National Championships of Luxembourg   Against the odds in the National Championships of Luxembourg No. 6 seed Luka MLADENOVIC won gold in the Men Singles Event. He beat three Top 5 seeds on his way to the title: No. 3 Christian KILL in the quarter-final No. 2 Eric GLOD in the semis and No. 5 Traian CIOCIU in the final. CIOCIU upset top seeded Gilles MICHELY in the semi-final clash.   Four top seeds gathered in the semi-final of Women Singles Event as No. 1 seed DE NUTTE defeated No. 3 seed GONDERINGER in the gold medal contest.   Christian KILL and Carole HARTMANN are the winners of the Mixed Doubles as they overcame Ademir BALABAN and Sarah MEYER in the final. Sarah DE NUTTE added one more gold to her account playing beside Tessy GONDERINGER in the Women Doubles Event. The best men`s doubles are composed by Eric GLOD and Christian KILL.   Women Singles Final: Sarah DE NUTTE – Tessy GONDERINGER 4:0 (11:6 13:11 11:3 11:8). Semi-finals: Sarah DE NUTTE – Danielle KONSBRUCK 4:2 (11:5 6:11 11:5 9:11 11:7 11:8) Tessy GONDERINGER – Egle TAMASAUSKAITE.   Men Singles Final: Luka MLADENOVIC – Traian CIOCIU 4:0 (12:10 13:11 11:9 11:4). Semi-finals: Luka MLADENOVIC – Eric GLOD 4:0 (11:9 11:9 12:10 11:7) Traian CIOCIU – Gilles MICHELY 4:1 (7:11 11:1 14:12 11:3 11:8).

Butterfly Irish Senior National Championships   DCU Sport will play host to the seasons showpiece event as the Butterfly Irish Senior National Championships kicks into gear this weekend with play starting on Saturday morning and running right through to a close on Sunday afternoon.   As ever the cream of Irish Table Tennis will all be in attendance aiming to take home those prestigious National titles on offer. In one of the most exciting and eagerly anticipated Nationals in years there is talent in abundance in both of the main events as the Men’s and Ladies singles are stacked with genuine title challengers.   Heading the charge on the men’s side is top seed and Ireland’s leading International player Ashley ROBINSON who will be looking to clinch the title which has eluded him to date. Hot on the Clogher mans heels are two of Ashleys close friends and long time rivals Paul McCreery and Gavin MAGUIRE. Paul the most decorated player in the Men’s draw goes into this event aiming for National title number four while Maguire goes in search of his third Nationals success as he defends the crown he won in such dramatic fashion twelve months previous.   The Men’s singles has some extra spice this time around however as the big three of ROBINSON MAGUIRE and MCCREERY must deal with an emerging batch of youngsters if they are to find themselves in a familiar three man shootout on Sunday.   Leading this challenge is Owen CATHCART Ryan FARRELL and Zak WILSON while French based Alex GILLEN will also be looking to have his say when we get to the business end of proceedings. One way or another there will without doubt be fireworks as this event hots up!    Similar to the Men’s event the Ladies Singles is a tough one to call. Leading the charge here is top ranked female player Katie and multiple winner on the Irish domestic circuit this season Katie McGlone. The UCD player like men’s top seed ROBINSON is still chasing that elusive National title so she will no doubt be chomping at the bit this weekend. Katie is in some good company at the top of the seedings. Mia O’RAHILLY EGAN who has had some big wins on the International stage of late will be a major force come Sunday. Ulster duo Rebecca FINN and Ashley GIVAN are also likely to have something to say in the latter rounds. GIVAN goes into this years event aiming for a historic 6th National title and judging by her record at this event the Queens Student will be very tough to beat.

100th Hungarian National Championships   The 100th Hungarian National Championships will be held from 4th March to 5th March in the Arena of Erd (ERD). Winners will be awarded in 5 categories Men’s Singles Women’s Singles Men’s Doubles Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles.   In absence of PATTANTYUS there is no main favorite in the men competition. Among the favorites we can mention the title holder Tamas LAKATOS   Janos JAKAB and Peter FAZEKAS already won the throphy several times they also will try to enrich their treasuary. But they will have to be careful with the youngsters like Adam SZUDI Bence MAJOROS or Nandor ECSEKI.   The highest ranked hungarian player on the ITTF World Ranking Georgina POTA won’t be at Erd due to flu. So we can say the same as in the men competition there is no clear favorite. Few names from the list who will run for the title: Dora MADARASZ and Krisztina AMBRUS are former champions but we cannot forget Szandra PERGEL and Mercedesz NAGYVARADI from the national team. For sure they will try to prove to their new national team coach Zoltan BATORFI how good they are.   TITLE HOLDERS:   Men’s Singles:  Tamas LAKATOS Women’s Singles: Georgina POTA Men’s Doubles: Bence MAJOROS Marton SZITA Women’s Doubles:  Krisztina AMBRUS Mercedesz NAGYVARADI Mixed Doubles:  Krisztian NAGY MercEdesz NAGYVARADI   Schedule:  4 March – Women’s Doubles (qualification) and Men’s Doubles (qualification) Mixed Doubles (qualification and main draw) Men’s Doubles and Singles – Qualification   5 March – Men’s Doubles and Singles (main draw) Women’s Doubles and Singles (main draw)

