The season in ETTU Cup starts this weekend. In opening stage of the men’s and women’s competition the matches will be played in four groups each. For two top places in each group which lead to the next phase will play 18 clubs in Men’s ETTU Cup. Group 1 The season in ETTU Cup starts this weekend. In opening stage of the men’s and women’s competition the matches will be played in four groups each. For two top places in each group which lead to the next phase will play 18 clubs in Men’s ETTU Cup. Group 1 will be played in Spain. The host is DKV Borges VALL with Marc DURAN Oriol MONZO Chenkai GUI and Jose Luis ANDRADE Jordi LATTORE David GONZALEZ. They will meet Portugal’s Grupo Desportivo dos Toledos Belgium’s TT Vedrinamur and Turkish Turk Telekom Ankara Spor Kulubu. Two groups will be played in Luxembourg. One of the hosts will be DT Etzella Ettelbruck. In Group 2 are also Romania’s CS Mioveni Italian ASD Marcozzi Cagliari Turkish TED Sports club. For DT Etzella Ettelbruck will play Irfan CEKIC Dragos OLTEANU Sven HANSEN Tommy DANIELSON and Eric Thillen. In Group 3 DT Echternach will host STK Banat Zrenjanin from Serbia Belgium’s Sokah Hoboken Spanish Irun Leka ENEA and Cyprus’ Goodgate Etha Engomi. Traian Ciociu Evgheni DADECHIN Oliver KEILING Laurent BODEN Jeff HOUDREMONT and Paulo De JESUS will play for hosts. Romania is the host of the last Group. Beside CS Pristavu Campulung there will play Fokus BTK from Norway NTK Ilirija from Slovenia Portugal’s Grupo Desp. Do Centro Soc. Do Juncal and Luxembourg’s DT Union Letzebuerg. For Romania’s side will play Alin SPELBUS Alexandru MANOLE Gabriel POSTOACA Florin SPELBUS Stefan TONGHIOIU and Mihail ZANFIR. The teams finishing on positions no. 1. And 2 in their respective groups will be qualified for the second round which is scheduled for 3rd October. In the second round we already have 8 clubs divided in four groups: Logis Auderghem TT from Belgium TTSC Elem from Russia Cajasur Priego T.M. from Spain TT Amatori Sterilgarda from Italy STK Libertas Marinkolor from Croatia Istanbul BBSK from Turkey DT Diddeleng from Luxembourg and Svyazist UFA from Russia.
Russia dominates in Almeria
On the second day of the play at the first European Veterans Team Championships in Almeira teams from Russia justified their status. In the first phase of the competition they are ranked high in their respective Groups. In the Women 40 – 59 Category Russ On the second day of the play at the first European Veterans Team Championships in Almeira teams from Russia justified their status. In the first phase of the competition they are ranked high in their respective Groups. In the Women 40 – 59 Category Russia’s Spartak Moscow with Marina VASILYEVA Larisa LAVRUKHINA and Elena CHUNIKHINA is still at the top position followed by Chorvatsky Grob from Slovakia. Latvia 1 is on position no. three. In Men’s 40-49 in Group A Russia added another victory to their account today to preserve unbeaten status. Sergei SAVELEV Aleksandr SAVELEV and Georgii RUBINSHTEIN overcame CTM DKV Ergo Jerez. Spanish side Lorca Hotel Felix is second in Group A as well as Belgium’s Paulipo 1. In same Category in Group B Stockholm S-Blommor from Sweden and Russia’s Turbo Moscow on Friday will play great match against each other for the first place. Swedish side is unbeaten whilst Russia’s team suffered unexpected defeat against French Royan. Team from France will wait for the outcome of that duel. So far they have three straight matches victories and one straight matches defeat. In Group A in Men’s 50-59 Russia is at the leading position. Igor MIGALOV Igor ROLDUGIN and Sergei MANTUROV recorded another victory today. They overcame C.T.T. La Vila Joiosa. Another Spanish team Amigos is on the second position after defeat against Silinis from Latvia. In Group B Italy’s Augusta Taurinorum suffered another defeat. Today CTT Villafranca succeeded. In men 60-64 Spanish Sanse Coruna with Francisco Jose GONZALEZ Luis GARCIA and Migue MALDONADO overcame CTM Fuengirola from Spain. Ukraine’s Karpaty beat Spanish Coslada in very close duel. In Men 65-69 Russia 2 with Gmyra Kaplan GENNADY Felix KAPLAN Vladimir STOLNIKOV beat host nation Assoc. VET. BCN so they will finish another day on top position. Despite the defeat Juan REDON Ricard PALAU and Jaume PUIG are second. The link for pictures of the EVTC 2014 here
