French Vaillante Sports Angers TT won both legs of the Men’s ETTU Cup final. In march in Austria they beat SPG Walter Wels by 3:1 and they repeated the score line tonight at home soil. Same as three weeks ago it was only Mihai BOBOCICA who managed to score for the French club. He beat European champion Emanuel LEBESSON in both leg’s matches. Tonight Jon PERSSON won both his mathes against WANG and BOBOCICA whilst LUNDQVIST added a point after the match against PETO. In other semi final tomorrow UMMC will host Stella Sport La Romagne Vaillante Sports Angers TT – SPG Walter Wels 3:1 PERSSON – WANG 3:2 (9:11 11:9 11:5 10:12 11:7) LEBESSON – BOBOCICA 0:3 (8:11 6:11 8:11) LUNDQVIST – PETO 3:1 (13:11 13:11 9:11 14:12) PERSSON – BOBOCICA 3:0 (11:9 11:9 11:6)
President KRAMER attended World MiniPingPong Festival in Ostrava
World Table Tennis Day The World MiniPingPong Festival which is taking place in Ostrava Triple Hall Karolina has been haled on the 6th of April which is world widely celebrated as the World Table Tennis Day. The legends of Czech table tennis players Milan ORLOWSKI and Jindrich PANSKÝ performed the exhibition match with numerous of their original tricks and made the audience of 200 invited guests laughing and enjoying the show. Both the ambassadors of the event Petr KORBEL and Sydney 2000 Paralympic champion Ivan KARABEC joined the table tennis exhibition as well and played in front of the filled stands in Triple Hall. ETTU President Ronald KRAMER participated in the opening ceremony and praised the Czech Association of Table Tennis for organizing this unique event. „It is one of the most innovative event I’ve ever seen. The festival is a really great opportunity how to celebrate the World Table Tennis Day. It is also excellent presentation of table tennis and showing the people how to play it in a different way ” said KRAMER. The festival will continue till 8th of April with a big tournament which anyone can join – professional players amateurs and fans. The main event starts on Friday April 7th with more than 200 players taking part.
WEIKERT unveiled his vision for the sport and the ITTF
ITTF Elections On the occasion of World Table Tennis Day Thomas WEIKERT President of the International Table Tennis Federation [ITTF] unveiled his vision for the sport and the ITTF as part of his campaign to be re-elected President of the world governing body. Weikert’s campaign Manifesto entitled ‘Delivering Value and Growth for Global Table Tennis’ sets out seven key pillars that express a series of proposals to expand the sport further and ensure that Table Tennis and the ITTF reach even greater heights. Launching his election Manifesto today Thomas Weikert said: “This Manifesto sets out my blueprint for the future development of the ITTF and global Table Tennis. I believe it builds on the achievements that have been accomplished in my first term in office as ITTF President and I am convinced that by working with this vision – in true partnership with Continental and National Associations – our sport will enter an exciting new phase of global growth that sees the creation of more Table Tennis players and fans.” ETTU President Ronald KRAMER is positive in his reaction: ‘After Jean-Michel Saive published his cleverly drafted and well presented 11-point plan in January I am impressed by Thomas Weikert’s comprehensive and well thought manifesto.’ One point President KRAMER wants to stress: ‘Everyone knows how necessary it is that the working relations between ITTF and the continental federations are taken more and more seriously in the near future. This part should be strengthened. The continental federations should be an integral part of ITTF’s decision making process. Having said this I must add that the Strategic Investment Agreement that was just signed with the Oceania Table Tennis Federation is a step forward and gives me good hope for Europe and the other continents as well.’ The seven key pillars in ‘Delivering Value and Growth for Global Table Tennis’ are: 1 Fuelling the development of Table Tennis and empowering National Associations 2 Setting the highest standards of governance integrity and transparency 3 Ensuring stability continuity and positive Olympic/IOC relations 4 Maximising commercial and marketing opportunities 5 Enhancing the presentation of our sport 6 Engaging our audiences digitally and attracting younger fans 7 Developing Para Table Tennis WEIKERT added: “It has been my great honour and privilege to serve Table Tennis as ITTF President since 2014. I am confident that the proposals now presented in my Manifesto will bring great benefits to all Table Tennis members which will help our sport expand with more young people becoming athletes more people watching and consuming our sport and greater revenues flowing into the game. I am proud of the results that my team and I have achieved since I took office – including helping