In their respective Women’s and Men’s leagues Sports Center Gargzdai and N.Z. have been newly crowned Lithuanian champions. Sports Center Gargzdai hailing from Gargzdai claimed victory in the women’s group of the season with a hard-fought 5:4 win over Red Black from Kaunas. The third-place honor was secured by Vilnius University’s women’s team. 1st place Sports Center Gargzdai – Aukse GECEVICIUTE Andzelika PETRAUSKIENE Brilita JUREVICIUTE Kornelija SCIGLAITE. 2nd place Red Black – Karina IVANAUSKAITE Kristina TAURIENE Sabina MUSAJEVA Monika MAZUR. 3rd place Vilnius University – Medeine STANKEVICIUTE Meida SEREIKAITE Viltaute ADAMONYTE Elze DANILKEVIČIUTE. N.Z. representing Vilnius emerged as the champions of the top division in the men’s league after enduring battles against the Rytas-1 team from Vilkaviškis. A team from Brones Balaisienes in Vilnius clinched third place by defeating Naminiai Jolantos sakociai from Kaunas with a score of 5:2. 1st place N.Z. – Vilius SAMAKALJEVAS Klaidas CEPAITIS Amirreza ABBASI Ehsan SHAFREH Eligius KLARENBEEK Mohamed Javad SOHARABI. 2nd place Rytas-1 – Vytautas RYBAKAS Edvinas TAMOSIUNAS Karolis KASPARAITIS Ignas NAVICKAS. 3rd place Brones Balaisienes – Valdas MARTINKUS Ernestas MINCEVICIUS Ignas SISANOVAS Konstantin ORESKIN.
Spin 2012 Sarajevo and Mostar Reign Supreme: Undefeated Champions of Bosnia and Herzegovina
For the 11th time Stonoteniski klub Spin 2012 Sarajevo has emerged victorious securing yet another title in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Similarly in the men’s National Championships Stonoreniski klub Mostar has clinched the coveted title. Led by the skilled guidance of coach Amela MUJEZINOVIC the formidable lineup of Emina HADŽIAHMETOVIC Harisa MEŠETOVIĆ Enra SUBAŠIĆ and Ana SLADOJE remained undefeated throughout the season showcasing their dominance on the table tennis court. Meanwhile in Mostar a stellar performance led by coach Toni VRANIC propelled Lorencio LUPULESKU Luka MATKOVIĆ Dario PEJIĆ and Marko ŠIMUNOVIĆ to the championship with the team remaining unbeaten in their pursuit of glory.
TT Saint-Quentin clinched their 1st French Championship title
TT Saint-Quentin is the new national champion after a series of 14 victories in one of the toughest national team competitions in Europe. They beat strong teams such as Metz Étival Saint-Denis and Entente Saint-Pierraise. In 2017 they came 2nd at the end of the season and lost twice in the semi-finals in 2021 and 2022. This time they did not fail and players and supporters were very happy to celebrate their title in their brand new venue. This season they lost in the quarter final of the Champions Legue Women against Linz AG Froschberg at the very last game of the golden match. Away match (1st leg): Saint-Pierraise – TT St-Quentin: 1-3 Camille LUTZ (TTSQ) – Océane GUISNEL N°27 11-3 11-8 17-15 Stéphanie LOEUILLETTE N°29 – Daniela MONTEIRO-DODEAN (TTSQ):12-10 14-12 11-6 Polina MIKHAILOVA (TTSQ) – Lucie GAUTHIER N°51: 5-11 11-9 11-5 11-9 Linda BERGSTRÖM (TTSQ) – Océane GUISNEL N°27: 11-6 11-13 15-13 9-11 11-6 Home match (2nd leg) : TT St-Quentin – Saint-Pierraise: 3-0 Camille LUTZ (TTSQ) – Océane GUISNEL N°27: 11-4 11-8 12-10 Polina MIKHAILOVA (TTSQ) – Stéphanie LOEUILLETTE N°29: 8-11 11-9 11-9 12-10 Linda BERGSTRÖM (TTSQ) – Lucie GAUTHIER N°51: 11-8 9-11 5-11 11-6 11-9
European Olympic Singles Qualification Seedings Released with PICCOLIN and ROBLES topping the list
