One of the main favorites for the title in the Table Tennis Champions League Man TTC Fakel-Gazprom is in the same group with KS Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki in the Second phase of the competition. The players started their preparations and main star Dimitrij OVTCHAROV already had some taste of the competition after the break caused by Pandemic. “The COVID-19 Pandemic changed our life and we made certain adjustments to the training process of our club. During the first two months of the Pandemic all players had to stay in quarantine each in their own country. They were mostly engaged in general physical exercises and focused on the mental strength. Those who had the opportunity and had a table train at home. The training sessions were held according to individual plans and our coach gave his recommendations over the phone or via online communication ” explained TTC Fakel-Gazprom Orenburg Vice-President head coach Victor ANDREEV. The quarantine measures have been weakened in some countries in May and all players were able to start their training sessions at the table again. “Some training tournaments were held. Dimitrij OVTCHAROV took part in three tournament series of the Düsseldorf Masters and won two of them. Denis IVONIN took 4th place in the Russian Top-16.” The number of coronavirus cases in Russia and in club’s region is becoming less and less every day. “Nevertheless we have still strict quarantine measures all people have to wear masks and gloves in public places and shopping centers and there are restrictions on international flights. The Russians can fly to only a few countries. However all our players train in full force under the control of the coaches. Although there is still uncertainty about the official competition calendar we continue to prepare hard for the upcoming matches in the European Champions League and the Russian Premier League.” The club managed to keep the main team. LIN Yun-Ju the number one of the Taiwan national team will play in our club this season. He will replace CHUANG Chih-Yuan. We hope that Lin will strengthen our team.” The new season of the Champions League will be held in a new format. ” We will play according to a new system and so far we know only one team as opponents. Polish side is a strong European club with a good line-up of players. Now we are waiting for the second opponent to be determined ” said Vice-President ANDREEV. ” Our main goals are to gain maximum of the upcoming season: first places in the European Champions League and in the Russian Premier League.”
Girbau VIC TT concerned about travel restrictions
Spain’s Girbau VIC TT will meet Moravsý Krumlov’s at the start of the European Champions League Women. Club’s activities were suspended due the COVID Pandemic but now things are getting better. “COVID 19 brought a lot of changes. Our facilities were closed from mid-March to mid-June. Athletes mainly performed physical activity at home. With limitations we have been training again since the end of June. We work in very small groups maximum six people. We keep distance between people and maintain other health safety protocols ” said President GIRBAU VIC TT Enric ROCA. President hopes the traveling restrictions will ease a little. “We heavily depend on the evolution of COVID 19. The aim is to continue training with the appropriate prevention measures and to be able to compete in the national league and the European Champions League. We are aware of the problems that COVID 19 can cause regarding travel and the different and changing situation in each country. We are concerned about the health of athletes and also the higher costs of time and economy that the situation can generate.” Girbau VIC TT continues with almost the same team as last season with Sofia-Xuan ZHANG Charlotte CAREY Gabriela FEHER Sílvia COLL and Noa MUÑOZ. Only Orsolya FEHER left the team. “The European Champions League is a very high level competition. We have respect for all teams. We will fight to try to match or improve on the performance of the last edition.