to make Table Tennis the first truly global sport with every country in the world now represented by a National Association. On the back of these achievements I believe I am the right person to help guide Table Tennis and the ITTF into an even greater era that maximises commercial and marketing opportunities harnesses the latest innovations and digital technologies leads the way in terms of youth-focused sports presentation and sets the benchmark for sports good governance integrity and transparency. WEIKERT spoke further about the strategy. “Following a successful Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games for Table Tennis and the ITTF I am excited about the future potential of the sport. I want to work closely with leading Table Tennis countries so collectively we can support the high-performance development of the sport in emerging nations – helping to ensure that more athletes from more National Associations compete for the top trophies and our events create more drama and global interest. Table Tennis Olympic status is also vitally important to me. Building on the successful reclassification of our sport to Olympic Group C I am working to secure up to three extra events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – enabling Table Tennis and the ITTF to further strengthen its Olympic standing. This is a Manifesto for everyone in Table Tennis and by working in a spirit of true collaboration with Continental and National Associations I know we can unlock our great potential and secure an even brighter future for global Table Tennis. If I have the honour of continuing as President I will invest all my energies to making this happen and taking our sport to the next level of international development and success.” WEIKERT unveiled his campaign Manifesto and celebrated World Table Tennis Day at his local league Table Tennis club TTC 1947 Elz near Limburg where he is still a regular player and also in Frankfurt. Thomas WEIKERT’S ITTF Presidential campaign was recently boosted by receiving an endorsement from the German Table Tennis Federation [DTTB] and the German National Olympic Committee [DOSB]. In the coming days Weikert will also launch his full campaign website and publish his election Manifesto in four additional languages: French Spanish Arabic and Chinese.
Happy World Table Tennis Day
Turkey – Adana Paris Slovenia Montenegro Spain The Belarusian public association Federation of table tennis together with the Republican Center for the Olympic Training in Table Tennis hosted the event dedicated to World Table Tennis Day. The event was held at the Republican Center for the Olympic table tennis Training during the break between the matches of the team’s championship of the Republic of Belarus the major league. The event was attended by: leading players and coaches of Belarus young tennis players table tennis fans. Despite the weekday a large number of people as well as the media came. There was also a friendly match between Veronika PAVLOVICH (Senior Coach of the Reserve of the National Team of the Republic of Belarus Honored Master of Sports of the Republic of Belarus) and Shanyukevich Victor ABRAMOVICH (Deputy Chairman of the Belarusian Public Association “Federation of Table Tennis” Associate Professor of BNTU Master of Sports of the USSR) ABRAMOVICH won 5:3. There has been the event on a historical bridge in Adana. Stone Bridge remains from Roman Empire. Table tennis is such a sport no age no gender no economical reasons is a barrier
Top seed Orenburg cruises into TTCLM final
Returning semi-final match: Fakel Gazprom Orenburg – Saarbrucken 3:0 (1st leg 3:1) Top seed and triple TTCLM winner Fakel Gazprom Orenburg booked its place in the 2016/17 final as they beat again 2012 FC Saarbrucken 3:0 (1st leg 3:1). It will be the sixth final for Russian club in the last seven seasons while German side played its first semi-final after 2011/12 season. In the opening clash Dimitrij OVTCHAROV took revenge on Tiago APOLONIA for the defeat in the first clash in Saarbrucken. German star won in straight games like Portugal`s player did four weeks ago. Spectators fully enjoyed in the second encounter between triple individual European champion Vladimir SAMSONOV and two times ECH runner-up Patrick BAUM. Host won first two sets but German refused to give up leveling the score 2:2. In the third set guest came from 5:8 to 11:8 while he concluded fourth game by five points in a row (6:6 6:11). Decisive set was the fastest one as SAMSONOV took nine consecutive points. Saarbrucken`s Patrick FRANZISKA wasn’t able to play against Orenburg`s Jun MIZUTANI thus third match wasn’t played. TTCLM semi-final returning leg TTC Fakel Gazprom Orenburg – FC Saarbrucken 3:0 (1st leg 3:1) Dimitrij OVTCHAROV – Tiago APOLONIA 3:0 (11:5 11:5 11:8) Vladimir SAMSONOV – Patrick BAUM 3:2 (11:9 11:5 9:11 8:11 11:3) Jun MIZUTANI – Patrick FRANZISKA 3:0 (w.o.)