2014 Para World Championships to be the largest ever
The 2014 ITTF Para World Championships will be held in Beijing China from 6-15 September 2014 and will be the largest ITTF Para World Championships ever staged. Held once every four years the ITTF Para Table Tennis World Championships is the most prest The 2014 ITTF Para World Championships will be held in Beijing China from 6-15 September 2014 and will be the largest ITTF Para World Championships ever staged. Held once every four years the ITTF Para Table Tennis World Championships is the most prestigious events in Para Table Tennis. The upcoming 2014 edition has drawn a total of 630 participants from 48 countries including umpires officials and 314 para athletes who will be battling it out for the gold medals in both Singles and Team events. The most recognizable Para Table Tennis player on earth Natalia PARTYKA (POL) will be lining up in Beijing to make more history in her class 10 category. PARTYKA who also recently played in the able bodied World Championships earlier in the year has a CV that rivals any athlete from any sport. The 25-year-old first competed in the Paralympics in 2000 as a 11-year-old and has since gone on to win three Paralymic crowns two World titles as well as being the first ever Para Table Tennis player to play at the Olympic Games at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Two time Paralympic and World Champion MA Lin (CHN) will be defending his title on home soil. The 34-year-old Class 9 player stated: “This is my third World Championships I see it very importantly. In 2006 and 2010 I won the title in class 9 so naturally I would like to win it for the 3rd time. I have high expectation to myself after all the world championship is the game with the most elite players. I am always at ease. The best mental status is very important to an athlete so I will try to adjust it to the best hopefully my performance won’t let anyone down including myself.” Other star names to look out for in Beijing are: 2013 ITTF Para Table Tennis Star winner Anna-Carin AHLQUIST from Sweden who will be competing in class 3 and the class 7 super star from Great Britain Will BAYLEY.
Four hot spots in Women’s ETTU Cup opening
The matches in four groups this weekend will mark the start of the in Women’s ETTU Cup season. In Belgium Romania Luxembourg and Spain 18 clubs will play for top two positions in their respective groups. The host of the Group 1 is CTT Minerois of Belgiu The matches in four groups this weekend will mark the start of the in Women’s ETTU Cup season. In Belgium Romania Luxembourg and Spain 18 clubs will play for top two positions in their respective groups. The host of the Group 1 is CTT Minerois of Belgium. There will also play England’s Draycott and Long Eaton Russia’s UMMC Junior and Belgium’s TTC Neuhausen. For belgium’s team play: Cecile OZER Magali CHARLIER Anne Catherine GODFROID< Laurie LAMBIET Maite HEYERES and Anais LAMBIET. Romania’s ACS Dumbravita is the host in group 2. In the club are: Adina DIACONU Mihaela DOSPINA Andreea DOSPINA Alexandra MANEA Madalina PAULIUC andf Ildiko MOLDOVAN. In Romania they will be challenged by the Dutch Dozy Den Helder Noordkop Spanish Falcons Sabadell AE and Acropolis Youth Club from Cyprus. In Group 3 Luxembourg’s DT Rued will host Buducnost from Montenegro CTDM Linares from Spain Perucica FOCA from BiH and GDD Toledos from Portugal. Luxembourg’s club will be represented by Danielle KONSBRUCK Vinita SCHLINK Annick STAMMET Christine KONSBRIUCK Daniele GALES SCHMIT and Daniele JANKOWOY. In Group 4 the host is Spanish Irun Leka Enea with ZHANG Jin Ioana GHEMES Olats ZUAZUA Maria RUBIO Aristizabal ITXASO and Chaves LEYRE. They will meet Fokus BTK of Norway ASD Tennistavolo Norbello from Italy GDCDP Madalena from Portugal and AS Polemidia from Cyprus. The teams finishing on positions no. 1. and 2 in their respective groups will be qualified for the second stage which is scheduled for 3rd October. In the second round already are: SKNT Luch-Vladimir from Russia ALCL TT Grand – Quevilly from France Novi Sad from Serbia Cajasur Priego TM from Spain GDDCSD Juncal from Portugal Tigem SC Ankara and Istanbul BBSK from Turkey USD Tennistavolo ZEUS from Italy.