SH-ITB Budaörs Sport Club developing their own infrastructure
The president of the Budaörs Sport Club Gergely SOMLYÓ was incredibly happy to comment on their new acquisition – Georgina POTA “It is a great honour for a sports leader and also for the association that an athlete of this level has chosen us” expressed Gergely SOMLYÓ. “Beyond the honour I think it is a responsibility and an opportunity. It is our responsibility to try to maintain this ‘success-story’. The opportunity is that in addition to the results we try to achieve our main goal which is to prove that a competitive sports association that a specifically targets elite sport has the right to exist in Hungary as it is important to have a club that can represent Hungarian table tennis on international level.” In addition to the arrival of Georgina PÓTA another joyful topic was included in the press conference. It was announced that the construction of the new sports hall in Budaörs had received a ’green light’ by the ministry. “We are in the middle of the work I really would like to have the sports hall in Budaörs to be operational by the end of next year” Roland NÁTRÁN president of the Hungarian Table Tennis Association shared his hopes. “This will be the home not only of the Budaörs Sports Club but also of an international ping-pong infrastructure that can develop the Hungarian sports life the Hungarian ping-pong life by attracting many foreign players. In addition besides the amount of help it will give to the club this can also help the work of the Hungarian national team.” The president of MOATSZ (Hungarian Table Tennis Associations) added: according to their calculations the building can be financed from 400-500 million forints but the area on which it will be built has a value of billions and this area will be made available by the city of Budaörs for investment. The mayor of Budaörs who is trying to get as many people as possible to support the club and the department was also present at the press conference. “One of the goals of today’s event was to try to break through the barrier I see in many areas including NGOs and sports associations” said Tamás WITTINGHOFF. “So our goal is to involve as many sponsors as possible. I think the results that these girls are achieving and those being broadcasted on television all over the world can provide a pretty good advertising space for the supporters so I encourage them this time as well to do so.”
Welcome to WTT Macau
World Table Tennis announced that it will stage a special promotional showcase WTT Macau between 25-29 November 2020 which will offer a first glimpse into the future of the sport. WTT which is responsible for all of the global commercial and event business was set up in order to elevate the sport to exciting new heights by taking a fresh look at the way table tennis events are run. After many months of planning behind the scenes WTT is ready to put on a show in Macau and provide an opportunity for players fans and broadcasters to experience a teaser of what to expect when WTT launches its first annual calendar of events in 2021. WTT Macau boasts a thrilling original playing format and will showcase many of the sport’s biggest stars in brand-new WTT surrounds. It’s a moment that is certain to catch the eye and leave a special legacy for the sport. “WTT Macau is our opportunity to show the world just what an incredible transformation our sport will be going through in the World Table Tennis era and to demonstrate how we are elevating table tennis into one of the greatest sporting properties on the planet. This has always been my dream ever since my playing days and now is our chance to start making this dream a reality ” – said LIU Guoliang WTT Council Chair “WTT Macau will be a table tennis show like no other before it. We know just how excited our star players are to be starting this journey with us and we are looking forward to entertaining our millions of fans around the world who have heard so much about WTT. After months of waiting to see what this is all about the time has come to raise the curtain for our first ever exhibition of World Table Tennis ” added Steve DAINTON WTT Director & ITTF CEO It’s a blockbuster line-up for WTT Macau with 16 of the world’s best male and 16 of the world’s best female players invited to set the stage alight. Just like stars in the night sky our athletes will be coming from all corners of the globe and gathering in Macau to entertain sports fans the world over. Players will be announced in the coming weeks. The Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion will be the setting for WTT Macau. Located at the centre of the Macau peninsula it is the region’s go-to venue for indoor sports and will be where so many of table tennis’ top international stars will gather and battle it out for WTT honours.
European Team Championships Stage 1 Postponed
A GROUPS and B GROUPS The ETTU Executive Board at its meeting has agreed to postpone all Stage 1 A group matches scheduled for October and November 2020 and the B group round-robin matches scheduled for October 2020. This decision has been taken due to the governmental travel restrictions existing within Europe the uncertainty surrounding the impact of Covid-19 in the coming weeks and the desire to maintain the integrity of the existing draw and competition format. After the 16th September ETTU Congress the newly elected Executive Board will determine how to proceed with Stages 1 and 2 leading to the final stage at Cluj-Napoca ROU in September 2021.
