The excitement is mounting as the 2023 STUPA European Table Tennis Championships is about to commence in Malmö from September 10th to 17th. This premier table tennis event promises an exhilarating week of intense battles not just for European glory but also for the opportunity for the teams to secure a place in the World Championships and the Olympic Games. The European Table Tennis Union has ensured that fans from 22 different countries will have access to live broadcasts throughout the eight days of this highly competitive Championships. Additionally discussions for news access deals are in progress further establishing this tournament as a highlight on the table tennis calendar. Table tennis enthusiasts can catch all the action from 2023 STUPA European Table Tennis Championships thanks to comprehensive broadcasting arrangements. Whether you’re in Portugal Slovenia France Türkiye or any other part of the world you won’t miss a moment as the matches will be streamed on the official platform of the European Table Tennis Union ETTU TV. In the United Kingdom fans can enjoy a unique viewing experience. While TTE.TV serves as the primary broadcaster for the event ETTU.tv will step in to cover matches that are not featured on the former ensuring that UK viewers can savor every thrilling moment of this prestigious competition. The competition is set to begin tomorrow with the Group stages. Anticipate high-intensity battles exceptional rallies and heart-pounding moments as nations compete for supremacy on the table tennis court. Key teams to watch out for include defending champions Germany in both events who will be looking to secure their title once again. However they face stiff competition from teams like Sweden Portugal and Romania’s women as vice champions from Cluj two years ago all of whom boast remarkable players on their rosters. The final matches of 2023 STUPA European Table Tennis Championships are scheduled for next Sunday promising a climax that will keep fans on the edge of their seats. Will there be new champions or will the reigning ones defend their titles? With each day of the competition the answers become clearer. DYN Germany Austria Switzerland Sportpass Austria SVT Sweden L’Equipe France SportTV Portugal United Media Slovenia North Macedonia Croatia Serbia Montenegro Kosovo Bosnia-Herzegovina Antena Play Romania M4 Sport Hungary Xsports Ukraine TokyoTV Japan TTE.TV England Scotland Northern Ireland Wales TRT Türkiye

Led by the ten-time European champion Timo BOLL Germany’s men’s team enters the the 41st Team STUPA European Championships in Malmö (September 10th to 17th) with the goal of securing medals once again. Supported by Team World Championship runners-up Benedikt DUDA Ricardo WALTHER and Kay STUMPER as well as the European Championship debutant Cedric MEISSNER the team is eager to claim medals in Malmö. Starting with hosts Sweden and France and with strong competitors like European Games fourth-placed Portugal the competition in Sweden is fierce as they hunt down the defending champions who clinched gold in 2021 without freshly crowned Olympic silver medalists BOLL OVTCHAROV and FRANZISKA. Men’s national team coach Jörg ROSSKOPF has decided not to include European singles champion QIU Dang (Düsseldorf) Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (Neu-Ulm) and 2021 Europe Top-16 winner Patrick FRANZISKA (Saarbrücken) in the lineup as they seek a medal. In the Olympic season leading up to Paris 2024 the current top German trio will undergo an intensive training phase as commitments to international tournaments and their home clubs leave little room for extended preparation. As a result the men’s coaching staff will divide their roles this time: ROSSKOPF will accompany the German trio during the training phase in Düsseldorf. The responsibility during the European Championships in Malmö falls to Lars HIELSCHER the head coach in Düsseldorf. The German team has demonstrated its strength even without a full roster winning the European Championships in 2021 and the silver medal at the World Championships in Chengdu in 2022 without OVTCHAROV BOLL and FRANZISKA following the Tokyo Olympics. This time BOLL DUDA and WALTHER along with the young talents MEISSNER and STUMPER aim to prove the strength of German men’s table tennis in Malmö. Germany’s men will compete in the preliminary round against Poland and Finland. The defending champions face formidable opponents in host Sweden who recently contested the final against Germany in the European Games in Krakow. Additionally European Games semi-finalists France and Portugal pose a threat. Croatia Slovenia England and Belgium are seeded in positions five to eight. Timo BOLL Record-European Champion: On his return to the team after a long injury break: “My form is definitely on the rise. After the long break I still lack some instinct but physically I’m in a state that no longer worries me.”  