proud of that.” Saarbrücken had won the regular season of the Tischtennis Bundesliga (TTBL) with Düsseldorf finishing in second place significantly behind. “We were all pretty tense ” explained Timo BOLL “because we know how tough it is against Saarbrücken – and it was a cauldron from the start.” In January Düsseldorf had already won the Liebherr Cup Final (3:0) thus achieving the double for the first time since 2021. Meanwhile FCS triumphed in the Champions League at Easter (3:2). For the past three years the Liebherr TTBL Final has consistently seen a duel between Düsseldorf and Saarbrücken each time ending in favor of the record champions. This time the key role was played by QIU. The German national player won the opening singles against Patrick FRANZISKA 3:1 (6:11 11:7 11:4 11:4) and eventually also the day’s final match against Darko JORGIC 3:2 (9:11 11:0 11:8 10:12 11:4). “The match against Patrick could have ended in a 0:3 loss in just 15 minutes considering how he played the first game ” QIU admitted afterward. However in the second set QIU improved and also benefited from FRANZISKA’S thigh injury. “It kept getting worse ” said FRANZISKA. “I really wanted to continue playing and somehow help the team. So I tried to play more backhand. But even without the injury it would have been very very difficult. Dang played fantastically very aggressively and tactically flawless.” The highlight of the day came in the second match. BOLL and JORGIC delivered a table tennis drama in five acts: JORGIC initially led 2:0 in sets later seemed hopelessly behind 5:10 in the fifth set – and then mounted an almost historic comeback. JORGIC fended off a total of seven match points from BOLL winning 3:2 (11:6 11:9 4:11 9:11 13:15) tying the score at 1:1 and giving FCS new life. Anton KÄLLBERG won the third match 3:0 (11:8 11:9 11:8) against Cedric MEISSNER. “Had we lost the match again despite several match points like the Champions League final it would have been very bitter ” BOLL said about his defeat to JORGIC. “This time fortunately it wasn’t a total disaster. Darko played some great shots even under extreme pressure.” Borussia coach HEISTER remarked on the rich final history of the opponents: “Between these two teams it can always end 0:3 or 3:0. Every match is almost 50:50 – anything is possible. I am very proud of my team.” Three thousand spectators followed the Liebherr TTBL Final live at the Süwag Energie ARENA in Frankfurt creating great emotions in the stands and making the event a significant success for the hosting Tischtennis Bundesliga. Final Borussia Düsseldorf – 1. FC Saarbrücken TT 3:1 Dang Qiu – Patrick Franziska 3:1 (6:11 11:7 11:4 11:4) Timo Boll – Darko Jorgic 2:3 (6:11 9:11 11:4 11:8 13:15) Anton Källberg – Cedric Meissner 3:0 (11:8 11:9 11:8) Dang Qiu – Darko Jorgic 3:2 (9:11 11:0 11:8 10:12 11:4)
Clash of the Titans in the LIEBHERR TTBL Final: Düsseldorf and Saarbrücken Aim for the Championship
The Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL) is ready for the showdown: Borussia Düsseldorf and 1. FC Saarbrücken TT will face off in the LIEBHERR TTBL Final on June 30 promising another world-class duel. Fans can expect an almost sold-out Süwag Energie ARENA Frankfurt for the German Championship decider. For the fourth consecutive year Borussia Düsseldorf and 1. FC Saarbrücken TT will battle for the German Championship in the TTBL Final. This will be the fifth major final between these two teams in a row across seasons and competitions. Despite this it’s hard to pick a favorite ahead of the duel. Both teams promise top-level sport. German Olympians Timo BOLL and Dang QIU (both Düsseldorf) will be there as will WTT Grand Smash finalist Patrick FRANZISKA and Europe Top-16 winner Darko JORGIC (both Saarbrücken). Saarbrücken seems to have a slight edge before the rematch. After Borussia won the last three TTBL finals (3:1 3:2 3:1) FCS is considered a slight favorite this year. That’s what Andreas PREUSS believes: “I see Saarbrücken as stronger this season than in previous years ” says the Borussia manager pointing to JORGIC’S progress FRANZISKA’S consistency Yuto MURAMATSU’S transfer and FCS’s squad depth. “Saarbrücken has clearly been the better team this season.” A look at the regular season of the Table Tennis Bundesliga (TTBL) supports this assessment: Saarbrücken secured the top spot with a significant lead over Düsseldorf – 34:6 points compared to 26:14 – and won both home and away matches 3:2. More significantly they triumphed in the Champions League final. Saarbrücken won 3:2 against Düsseldorf on Easter Monday defending their TTCLM title. However the LIEBHERR Cup final in January went 3:0 to Düsseldorf. “I don’t think you can infer what will happen in the Liebherr TTBL Final in Frankfurt from these two finals ” says FCS team manager Nicolas BARRIOS about the recent duels between the two teams. If Saarbrücken lifts the trophy on June 30 it will be their second German Championship title after 2020. Düsseldorf has already celebrated the championship 33 times. “It’s a completely new game under completely new conditions especially since lineups are always a particular factor.” A special focus on June 30 will be on Timo BOLL. With the announcement of his retirement – internationally after the Olympics nationally after the 2024/25 season – the 43-year-old table tennis legend recently made headlines worldwide. Now he may play his last Liebherr TTBL Final. Therefore it is a “special final ” says PREUSS: “I’m starting to enjoy every appearance every game from him. Since it’s not certain we’ll reach a final again next year Frankfurt is special because it might be his last final for and with us. This of course triggers special emotions the team knows that Timo knows that and everyone will give their all.”