The seedings for the 2024 European Olympic Singles Qualification to be held from 15th to 19th May in Sarajevo Bosnia-Herzegovina have been published following today’s release of the latest ITTF rankings. The total number of competitors is 79 with 36 women and 43 men. Of the six continental quotas allocated to Europe five will be determined through this tournament while the sixth will be decided based on rankings as of 11th June 2024. In the women’s seedings Italy’s Giorgia PICCOLIN leads the list after a remarkable jump of 40 places in the rankings following her quarterfinal performance in Saudi Smash. She is followed by Jieni SHAO of Portugal at the second position trailed by Maria XIAO of Spain Tatiana KUKULKOVa of Slovakia Georgina POTA of Hungary Fu YU of Portugal Britt EERLAND of the Netherlands Margaryta PESOTSKA of Ukraine Ivana MALOBABIC of Croatia Barbora BALAZOVA of Slovakia Hana MATELOVA of Czechia and Izabela LUPULESKU of Serbia. In the men’s event Spain’s Alvaro ROBLES leads the pack followed by Ovidiu IONESCU of Romania Daniel HABESOHN of Austria Yang WANG of Slovakia Eduard IONESCU of Romania Milosz REDZIMSKI of Poland Martin ALLEGRO of Belgium Mihai BOBOCICA of Italy Panagiotis GIONIS of Greece Paul DRINKHALL of England Andreas LEVENKO of Austria and Lubomir PISTEJ of Slovakia. The top 12 players will be placed at the top of their respective groups. Players from the same National Olympic Committee (NOC) will be distributed across different groups. The top two finishers from each group will advance to Stage 2 where 24 players will compete. Stage 2 will feature a direct knockout draw spanning four rounds taking place on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th May in the morning. The finalists from Stage 2 will automatically secure spots at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with no final match played. Stage 3 will consist of five rounds of knockout matches. This stage will feature players who did not qualify from Stage 2. The two finalists from Stage 3 along with the winner of the match between the semi-final losers will also earn places at the Paris Olympics. Again no final match will be played. Stage 3 matches are scheduled for Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th May. Please see the System of play Entries list and Schedule here
Baltais LA and Salaspils GTK Dominate Latvian Teams Championships 2023/2024
The Latvian Teams Championships for the 2023/2024 season concluded at the Sport Hall of O.Kalpaks Riga Folk-Art Primary School on May 11th. In the Men’s Teams final Team Baltais LA emerged victorious against Salaspils GTK 1 with a score of 4:1. Team Baltais LA comprised of players Daniel LINDSÖ Daniels KOGANS Arturs SPALIS Kirils JAHONTOVS Andrejs CEMIRTANS Maksim VUHKA and Matiss BURGIS showed outstanding performance throughout the season. Salaspils GTK 1 was represented by Valdas MARTINKUS Arturs REINHOLDS Dainis REINHOLDS Aleksandrs MASKALONOKS Emils LUTINSKIS and Maris KUDA. In a tightly contested match for the bronze Team Baltais narrowly secured victory with a score of 4:3 against Team GTK Salaspils. The Baltais team led by Arturs RUDNIKOVS Aleksandrs PAHOMOVS Vitalijs GLAZUNOVS Ilmar VUHKA and Kirils TERENTJEVS demonstrated resilience. Team GTK Salaspils represented by Edvinas TAMOSIUNAS Gints EIHMANS Reinis KASPARANS and Sergejs KUCEBA fought valiantly but fell short. In the Women’s Teams final Salaspils GTK triumphed over Bauska 1 with a score of 3:0. Salaspils GTK led by Baiba BOGDANOVA Melanija BIRZNIECE and Ilva BALTUTE displayed dominance on the court. Team Bauska 1 was represented by Daniela KUCINSKA Eliza KUCINSKA and Linda LADUSE. The battle for the 3rd place was equally intense with Riga Technical University edging past Team Saldus TIKSC/Jurmala with a score of 3:2. Team Riga Technical University featuring players Liana ZELTINA Sanita SVEILE Viktorija MAJOROVA and Diana AFANASJEVA showcased strategic prowess. Team Saldus TIKSC/Jurmala was represented by Daina ROCANE Ieva VEJA Liza IVANOVA Vera ERIKSONE and Skaidrite ZAGERE.