Breaking the ice for European table tennis
Equally invested in the belief that international activities in table tennis must re-start two top national associations in Europe are now joining forces to break the ice on international cooperation and competitions in 2020 until now very much halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Romanian Table Tennis Federation and the Swedish Table Tennis Association have finalized discussions on signing a unique multifaceted high performance partnership. The first scheduled event is coming up already in late September when the Romanian junior national team will compete in the newly started Sweden Tour in Helsingborg. The two countries will also face off in a challenge match involving all four categories – girls and boys cadet and junior teams. Additional events during the fall period are planned to take place both in Romania and Sweden. This unique collaboration between the two top federations traditional European strongholds for talent and youth development features joint training sessions held in both countries and full participation by the Romanian youth national team in up to three. Sweden Tour tournaments offering men’s and women’s singles combined with the U21 U18 and the U15 categories. “We are looking forward to welcome some of the best young players in Europe to Sweden and our new Sweden Tour concept. Our ambition has all along been to gradually strengthen our competition model by attracting international guests – especially in the youth categories. It will be a tough but very interesting challenge to take on the Romanian team for our young talents and their coaches ” said STTA High Performance Director Mikael ANDERSSON. Discussions are also swirling around a possible joint preparation camp prior to the 2021 ITTF European Team Championships in Cluj Romania involving both the men’s and women’s team. Top priority moving forward is also to start quality projects connected to coaches education. Another important area on the priority list is to teach the coming generation of Swedish and Romanian top youngsters to pay more attention to the PR and media work in general. “This project also came up as an idea of how to go big with a PR and marketing strategy beyond borders an idea which is focused on youngsters. The project aims to build and educate new generations in a competitive and motivational environment according to all the changes that happen at the moment worldwide. We will make full use of this occasion so that our young sportsmen become famous and appreciated” explained Romanian Table Tennis Federation PR and Marketing Manager Beatrice ROMANESCU. Both camps from top officials down to responsible coaches are expressing a great deal of optimism and strong belief in the new international partnership – unique in style and with the clear overhanging goal to develop young players and coaching methods. “Absolutely great news not only for our two associations but also for the whole table tennis family in Europe and around the world. I had the opportunity to visit Cluj Romania for the European Youth Championships in 2018 and the wholehearted drive and interest for sports in the region was very impressive. We started the discussions there and are now in agreement to get going in a time when initiatives like this is more important than ever before. If we can lead the way and get table tennis on the international sports schedule again we have done a good thing that may inspire others ” said Swedish Table Tennis Association President Petra SÖRLING. “I am happy and proud that two countries with great performance join forces and build a project so important for our future generations. Our goal is to lay the groundwork for future generations and to raise the awareness in terms of competitiveness and motivation. We aim for our youngsters to enhance their exchange of experience the coaches expertise to improve and to adapt in order to implement the latest training methods. I hope that this is just the beginning for future collaborations and I truly believe that is not only for our two national federations but for the whole European table tennis family” commented Romanian Table Tennis Federation President Cristinel ROMANESCU Full Sweden Tour schedule 2020 14-16 August Sweden Tour Opening Weekend Köping 28-30 August Sweden Tour Halmstad Masters Halmstad 25-27 September Sweden Tour Rekordspelen Helsingborg 30/10-1/11 Sweden Tour Ängbys Internationella Stockholm 27-29 November Sweden Tour Flymanpokalen Karlskrona 18-20 December Sweden Tour & Ligacupen Finals Eslöv Romanian Top Level Training Camps 2020 12-17 October Romania Izvorani 4-9 December Romania location TBD
Georgina POTA planning to stay in Budaörs for many years