Get Ready for Tomorrow’s World Table Tennis Day!
The third edition of the World Table Tennis Day hosted by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) will be held Thursday 6 April 2017. The World Table Tennis Day is a celebration of the joy to play Table Tennis for fun bringing people together where the focus is less on the competition and more on participation and the element of fun. Every year on April 6 table tennis fans around the world will show that Table Tennis is a sport for all and for everyone everywhere. On the eve of World Table Tennis Day ITTF President Thomas WEIKERT shared “The idea behind this day is to gather Table Tennis enthusiasts attract people who usually don’t play table tennis promote the love for our sport and ideally engage new players to the practice in the long term. I can’t wait for the entire world to play table tennis on 6 April.” Together with the National Associations and many table tennis fans around the world there are currently 378 different events in 85 countries across all continents which aims to have over 60.000 participants on 6 April to celebrate World Table Tennis Day. Activities range from a table tennis for peace event in Afghanistan and an attempt to break the world record for ‘around-the-world’ table tennis (currently 139) in Katwijk aan Zee Netherlands. The reason behind World Table Tennis Day being on 6 April is because that day was established by the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. On the launch of the 2017 edition of World Table Tennis Day ITTF Development Director Leandro OLVECH stated “We are very excited about how quickly World Table Tennis Day is growing into the biggest day of the year for table tennis. We invite everyone to arrange an event big or small the most important thing is to celebrate and share the passion for table tennis having fun and bringing people together.” So stop what you are doing on 6 April and play some table tennis anywhere anytime! Remember the key points on World Table Tennis Day is: Universal Popular and Inclusive No matter if small or big event do something! No matter if 6 April before or after do something! For more information on World Table Tennis Day to register your event and more information about the events going on around the globe please visit TT4ALL.com.
ECLW finalists to be decided in Germany and Poland
Returning semi-final legs will be held this Friday April 7th: TT Berlin Eastside – Linz AG Froschberg KTS Siarka ZOT Tarnobrzeg – Szekszard AC European Champions League Women finalists will be decided this Friday when both returning semi-final games will be held in Poland and Germany: KTS Siarka ZOT Tarnobrzeg – Szekszard AC (17:30 first leg 3:1) and TT Berlin Eastside – Linz AG Froschberg (18:30 first leg 3:2). Both first matches were tense and close and each side could win. Polish champion beat away Hungarian Szekszard 3:1 but Tarnobrzeg`s coach Zbigniew NECEK knows that job is not done yet. “It was an amazing showdown in Hungary. Great match for both teams but we luckily won. Honestly first match could ended by 1: 3 in their favor so the rematch will be played on a knife-edge” pointed out NECEK. Coach of Hungarian side Gyorgy SZILY believes that his team still has real chances to reach the semis: “Players and coaches feel very optimistic about rematch with Tarnobrzeg this Friday. Our team lost in huge drama match back in Szekszard. We had our chances but could not use them. After first two matches it could have gone either way so we believe that it’s possible to come back this week. Of course Tarnobrzeg team is very experienced so we need all the help we can get in order to advance. Players are ready and will give all they got for chance to reach final.” Reigning ECLW champion and triple winner Berlin overcame double champion Linz 3:2 playing first semi-final leg four weeks ago. President of Austrian club Gunther RENNER emphasized that his team “will use every chance to reach the final stage”. SHAN Xiaona became Berlin`s hero in the first duel beating both Sofia POLCANOVA and LIU Jia but coach Irina PALINA explains that each success is always matter of real team work: “It’s difficult to say something special. The final is open for both teams. To rich it we have to win match and everybody have to be in a good form. I hope all the girls have recovered from injuries and will fight for every ball”. 2016/17 ECLW semi-final returning leg KTS Siarka ZOT Tarnobrzeg – Szekszard AC (April 7th 17:30 1st leg 3:1) TTC Berlin Eastside – Linz AG Froschberg (April 7th 18:30 1st leg 3:2)
Ioannina City celebrates International Day of Sport
Action – Reaction Thesis – Antithesis Reason – Argument and finally Dialog The 6th of April is the day established by the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace. The Greek Table Tennis Club “Table Tennis Friends of Ioannina City” produced a short film to celebrate this day focusing in the idea of the connection of modern and ancient time. Ioannina is the Capital of Epirus in Northwest Greece a highlands city built around the lake Pambotis or Ioannina lake. The film begins in ancient Theatre of Dodoni in Epirus which is located about 22km from Ioannina. Dodoni was a sacred place from the prehistoric period. From the 19th to 14th centuries B.C. was the place of cult of Zeus the Father of ancient Greeks Gods who domiciled in Olympus Mountain. Similar like Ancient Olympic Games were held in Olympia from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. In Dodoni ancient site there is one of the few ancient stadiums in the world with stone seats. Table Tennis athletes playing in the center of ancient Dodoni theatre inspired from the sacred place. Flying around the world the film landed in other young athletes continuing to play in their loved city of Ioannina beside the lake making circles around the table. This is the circle of life the circle of Time and the human desire for action and reaction for Peace and Development. It is also a way to express their feelings having always in mind the sport of their heart Table Tennis.