Slovak Table Tennis Association to Host European Under 21 Championships 2025
The Slovak Table Tennis Association will be the organizer of the European Under 21 Championships 2025. The Championships will also be part of the celebration of 100 years since the establishment of organized table tennis in the Czechia and Slovakia. “ETTU is delighted to include two of its most significant 2025 youth events in the celebrations commemorating 100 years of the table tennis national associations of both Czechia and Slovakia. The Slovakia Table Tennis Association a longstanding member of ETTU is renowned for its reliability in organizing table tennis events. We are highly confident that the 2025 Under 21 European Championships will be another outstanding ETTU competition ” said ETTU Acting President Pedro MOURA. The tournament will take place at the ice stadium – TIPOS Arena. In the TIPOS Arena there will be the main hall with 8 or 9 tables and a practice hall with 12 tables. “Preparations for this important event started two years before the planned event. After the good experience from 2015 when Slovakia hosted the European Youth Championships we chose a similar model ” explained Slovakia’s TTA President Anton Hamran. The European Under 21 Championships 2024 were held in Skopje with Milosz Redzimski of Poland and Veronika Matiunina of Ukraine clinching the title.
Estonian Teams Champion is Team FORUS – Maardu LTK
The Estonian Teams Championships League – Meistriliiga – concluded in a thrilling finale at TalTech University Sports Center on May 4th. The men’s Meistriliiga for the 2023/2024 season was claimed by Team FORUS – Maardu LTK who demonstrated their dominance in the series final with a convincing 4-1 victory over Viimsi PINX. This marked Maardu LTK’s 4th title in the Meistriliiga. Representing Team FORUS – Maardu LTK throughout the season were Aleksandr SMIRNOV Aleksandr LUŠIN Artjom HIISKU Sergei DANILOV Lauri LAANE Artjom PUTŠKOV Vladislav URSU Otto TENNILÄ and Andrei BUKIN. The bronze medals went to last year’s champions TalTech Sports Club who secured third place by defeating Tartu SS Kalev 4-1 in the third-place match. In the 2023/2024 season a total of 8 teams participated in the Championships. In addition to the top 4 LTK Sakala/EHL PROFILES SPINMASTER Viimsi Table Tennis Club and Kalev/Radiaatorikeskus were also present.
Pontoise Cergy clinched their third French championship title in history
Victorious with a 3-2 win against Chartres last Monday in the fifteenth round of the Pro A championship the table tennis players of As Pontoise Cergy clinched their third French championship title in history. Defying all odds the club indeed showed a conquering spirit to overturn several compromised situations and ultimately claim the “national grail.” Topping the leaderboard from the first to the last day the team from Val-d’Oise notably dominated the championship by securing thirteen victories in the first fifteen matches before concluding the 2023/2024 season with a liberated mindset. A major architect of this achievement and leader of the Pontoise team with 21 victories under his belt Portuguese international Marcos FREITAS (world No. 15) could also rely on the valuable assistance of South Korean LIM Jonghoon (No. 25) and Algerian international Mehdi BOULOUSSA (No. 116) in this endeavor while the “medical joker” João MONTEIRO (No. 79) and Frenchman Tristan FLORE also played pivotal roles in the title quest. With this third national title in its history As Pontoise Cergy also a brilliant semi-finalist in the Europe Cup this season and a supplier of Olympic athletes for Paris 2024 (FREITAS LIM) once again demonstrated that it remains indisputably the flagship club of Val-d’Oise at the highest level.