On the importance of the European Championships for his return to form: “The match practice at the European Championships will help me get back to my desired form faster. As a player I need competitions to be in top shape.” On the team’s chances: “If everyone in the team plays at their limit we can challenge anyone but only then. The level in Europe has become closer; Sweden and France have made enormous progress. Portugal is a dark horse for me but surely four to six other teams can also be at the top. However we’re aiming for gold.” Benedikt DUDA: On the challenge of being one of the team’s leaders at the European Championships: “It is of course a challenge to be one of the team leaders at the European Championships. I’m happy if I can help carry the team. But in a team all players are equally important. As an individual player you can’t win; you need the whole team. We’re in good shape as a team.” On the team’s chances and parallels with the Team World Championships 2022 and Team European Championships 2021: “I see a great chance that we’ll go far as a team. People shouldn’t underestimate us. Just because three players aren’t there doesn’t mean Germany is significantly weakened. In 2021 and 2022 we showed that Germany can win titles and medals with a completely different lineup. Winning a European Championship is never a given. We’ll focus on Finland and Poland in the group stage to become group winners. Then we’ll take it game by game even though we dream of bringing gold home again.” Ricardo WALTHER  On his role in the German team: “I am the second-oldest in the squad after Timo and therefore I automatically have a leadership role. It’s unusual for me in the national jersey but it’s not new as it has been the case in Grünwettersbach at the club for quite some time. I hope I can guide and support the young players in our team. My form has been excellent for months both in the league and in international tournaments.” On the team’s chances at the European Championships: “We are Germany. We always have a good chance. We will certainly have a squad capable of winning a medal in Malmö. We demonstrated that last year at the Team World Championships when we won silver with a team that on paper was considered a B-team. Everything is possible if we play well and the team chemistry is right. But we need to start small: Even in the group stage we face a dangerous opponent in Poland which has many young rising players. There are many strong opponents and we must be ready from the first match and give our best from the beginning. We have Timo the greatest legend in table tennis with us and he is undoubtedly a crucial element for our success. I’m confident Timo will be in good form and will lead us with his class and experience as the team’s leader.” Cedric MEISSNER On his first nomination for the European Championships: “I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to participate in the European Championships. I was surprised twice: First that the top stars are not playing in the European Championships although that is understandable in the context of the Olympics. The second surprise was that there was a qualification in which I could participate even though I am not part of the prospective squad. I am super happy that I seized my chance and qualified.” On his personal expectations for his European Championship debut: “I am aware that I may only be on the bench for my

Seeded at position number two in the STUPA European Championship in Malmö Romania is in pursuit of their sixth title in the history of the Championships. In 2021 Germany halted their quest for a place in the history books with a third consecutive gold but this year at the 2023 European Games in Krakow Romania struck back with a win in the final after more than 3 hours of play. They took the title from the defending champions Germany in a thrilling five-match clash. Romania is led by the singles champion from the Krakow Games Bernadette SZOCS and the experienced bronze medal winner from Poland Elizabeta SAMARA Adina DIACONU Andreea DRAGOMAN and Elena ZAHARIA. Bernadette has never lacked confidence or lofty goals but the latest title won in a duel against the number one seeds Germany has boosted their aspirations. “After winning the European Games with my team we have much more confidence. Now we are ready for the big fight again and for the gold medal! It will not be easy but we have a strong team so I believe that we can reach the top again ” said SZOCS. Bernadette had only a short break after Poland before a series of WTT events. “I did not have a holiday after the European Games; I just took 3 or 4 free days to enjoy a little bit of sun and refresh my body and mind.” SZOCS was on duty at four tournaments in the past two months. In the Slovenia Open she reached the quarterfinals by beating CHEN Szu-Yu of Taipei Adriana DIAZ of Puerto Rico Manika BATRA of India before losing to CHEN Meng of China. In Lima Peru Bernadette finished as the runner-up. Her winning path included wins over CHEN Szu-Yu of Taipei once again ZENG Jian of Singapore Adriana DIAZ of Puerto Rico Miyuu KIHARA of Japan before losing to SHIN YUBIN of Korea. In Rio de Janeiro on her way to the semifinals Bernadette beat Maria XIAO of Spain Margaryta PESOTSKA of Ukraine and CHEN Szu-Yu of Taipei. “I am unhappy with my result in Kazakhstan at WTT Contender Almaty last week but I am already focused on the next challenge. In a day or two we start with practice in the hall and fitness training and we will continue to work toward fulfilling our ultimate dream – winning a medal at the Olympic Games ” stated Bernadette. Romania is in Group B with Slovenia and Croatia. “The group is good. We have to be focused and play very carefully in every match. Regardless of our position in the standings all teams want to win against us and they are also well-prepared for this tournament. I am ready for everything; I have played very well in the last few tournaments so I am confident. I feel ready for the big fight with my team. I have already played in Malmö and I am sure that everything will be set at the highest level in Sweden ” concluded SZOCS.