The past days were quite busy for Georgina PÓTA: on Monday she trained for the first time since her baby girl was born and on Tuesday she was introduced to her new team SH-ITB Budaörs Sport Club. The most successful Hungarian table tennis player of recent years gave birth to her first child on 1st of June. She also took Regina to her first postpartum workout and she did not bother the game at all. “Luckily she slept through the workout” said Georgina PÓTA with relief. “I had help her pram was pushed in the room but she is a good baby anyway. I do not feel the game that much yet but I missed months being out of the court and not attending trainings so it is natural. There will be no problem with my hands the way I move promises to be more difficult but I think after ten-fifteen workouts that will also be much better. During our conversations in February I told Budaörs that I would like to play matches starting from November. In the meantime the dates of the matches have come out I saw that we will have home matches in September and October as well. Me playing in September is out of the question I do not think it would make any sense. We will see what will happen in October. First I must get back in my shape again and it is also a question of who will be able to take care of Regina so it is a matter of organization as well.” POTA will be surrounded by familiar faces in Budaörs she has played in the same team with Petra LOVAS before. “We have been playing together in Berlin for three years and we are really excited to be able to play in the same team again” the old-new teammate shared her feelings. “She also accompanied me during my pregnancy and my life with a toddler and I accompanied her during her pregnancy so we could help each other. She asked me when the movements would come back I told her to be patient because that is the most important thing now.” At Tuesday’s press conference of the Budaörs SC’ table tennis department the ’protagonist’ spoke about the circumstances how Georgina POTA decided to continue her cooperation with Budaörs. “I am very happy to be able to return home after more than ten years” started Georgina PÓTA. “I have been negotiating many times with the team in recent years so I formulated the thought of being back home for a couple of years now. I am glad to be able to play in Budaörs-jersey because it is a professional club in which I can imagine my future. I really want it to be not just a one-year but a collaboration for many years.” There was also some talk about the goals set for the new season:“With the team we want to win the Hungarian championship and get as far as possible on the international field. In terms of individual goals I would like to participate at the Olympics which I hope will be held. We will obviously talk about this with the head coach of the national team Zoltán BÁTORFI but my goal is to get back to my previous form as soon as possible.”
Zagreb Open scheduled for Early October
Zagreb Open will be held this year. Office of Croatian Table Tennis Association have decided to continue the tradition of this popular tournament which was originally scheduled to be played in April (ITTF Challenge category). The Zagreb Open will be played in early October but somewhat shorter and in a modified form than we are used to. The focus will be on domestic players but the arrival of foreign players is also expected. Director Renato ČENGIĆ is currently in negotiations with a major European star who according to current information would be happy to attend the tournament. “There is also a great interest of foreign players but we will talk about the exact numbers later. All in due time because it is a specific situation” said ČENGIĆ. The Zagreb Open should be played on October 1st and 2nd 2020 at the Dom sportova (Trg Krešimira Ćosića 11 10000 Zagreb). Qualifiers should be on October 1 (Thursday) and the main draw on October 2 (Friday). Eight holders will be placed directly in the main draw while the rest will have to qualify in groups with 3 or 4 players each. The registration fee is 50 euros per player and you can register now until September 21 by e-mail hsts.prijave@gmail.com. Only individual event will take place and the best in men’s and women’s competition will win 1200 euros. The second place winners will receive 600 euros each and the third place winners 300 euros each. Also the U-21 tournament (M / F) will be played the winners will receive 500 euros each and the runners-up 250 euros each. The tournament will take place under strict medical supervision and in accordance with the COVID-19 protocol and all conditions for a completely safe tournament will be at the highest possible level.