100th Hungarian National Championships   The 100th Hungarian National Championships will be held from 4th March to 5th March in the Arena of Erd (ERD). Winners will be awarded in 5 categories Men’s Singles Women’s Singles Men’s Doubles Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles.   In absence of PATTANTYUS there is no main favorite in the men competition. Among the favorites we can mention the title holder Tamas LAKATOS   Janos JAKAB and Peter FAZEKAS already won the throphy several times they also will try to enrich their treasuary. But they will have to be careful with the youngsters like Adam SZUDI Bence MAJOROS or Nandor ECSEKI.   The highest ranked hungarian player on the ITTF World Ranking Georgina POTA won’t be at Erd due to flu. So we can say the same as in the men competition there is no clear favorite. Few names from the list who will run for the title: Dora MADARASZ and Krisztina AMBRUS are former champions but we cannot forget Szandra PERGEL and Mercedesz NAGYVARADI from the national team. For sure they will try to prove to their new national team coach Zoltan BATORFI how good they are.   TITLE HOLDERS:   Men’s Singles:  Tamas LAKATOS Women’s Singles: Georgina POTA Men’s Doubles: Bence MAJOROS Marton SZITA Women’s Doubles:  Krisztina AMBRUS Mercedesz NAGYVARADI Mixed Doubles:  Krisztian NAGY MercEdesz NAGYVARADI   Schedule:  4 March – Women’s Doubles (qualification) and Men’s Doubles (qualification) Mixed Doubles (qualification and main draw) Men’s Doubles and Singles – Qualification   5 March – Men’s Doubles and Singles (main draw) Women’s Doubles and Singles (main draw)

The 2016/17 Greek National Championship will be held this weekend in Athens   The upcoming National Championships of Greece faces familiar questions concerning favorites for the titles. First of all will Kostas PAPAGEORGIOU continue his supremacy or new champion will be established after seven years? Quite different situation exists in the Women’s event where six different players took gold in the last six championships. Altogether guaranties exciting competitions this weekend (March 4-5th) in Athens (STIGA area at the Peace and Friendship Stadium).   PAPAGEORGIOU won all titles since 2010 but there are players able to beat him. Possible threat could be his teammates in Olympiacos Tasos RINIOTIS (runner-up last year) and John SGOUROPOULOS (only 17-years-old but a member of the national team from the last year) as well as PAPAGEORGIOU`s predecessor in the champion’s role Ioannis VLOTINOS. Big ambitions also have Kostas LAGOGIANNIS and Dimitris PAPADIMITRIOU and young players like George KONSTANTINOPOULOS Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS and George STAMATOUROS.   In the women’s singles event six different players won championships in the last six years: Katerina NTOULAKI (2011) Filareti EXARCHOU (2012) Christina FILI (2013) Maria CHRISTOFORAKI (2014) Katerina TOLIOU (2015) and Georgia ZAVITSANOU (2016). Four of them are members of the current national team (ZAVITSANOU TOLIOU CHRISTOFORAKI and EXARCHOU).   Seven times national champion Christina FILI last year’s runner-up surely has a capacity to upset favorites as well as Olga GEORGOPOULOU and Aliki KIOUFI. Some younger athletes like Konstantina PARIDI Ellie FISHER and Ioanna GERASIMATOU could be dangerous.