The Finnish men’s team will start as challengers in the STUPA European Team Championships which will be held in Malmö from the 10th to the 17th of September. Alongside Finland the reigning European Champions Germany and Poland are competing for the two remaining spots in the initial group. “The preparation for the European Championships has been somewhat unusual. Our number one player Benedek Oláh along with the rest of the team has traveled extensively for other competitions leaving us with limited opportunities for a longer training camp together ” said head coach Mattias BERGKVIST. Germany is the clear favorite in the group. Achieving victory against Poland and advancing to the top 16 would be a significant surprise for Finland. “We have a chance against Poland if we play our best game. That would be a great result for us ” BERGKVIST believes. The Finnish team in Malmö consists of Benedek OLÁH (WR109) Alex NAUMI (WR507) Aleksi RÄSÄNEN Sam KHOSRAVI and head coach Mattias BERGKVIST.

After winning the silver medal at the European Games in Krakow Marcos FREITAS of Portugal did not lose his momentum. Last week in Kazakhstan he reached the semifinals and in Lima in August he clinched the title. These results are a good opening act for the upcoming 2023 STUPA European Championships in Sweden which will start this Sunday in Malmö. In Almaty FREITAS lost to XIANG Peng of China before defeating the no. 1 European player Darko JORGIC of Slovenia as well as Yang WANG of Slovakia and XU Yingbin of China. In Lima in the final Marcos overcame KAO Cheng-Jui. On his way to the ultimate stage Portugal’s player defeated Jonathan GROTH of Denmark LIM Jonghoon of Korea Alexis LEBRUN of France and Vitor ISHY of Brazil. After his outstanding performance at the European Games it appears that Marcos hasn’t lost his steam. “It has been a good last two or three months. I played very well mainly thanks to the excellent preparations I did over the summer. Also I finally recovered completely from my shoulder injury which I had for quite some time. I felt better and better which allowed me to practice more during the summer. Those training sessions made me feel good fit and confident resulting in good performances in previous months ” said FREITAS. Portugal’s FREITAS Tiago APOLONIA Joao MONTEIRO and Joao GERALDO are in the same group with Hungary and Greece. “I am looking forward to the Championships but I am aware of how tough it is going to be. In Europe we have many strong teams and every match will be difficult. Our group is very strong and we have to maintain a strong focus to achieve our first goal which is to qualify for the quarterfinals.” Portugal’s players have been very busy with events in the past few months. “Right now everyone is in very good shape and we are ready for the challenge. Not only are we eyeing success at the Europeans but also the qualifications for the World Championships and a place in the Olympic Games tournament which will be secured by the winner of the Championships. We have that ultimate goal in our sights and we will give our best to achieve the win.” Marcos arrived on Sunday from Kazakhstan and joined the team at the training camp. “We are working together with the England team in the training camp and this is a very good way to prepare for the event. We will be together by the end of the week when we will fly to Malmö.” After a busy summer of WTT tournaments have you noticed any shifts in power or emerging talent that could potentially cause upsets in Sweden? “Right now there are many good players in Europe and a lot of young talent is emerging. Although I think that the top eight teams are the favorites as the seedings predict.”  