Trinko KEEN will join De Boer Taverzo in Europe
Netherland’s De Boer Taverzo will meet Spain’s Leka Enea TDM in the opening round of the Table Tennis Champions League Men after the long break caused by COVID 19 Pandemic. “The club has been closed in between March and July 1st. Before the club was re-opened luckily the top players could start a little earlier at National Training Centers. Although those has been closed for a while as well. This ment some of the players saw their family a lot more than they were used too and also had to pick up running or biking to stay fit ” explained Manager Ruud van GRAAFEILAND. The training started on a first day allowed by the City and Government at July 1st with all needed protocols for all members. “Primarly there are a lot of basic rules with Hygiene and Social Distancing. This means the number of people inside of the club is limited and during matches the spectators are not allowed to scream or cheer.” What is your plan for near future? “The quarantine rules associated with travel will be the most challenging. As more and more localized measures are taken it can be difficult to travel. So far all our players are free to travel between home national training center(s) and our club. But for now like a lot of people we try to find the answers for International Sport Events.” Which players will play in Europe this season? “Laurens TROMER and ZHOU Xijun left and we decided not to contract players outside Europe for this season. It is complicated enough. Yannick VOSTES and Dorian NICOLLE stayed and Gabrielius CAMARA will get his chances in Europe this year. Alex NAUMI of Finland and the young Belgium’s Tom CLOSSET are new members of our club.Last but not least we are happy that Trinko KEEN will join us in Europe.” What is your comment of the draw “It is hard to say something about the draw because it will be hard to predict how the teams will look like. Taking a look at travel we would have preferred to play Sokah Hoboken. At this moment the travel restrictions to and from Spain are a big question mark for us.” Goals for 2020/21? “First of all I hope the world health situation will get back to normal. At the national level we would like to become champion. We lost the final in 2019 and were no. 1 in the League in 2020 when the league was stopped. It will be challenging with some new teams and players but for sure we will be one of the favorites. In Europe we aim for a good first round and reach the Group Phase of the Champions League.” Trinko KEEN and Yannick VOSTES both will add a lot of experience to our team. Trinko did play his last match in Europe for our team in the Quarter Final of the ETTU Cup in 2014/2015. “Growing older and having a professional career outside of the table tennis sport I picked up playing with my friends last two years. I have noticed that my game is still quit competitive but I need something to aim for. Playing in the Champions League and possibly compete for the National Championship singles one last time does give me the drive to prepare. I know I am not within top 20 of the world anymore but let’s call it my last dance in table tennis.” KEEN.
Antonina KHASANBAEVA: We have to adapt to current conditions
Starting from the end of May Russia’s regional Ministry of Sport allowed top athletes to start practicing (in accordance with public health and social measures for COVID-19). Therefore the best players including members of TTC Kazan had an opportunity to practice in sport center. They maintained their shape by working out in the open air as well. From July 8 Russian Ministry of Sport issued an Order in which it recommended to resume All-Russian and interregional sport competitions in the regions (following all the public health and social measures for COVID-19 as well). “From August we completely renewed all the trainings including younger groups. We started last month with organizing the training camp for the main players of our region and members of TTC Kazan on the seaside for two weeks in Anapa. Moreover we are planning to arrange another training camp in September in order to prepare for the 2020-Russian Cup which is going to take place in Sochi ” announced TTC Kazan Manager Natalia ARGAKOVA. In addition to the 2020-Russian Cup in the upcoming season TTC Kazan are planning to take part in Continental Championship of The Table Tennis Federation of Russia and The European Champions League. “Unfortunately our foreign player SUN Chen of China couldn’t participate at the end of the season 2019/2020 due to the fact that the boarders between two countries were closed but we hope that she will join us this season after both governments relax restrictions on travel. Meanwhile she is practicing in China.” In the first round of the Women’s Champions League Russia’s club will meet Austria’s TTC “CarinthiaWinds” Villach. “We are honored to take part in The European Champions League and now preparing for the home game which is planned to take place in Kazan on October 10th 2020. We hope that both sides will be able to go abroad to participate in competition. Thus we do our best to keep players in shape. At the same time we keep all the social measures for COVID-19. First of all only players coaches and working stuff can enter the sport center. Secondly every person is required to wear the mask and disinfect their hands before entering. Thirdly every person is taken temperature right at the entrance.” No.1 player of TTC Kazan Antonina KHASANBAEVA (Savelyeva) said: “In these challenging circumstances I believe that our task as athletes is to quickly adapt to current conditions and reach high-quality level of training building on the past experience of overcoming difficulties. It is particularly important to take care of yourself same as to support each other in this tough time.”