The 2016/17 Greek National Championship will be held this weekend in Athens   The upcoming National Championships of Greece faces familiar questions concerning favorites for the titles. First of all will Kostas PAPAGEORGIOU continue his supremacy or new champion will be established after seven years? Quite different situation exists in the Women’s event where six different players took gold in the last six championships. Altogether guaranties exciting competitions this weekend (March 4-5th) in Athens (STIGA area at the Peace and Friendship Stadium).   PAPAGEORGIOU won all titles since 2010 but there are players able to beat him. Possible threat could be his teammates in Olympiacos Tasos RINIOTIS (runner-up last year) and John SGOUROPOULOS (only 17-years-old but a member of the national team from the last year) as well as PAPAGEORGIOU`s predecessor in the champion’s role Ioannis VLOTINOS. Big ambitions also have Kostas LAGOGIANNIS and Dimitris PAPADIMITRIOU and young players like George KONSTANTINOPOULOS Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS and George STAMATOUROS.   In the women’s singles event six different players won championships in the last six years: Katerina NTOULAKI (2011) Filareti EXARCHOU (2012) Christina FILI (2013) Maria CHRISTOFORAKI (2014) Katerina TOLIOU (2015) and Georgia ZAVITSANOU (2016). Four of them are members of the current national team (ZAVITSANOU TOLIOU CHRISTOFORAKI and EXARCHOU).   Seven times national champion Christina FILI last year’s runner-up surely has a capacity to upset favorites as well as Olga GEORGOPOULOU and Aliki KIOUFI. Some younger athletes like Konstantina PARIDI Ellie FISHER and Ioanna GERASIMATOU could be dangerous.

Lithuanian Table Tennis National Championships   The 87th Lithuanian Table Tennis National Championships starts on March 3rd. For three days 32 women and 32 men will fight for champions title in Lithuania capital Vilnius.   Last year the champion titles were defended by 2015 year winners Egle STUCKYTE and Alfredas UDRA. Both players won champions titles for the third time. The championship will show if last year champions will defend their title for the fourth time.  

Lithuanian Table Tennis National Championships   The 87th Lithuanian Table Tennis National Championships starts on March 3rd. For three days 32 women and 32 men will fight for champions title in Lithuania capital Vilnius.   Last year the champion titles were defended by 2015 year winners Egle STUCKYTE and Alfredas UDRA. Both players won champions titles for the third time. The championship will show if last year champions will defend their title for the fourth time.  

Finnish Championship   Finnish Championship will take place in the city of Kuopio on Saturday and Sunday. This is the first time ever that the club Kuopion Pöytätennisseura are organising the Finnish Championshipis.   The main favourite in Men´s singles is easy to name. Benedek OLÁH is slowly but surely recovering from the toe surgery and everything but his win would be a huge suprise.   In women´s singles there are few candidates: Annika LUNDSTÖM is reigning champion and she is in good shape now too but she will face a huge challenge from Anna KIRICHENKO and Yumo LUO.   In Men´s doubles Benedek OLÁH is playing with Lauri LAANE who is a very good doubles player but not among the highest ranked players in singles. Otto TENNILÄ & Miikka O´CONNOR will put OLÁH/LAANE on severe test to say the least. Both of them have also played in Finnish Team international matches this season.   In Women´s doubles there are three good pairs and everyone of them can take the title. Annika LUNDSTRÖM & Pihla ERIKSSON are the highest seeded pair.     Winners in 2016:   MS: Benedek OLÁH WS: Annika LUNDSTRÖM MD: Benedek OLÁH/Otto TENNILÄ WD: Sofie ERIKSSON/YUMO Luo Mixed D: Lauri LAANE/Yumo LUO  

National Championships   The JKP SPED Czech national Championships will be held in Frydlant nad Ostravicí during the weekend (3rd – 5th March).   The defending singles champion Tomas KONECNY and Dana CECHOVA lead the field so the Czech national championship offers interesting duels. In a women´s competition the bronze medaillist from ETTU European Championships U21 Zdena BLASKOVA and the medaillist from Seamaster 2017 ITTF World Tour Platinum in Qatar Hana MATELOVA or the seven times Czech champion Renata STRBIKOVA will take part. Just Iveta VACENOVSKA (the national champion of the 2005 2007 2011 2012 2014) will miss the competition.   “I am really happy that the field is strong so the championship´s title will be really valuable ” the defending champion Dana CECHOVA said. “I would be satisfied with the semifinals. Afterwards it will be a tough situation. We know there will be number of opponents who would like to show their best and beat the ones on the top. I consider Hana MatelovA as the biggest favorite of the event. She plays in a good form at the moment.”   The defending champion TomAS KONECNY will face the strong field of opponents as Dmitrij PROKOPCOV Pavel SIRUCEK Tomas TREGLER or talented junior player Tomas POLANSKY will take part as well.   The championships starts on Friday with the qualification matches the main tournament is scheduled for the weekend. New Czech champions will be crowned on Sunday afternoon   Men Singles: Tomas KONECNY Doubles: Pavel SIRUCEK Tomas TREGLER Women Singles: Dana CechovA Doubles: Aneta KUCEROVA Karin ADAMKOVA Mixed doubles: Tomas POLANSKY Zdena BLASKOVA Juniors U21 Singles Men: Tomas POLANSKY Singles Women: Zdena BLASKOVA