Pontoise crown amid Russians and Germans
Who wants to predict the next Men’s European Champions League winner?! It seemed that everybody knew the answer last year but it was a blunder. Nobody except maybe a few Pontose`s members or fans wondered French club having a chance in battle with Germ Who wants to predict the next Men’s European Champions League winner?! It seemed that everybody knew the answer last year but it was a blunder. Nobody except maybe a few Pontose`s members or fans wondered French club having a chance in battle with Germans and Russians. But AS Pontoise Cergy shocked Fakel Gazproma Orenburg in the final becoming the first winner from France since inaugural 1998/1999 season when Caen beat Borussia. The last finalists now will meet in group stage (A) starting competition on home ground in Round 1: Fakel Gazproma Orenburg – Olimpia Unia Grudziadz (September 6th 13h20 CET) Pontoise Cergy – Roskilde Bordtennis (September 6th 19h45 CET). “We in Roskilde are happy to be back in “the good” company again. We got a very strong group with the number one seed Orenburg and last years winner Pontoise. So it looks a little bit hard but we hope that we can show some good table tennis and that MAZE will be fit to challenge some off the good players. We will do our best and maybe hope for third spot in the group with some good play and a little luck. About first match away against last years winner Pontoise very difficult there players also just show good form in Czech Open… We look forward to the match but don’t have so high expextations to the result” stressed Roskilde`s team manager and player Allan BENTSEN his passion for this game means a lot for MECL. Orenburg and Pontoise are continuing with same line-ups. Russian champion is third consecutive time no. 1 seed having Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (world’s no. 4) three times single ECH gold medalist Vladimir SAMSONOV (no. 12) and former Euro Top 12 winner Alexey SMIRNOV (no. 71). Pontoise plays with its winning trio – Marcos FREITAS (no. 13) WANG Jian Jun (n. r) and Kristian KARLSSON (no. 75) – and of course promising Tristan FLORE waits for his chance. “This is first season in history for my club in Champions League” said Olimpia`s team manager Adam NOWAKOWSKI. “We are waiting for first match with Orenburg becouse we be play with one of the best club in Europe. All fans in Grudziadz wait for Champions League. We know about the good players who play in other teams but we have good team. in this “death group”. We have good players Yoshida Kaii Bartosz SUCH WANG Yang or HUANG Sheng Sheng. Bartek play in Borussia and Pontoise he like play in Europe and he don’t have stress before the matches. YOSHIda is a star and one of the best players who play in Poland. Young Patryk ZATOWKA have strong head and play without the stress. He won in Poland with WANG Zeng Yi Pawel FERTIKOWSKI Robert FLORAS Bartosz SUCH. Olimpia-Unia Grudziadz be fight for win in all matches and we would advance to the next phase of the competition. Favorite of Group B is French champion Chartres ASTT who was eliminated due to regulations at the end of year’s group stage (Singaporean GAO Ning played in Chinese Super League). Chartres kept same team which played in 2012/13 final: GAO Ning (world’s no. 11) Robert GARDOS (no. 30) and Par GERELL (no. 48). They will meet the 2008 MECL champion Weinviertel Niederosterreich this Friday. Werner SCHLAGER`s era was ended so now Stefan FEGERL and Daniel HABESOHN have to confirm that they are capable to keep club on high level. CHEN Weixing left the team after many years and his place will take other well recognized defender Chinese HOU Yingchao. The 2012/2013 German champion Werder Bremen expects Eslov AI from. Thomas ANDERSSON Eslov`s president of Swedish club says: “We have a strong group and will have some very tough matches. However this season XU Hui will represent the club in all of the matches in the Champions League as well all the matches in the Swedish League. XU