Borussia will not underestimate reigning TTCLM champion
“We have to be awake from the first point” stressed Borussia`s coach Danny HEISTER about returning semi-final clash against Pontoise (Friday 19:00). Pontoise`s president Louise ADAM: “We believe in our chances”! Borussia Dusseldorf has a big advantage (3:0) after first TTCLM semi-final leg against reigning champion AS Pontoise Cergy but manager Andreas PREUSS and coach Danny HEISTER try to motivate their players for one more tough battle. They stand with both legs on the ground being aware that French side is capable to beat each team in straight games. “The door to the final is open but it will be hard work to go through. Pontoise has a great team and the first match was very close. Our team is ready for another big game!” explained Andreas PREUSS manager of ten times TTCLM winner. Coach HEISTER added: ”Like Andreas said in Pontoise where three close games but where on a good shape. We will do our best on Friday but we will not underestimate them because everything is possible and we know that. We have to be awake from the first point but in our hall we’re difficult to beat!” Four weeks ago Stefan FEGERL did a big job for his team by beating the best Pontoise`s player Marcos FREITAS in the opening game. In the next two encounters Timo BOLL and former Pontoise`s member Kristian KARLSSON defeated Tristan FLORE and Mattias KARLSSON respectively. Pontoise`s president Louise ADAM believes that his side still has its chances: Many people think that our chance to straighten the score is minimal. But although it will be difficult we believe in our chances. We have in the past returned this kind of situation. Why not this time again! TTCLM semi-final leg no. 2 TTC FAKEL GAZPROM ORENBURG – FC SAARBRUCKEN TISCHTENNIS (April 6th 14:00 CET 1st leg 3:1) BORUSSIA DUSSELDORF – AS PONTOISE CERGY (April 7th 19:00 CET 1st leg 3:0)
Orenburg wants to please its fans Saarbrucken faces mission impossible
“Miracles happen sometimes” stated Sarbrucken`s coach Slobodan GRUJIC whose club was beaten by Orenburg 3:1 in the 1st semi-final leg of the TTCLM. SALABAEV: “We have a serious advantage” This Thursday April 6th top seeded Fakel Gazproma Orenburg will host Saarbrucken in the returning semi-final clash of the 2016/17 Table Tennis Champions League Men. Russian side won the first game 3:1 thanks to Japanese Jun MIZUTANI who brought two points beating both Bojan TOKIC and Tiago APOLONIA. “We have a serious advantage before the return match but the spirit of our players does not become less fighting. Our team wants to please its fans with a beautiful and exciting game” stressed Orenburg`s coach Valery SALABAEV. Saarbrucken plays good season so far reaching one final (German Cup) and two semi-finals. Beside TTCLM they will also play this month semis of Bundesliga against Borussia Dusseldorf. Coach Slobodan GRUJIC is aware how big task awaits his side in Russia: “We face almost mission impossible. People have written us of already but we are going to fight. We believe that we still have a chance to reach the final so we`ll fight for every single point. Miracles happen sometimes. If that doesn’t happen we will not be disappointed because we already did so much this season. Our players and management of the club deserve big respect for their job so far”. In the other semi-final clash Borussia Dusseldrof hosts reigning TTCLM champion AS Pontoise Cergy. German side won the first leg 3:0.