Lisa-Sophie WANG and Robert Alexandru ISTRATE Under 15 champions in Sarajevo
The Europe Youth Series Bosnia and Herzegovina Open in Sarajevo concluded today after five days of exciting matches. The competition culminated with the Singles and Doubles ultimate stages. In the Under 15 Girls Singles Lisa-Sophie WANG of Germany defeated Katarzyna RAJKOWSKA of Poland. Also on the medal rostrum in third place were Elisa NGUYEN of Germany and Alexandra-Maria DICU of Romania. The Under 15 Girls Doubles champions are Nora DOHOCZKI and Sophie BARCSAI of Hungary. Katarzyna RAJKOWSKA and Maja LAKOMA of Poland were halted in the final. The semifinalists were Leeloo HAN VUKELJA and Elena VUKOVAC of Croatia and Lisa-Sophie WANG and Elisa NGUYEN of Germany. At the end of the Under 15 Boys Singles Event Robert Alexandru ISTRATE of Romania defeated Francesco TREVISAN of Italy. Finishing in third place were Filip RACAK of Czechia and Samuel MICHNA of Poland. The Under 15 Boys Doubles concluded with the triumph of Robert Alexandru ISTRATE and Mihai NAGY of Romania. They overcame Aleks PAKULA and Samuel MICHNA of Poland in the final. The bronze medalists were Mark GERGELY and Lenard SZABO of Hungary and Jan MRUGALA of Poland and Pavol KOKAVEC of Slovakia. In the Under 13 Boys Singles WANG Lukas of Germany beat Ondrej MORAVEK of Czechia in the final to clinch the gold. The bronze medalists were David ČAPANDA of Serbia and Alexandru POP of Romania. The Under 13 Boys Doubles champions are Alexandru POP and David TORO of Romania. They succeeded against David ČAPANDA and Branko DRAGOLJEVIC of Serbia in the final. Halted in the semifinals were Beriz BAJROVIC and Nikša MARIC of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as Nikola JURIC and Mateo TERIHAJ of Croatia. In the Under 13 Girls Singles Amelie Guzi JIA of Germany emerged as the new champion by defeating her teammate Anna WALTER. Kariss Yasmin SERBAN of Romania and Bianka BACSOVÁ of Slovakia finished in third place. The winners of the Under 13 Girls Doubles event are once again Amelie Guzi JIA and Anna WALTER of Germany. The silver medalists were Laura MARSICKOVA of Czechia and Barbora Melisa GUASSARDO of Slovakia. The bronze medalists were Karla IVČIĆ and Sara RIVETTI of Croatia and Maya Roberta MADAR and Kariss Yasmin SERBAN of Romania.
Apuania Carrara Clinches the Italian Championship for the 7th Time
Apuania Carrara has lifted the trophy of the Italian championship for the 7th time. In the final round they defeated Top Spin Messina WatchesTogether twice after two draws in the regular season. In the first leg held in Messina Tomislav PUCAR claimed victory in the first singles match conceding only the third game to Antonino AMATO. Matteo MUTTI and Andrej GACIN battled fiercely with the Croatian player prevailing in the deciding set. Mihai BOBOCICA and PUCAR defeated Niagol STOYANOV and MUTTI in straight games sealing the contest. In the second leg at Palasport of Avenza PUCAR once again secured the first point against MUTTI in straight games and BOBOCICA did the same against AMATO. In the most thrilling and closely contested encounter GACINA overcame Tommaso GIOVANNETTI and clinched the victory. “This seventh championship ” explained coach Claudio VOLPI “is as important as the first; there is no substantial difference between them. The results of these two final matches against Messina were clear but they do not reflect the difference in the value of the two teams. We cherish this victory along with the Italian Cup and the Super Cup and we will celebrate them with all those who contributed. I have always emphasized that not only the players are decisive but also the coaches managers and collaborators who work every day to help us achieve our goals. In these finals all the players contributed points. A big round of applause goes to Mihai BOBOCICA Andrej GACINA and Tomislav PUCAR as well as to Andrea PUPPO and Lubomir PISTEJ who provided valuable assistance to the team throughout the season.” First leg TOP SPIN MESSINA WATCHESTOGETHER – APUANIA CARRARA 0-4 Antonino AMATO – Tomislav PUCAR 1-3 (7-11 7-11 11-5 8-11) Matteo MUTTI – Andrej GACINA 2-3 (11-5 7-11 13-15 11-6 9-11) Niagol STOYANOV – Mihai BOBOCICA 0-3 (7-11 9-11 9-11) Matteo MUTTI – Tomislav PUCAR 0-3 (7-11 8-11 8-11) Second leg APUANIA CARRARA – TOP SPIN MESSINA WATCHESTOGETHER 3-0 Tomislav PUCAR – Matteo MUTTI 3-0 (11-4 11-8 11-7) Mihai BOBOCICA – Antonino AMATO 3-0 (11-7 11-5 14-12) Andrej GACINA – Tommaso GIOVANNETTI 3-2 (11-7 11-13 11-7 8-11 11-5)