The German women who have already won the European Championships eight times will compete in Malmö with their strongest lineup to defend the title they surprisingly won in 2021 even without their Tokyo Olympics trio of HAN Ying Petrissa SOLJA and SHAN Xiaona. However the first-string team learned the hard way that even with their top players victory is not guaranteed as they lost the rematch of the 2019 European Championship final to Romania at the European Games in Krakow in June. Tamara BOROS will send her best lineup consisting of HAN Ying Nina MITTELHAM SHAN Xiaona Annett KAUFMANN and Sabine WINTER into the title race. “The European Championships are an important milestone for us on the long road to Paris where we want to be in top shape. We will do everything we can in Malmö to defend our title. I firmly believe in my team’s ability to achieve this although the European Games also showed how challenging this goal can be especially when facing Romania ” aid BOROS. HAN Ying On her preparation for the STUPA European Championships: “I have been training intensively for three weeks and am in pretty good form. I have made further technical improvements to my game. We have a strong team and when we play well we can beat any team.” On her goals at the STUPA European Championships after losing in the final of the European Games against Romania: “When I’m on the table I always want to win. Unfortunately that didn’t work against Romania last time. They have a good team but we are starting with five very strong players and we are even better than we were at the European Games. We are all ready for a new big battle against Romania. If it comes to that we want to win it badly. I really don’t like losing!” Nina MITTELHAM On her current form: “My form is not yet precisely defined. I have trained hard and well. The tournament in Kazakhstan last week was my first in many weeks. There is room for improvement in my gameplay but mentally I felt very good. After reaching the semifinals I go to the European Championships in Malmö with good self-confidence.”  On the importance of the STUPA European Championships with an eye on the Olympics: “A European Championship is always crucial. Especially after the loss at the European Games we naturally want revenge against Romania and defend our title. Additionally winning grants us a direct ticket to the Olympics. There are other qualification opportunities afterward but the first ticket is always the most beautiful and then we have clarity right away. Moreover the European Championship title is always something beautiful: it’s a tournament you really want to win.” SHAN Xiaona On the goals at the STUPA European Championships: “The goal is to beat Romania. I think overall we are stronger even though it can be tough. Portugal and Sweden are also two teams that can be dangerous. But my guess is that we will face Romania in the final again. Bernadette SZÖCS is in top form Elizabeta samara plays well against defense so it won’t be easy. We lost at the European Games because we played under a lot of pressure while our opponent was not the favorite and played freely. If we meet Romania again we just have to fight 200 percent and release the pressure. If we all play our best table tennis we will win the title.” Annett KAUFMANN  On her current form: “My form is not bad but I only started training again in the last week of August after the vacation. In the week before the European Championships I joined the national team for preparations in Düsseldorf. I worked a lot on my technique over the summer ran every day and improved my footwork. It showed directly in training and I feel good.” On her personal expectations for the European Championships: “I hope of course that I might get some opportunities to play. But ultimately it’s secondary because it’s about the whole team. If others get to play I’ll support our team just as much as if I were at the table myself. I’m also looking forward to intense training in Malmö learning a lot and meeting friends again.” Sabine WINTER On her current form: “My form is certainly improvable due to some minor physical issues but it improved from day to day at the last tournament in Bulgaria. I played at a pretty good level there. And there is still just over a week until the European Championships to further build up my form.” On the changed situation compared to 2021 when the team defeated host Romania in the final as underdogs: “In 2021 I had pressure because I wanted to prove that we as players behind the top 3 can play at a high level. Playing as an underdog is somewhat easier but we will certainly handle the role of the favorite well in Malmö.”

As the 2023 STUPA European Team Championships kick off in Malmö Sweden for players it will not only represent a shot at European glory but also a chance to secure coveted spots in the ITTF World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in Busan South Korea in 2024. With a quota of twelve teams the qualification pathway for Europe has been established with the 2023 STUPA European Team Championships playing a pivotal role in determining the contenders who will represent the continent on the grand stage. The European Quota Europe has been granted a quota of twelve teams for the upcoming WTTTC in Busan. These spots are distributed as follows: Eleven (11) Teams: These slots are allocated to Europe based on the quota assigned to the continent for the Continental Stage. One (1) Team: An additional spot has been awarded to Europe due to the reallocation of quota from the Intercontinental Stage. This opportunity arose following the ITTF Council’s decision in Bangkok on August 23 2023 to cancel the Intercontinental Stage. Qualification System Here’s how the qualification process for WTTTC Busan 2024 unfolds: Direct Qualification for Quarterfinalists: The eight (8) quarterfinalists of the 2023 European Team Championships will qualify automatically. Rank-Based Qualification: The remaining four (4) slots will be determined through rank-based criteria. The ITTF World Team Ranking published in October 2023 will be the key factor in this selection process. Only the teams that reached the round of last sixteen in the 2023 STUPA European Team Championships will be considered for these slots. This approach ensures that teams with a strong track record in recent European competition have the opportunity to earn their place. web site https://www.ittf.com/tournament/2751/ittf-world-team-championships-finals-2024/#information

Panagiotis GIONIS is making his return to the European Championships and the Greek national team is heading to Malmö with their strongest lineup. The top defender was absent due to injury during the 2021 European Championships (in the team event) and the 2022 European Championships (in the individual events). However at the 2023 STUPA European Championships in Sweden he will be back in action and ready to support the team in achieving their goals. This return comes ten years after the historic event for Greece in 2013 when he secured the bronze medal in men’s singles and Greece claimed silver in the men’s team event. Joining GIONIS in Malmö are Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS Giorgos STAMATOUROS and Konstantinos ANGELAKIS forming a strong team. These four players will complete their final preparations in Brodby Denmark at an international camp organized by the Danish federation where they have been invited to train alongside top international athletes. They will train there until 09/09 and then head directly to Malmö with their head coach Kostas VATSAKLIS. Greece has been drawn into the D group alongside Portugal and Hungary. “We are delighted to return among Europe’s top teams and eagerly anticipate our time in Sweden. We understand that we face a challenging group and a tough task ahead. Going up against traditional European powerhouses Hungary and Portugal we will strive for the best possible outcome ” remarked Kostas VATSAKLIS. The women’s national team comprises Katerina TOLIOU Malamatenia PAPADIMITRIOU Konstantina PARIDI and Ioanna GERASIMATOU with national coach Giorgos KARITSAS on the sidelines. Following the draw the team was placed in the 8th group where they will face the host nation Sweden and Spain. Both Greek teams secured their spots in the qualifying stage 2 held in early May in Croatia earning a place among the final 24 national teams. “Being in the European Championship finals is already a significant achievement for us and we intend to relish our participation. In Malmö we recognize that we have two challenging matches against formidable teams. Sweden playing on their home turf boasts highly skilled athletes. Spain also features strong players in their lineup making them both high-quality teams. Our goal is to be as competitive as possible push our limits and showcase our true capabilities ” stated George KARITSAS.

ETTU proudly announces that LIEBHERR will once again be a partner of the European Championships. LIEBHERR has been supporting the European Championships since 2002 and will continue its affiliation with the prestigious event in Sweden. LIEBHERR a globally operating family-owned technology company in the construction machinery sector and many other industries will reinforce its commitment to the ETTU as a Major Sponsor for the 2023 STUPA European Team Championships in Malmö (10th – 17th September). “With a legacy of unwavering support spanning two decades ETTU proudly welcomes back LIEBHERR as a Major Sponsor for the 2023 European Team Championships in Malmö. LIEBHERR’s steadfast commitment of supporting numerous championships and competitions in our continent has a unique value that ETTU wishes to embrace and preserve for the future. We are so grateful LIEBHERR is joining us for the most important ETTU competition in 2023 the European team Championships ” stated ETTU Acting President Pedro MOURA. The partnership between ETTU and LIEBHERR dates back to 2002 starting with the European Championships in Zagreb Croatia. Since then LIEBHERR has been the title sponsor for the EC on 13 more occasions including events in Courmayeur (2003) Aarhus (2005) Belgrade (2007) St. Petersburg (2008) Stuttgart (2009) Ostrava (2010) Schwechat (2013) Ekaterinburg (2015) Budapest (2016) Luxembourg (2017) Alicante (2018) Nantes (2019) and Warsaw (2020). In Malmö 24 teams will compete for honor and prestige representing a total of 28 countries during the team championship. The championship will kick off with a group stage in the first three days and then proceed to the round of 16. Both the men’s and women’s teams consisting of 24 teams each will be divided into eight groups with three teams in each group. At the conclusion of the group stage the two highest-placed teams in each group will advance to the playoffs which will begin with the round of 16. Throughout the years LIEBHERR a long-standing partner of global table tennis has also been in partnership with ETTU events as the Europe Top 16 Cup. About the LIEBHERR Group The Liebherr Group is a family-run technology company with a highly diversified product portfolio. The company is one of the largest construction equipment manufacturers in the world. It also provides high-quality and user-oriented products and services in a wide range of other areas. The Liebherr Group includes over 140 companies across all continents. In 2022 it employed more than 50 000 staff and achieved combined revenues of over 12.5 billion euros. Liebherr was founded in Kirchdorf an der Iller in Southern Germany in 1949. Since then the employees have been pursuing the goal of achieving continuous technological innovation and bringing industry-leading solutions to its customers.