Hui along with Robert SVENSSON who is very experienced and had several big wins in the MECL last season accounting for Bastian STEGER and Tiago APOLONIA. Mattias OVERSJO also performed well in the MECL last season beating Alexander SHIBAEV. The final team member is Simon BERGLUND a very talented Swedish International Junior player he will be looking to gain experience at this level. Our goal as a club is to reach the quarter final stages qualifying through the groups”. Werder Bremen made one big change (Bastian STEGER from Saarbrucken instead CHIANG Chih Yuan). UMMC is the top seeded team in Group C expecting last season’s semi-finalist Vaillante Angers this Fiday. Sten Marketing HB Ostrov goes to Saarbrucken which coach Slobodan GRUJIC emphasized: “Our goal is to reach at least quarter final. I am convinced that we can reach this goal if all players stay fit during the season. For Friday I think we have a very hard match against Ostrov. Their players will be very motivated. But I believe in our victory.” From the other side Ostrov`s president Jan HRNCIRIK messages: “We know our opponent from Saarbrucken has very strong team. For us every single match victory will be considered as a success” Group D will confront on the opening day German and Polish champion Borussia Dusseldorf and Bogoria Grodzisk (September 5th 19h00 CET live on LAOLA1.tv) as well as French GV Hennebont and new Austrian champion SPG Walter Wels (September 5th 19h30 CET) The 2014/15 MECL Round 1 GROUP A: Fakel Gazproma Orenburg – Olimpia Unia Grudziadz (September 6th 13h20 CET); Pontoise Cergy – Roskilde Bordtennis (September 6th 19h45 CET) GROUP B: Chartres ASTT – Weinviertel Niederosterreich (September 5th 19h00 CET); Werder Bremen – Eslovs AI (September 5th 19h00 CET live on LAOLA1.tv) GROUP C: UMMC – Vaillante Angers (September 5th 15h00 CET); FC Saarbrucken – Sten Marketing HB Ostrov (September 5th 19h00 CET live
Everybody has a chance in 2014/15 WECL
Everybody believes that Fenerbahce is clear favorite in 2014/15 Women’s European Champions League which starts this Friday but manager of Turkish champion Gurhan YALDIZ disagree with them: “I hope this season will be pleasure for all table tennis w Everybody believes that Fenerbahce is clear favorite in 2014/15 Women’s European Champions League which starts this Friday but manager of Turkish champion Gurhan YALDIZ disagree with them: “I hope this season will be pleasure for all table tennis world. I think there are very strong and difficult teams in WECL. All teams have a chance to be champion in this season. We like to start with good result we are lucky that we are home team in opening round and I believe my players have enough power to win this match. Good luck for all teams”. Fenerbahce plays its second WECL season in a row finishing last one as a runner-up behind Berlin Eastside. Turkish side is now more careful knowing that even last year they were considered as the no. 1 favorite. The club signed three strong names WU Yang (actual no. 5 on ITTF World ranking list) and WEN Jia from China and good defensive German player Irene IVANCAN (she had a big role in Berlin’s 2013/14 title) individual silver medalist from 2011 LIEBHERR European Championship. One more new face is Russian Yana NOSKOVA. Two times gold single’s medalist from ECH Viktoria PAVLOVICH and Elizabeta SAMARA start their new season in Istanbul. So coach Davit SARGSYAN will surely have more options than his colleagues in new WECL edition. The 2013/14 finalist Fenerbahce opens season against 2011/12 runner-up SVNO STROCK (Group A September 7th 13h30 CET). They met in group stage last year and the score was 1-1 (Austrian side lost away 3:1 and won 3:2 at home). STROCK`s president and manager Martin SOROS` strategy was this summer to invest in the future taking two promising players: Dora MADARASZ (Hungary 21 year old) and Lea RAKOVAC (Croatia 18). Of course Daniela DODEAN-MONTEIRO should have again her precious role in the team. Three more registered players are: Tamiolwan KHETKUEN Matilda EKHOLM and Tetyana BILENKO. Other game in Group A will be between 2012/13 ETTU Cup finalist Zamek leaded by member of German national team HAN Ying who had an impressive 2014/15 WECL season and newcomer from Hungary Szekszard (September 5th 18h00 CET). “This edition of Champions League seems to be more equal than last year and of course it means more difficult for us. We wish not to be the last in the group and for all others places we will be thankful” emphasized Zbigniew NECEK Zamek`s coach and manager. Group B has two title pretenders clubs which already lifted the trophy twice: Linz AG Froschberg (2009 2013) and Berlin Eastside (2012 2014). Austrian side expects Metz TT (September 5th 18h00 CET) will Irina PALINA`s squad hosts team in the Hungarian Postas Sport Egyesuelt which is coming back on the main European club’s stage after seven years. “With great joy we returned to the European Champions League where we were in 2007 the last time semifinalists. This year it is known that we were eighth team in the seeding list so I expected to have the equivalent of our role. One up to 2 victories would be an exceptional feat in the team. In addition of the world-class name LI Jiao our Hungarian talented players who are capable of a good performance in a match” said Gábor ROSTÁS president of Postás Budapest. Linz always has the biggest possible aim. LIU Jia and Iveta VACENOVSKA know very well the way to the trophies 20 year-old Sofia POLCANOVA showed significant improvement in last season whilst Chinese LI Xiaodan will try to put new energy in the team leaded by coach BIAN Yadong. Triple crowned Berlin (German League and Cup winner and WECL champion in 2014/15) already presented its expectations through the interview of its coach Irina PALINA. No doubt that SHAN Xiaona & Company will fight for the top. French Metz will try to something more than in previous season when well experienced Yunli SCHREINER secured some important wins. Former individual European Champion WU Jiaduo will be supported in new season by world’s no. 19. YU Fu. The 2014/15 WECL Round 1 GROUP A: Fenerbahce – SVNO STROCK (September 7th 13h30 CET); KTS Spar Zamek Tarnobrzeg – Szekszard AC (September 5th 18h00 CET live on LAOLA1.tv). GROUP B: Linz AG Froschberg – Metz TT (September 5th 18h00 CET); TTC Berlin Eastside – Postas Sport Egyesulet (September 5th 19h30 CET)
Timo BOLL focused on MECL
The most decorated European clubs ever Borussia Dusseldorf opens new Men’s European Champions League season this Friday at Dusseldorf against Polish champion Bogoria Grodzisk (Group D 19h00 CET live on LAOLA1.tv). It should be encounter without secret The most decorated European clubs ever Borussia Dusseldorf opens new Men’s European Champions League season this Friday at Dusseldorf against Polish champion Bogoria Grodzisk (Group D 19h00 CET live on LAOLA1.tv). It should be encounter without secrets knowing how many times they met in last few seasons. In last two editions ten-time champion of Old Continent disappointed their fans (once were beaten in group stage exactly by Bogoria) but now as no. 2 seed they will try to come back on the top. “One big goal this season is to win European Champions League. Last three years we´ve been unlucky after three ECL-victories in a row 2009-2011. Now we´ve got a very strong group with Bogoria Hennebont and Wels. Therefore it´s our mission in the first half of the season to win our group and to reach the quarter finals” stressed Borussia`s manager Andreas PREUß. After three MECL titles in a row (2009-11) Borussia was faced with several problems with injuries (Christian SUSS Timo BOLL…) so coach Danny HAISTER was forced to change the line-up many times. That is the reason why great Timo BOLL is careful speaking about the club`s aims in new season. “If our team will be free of injuries and illness I think we are one of the favourites in this MECL. We´ve got two new strong players with Panos (Panagiotis GIONIS) and Patrick (FRANZISKA) we´ve got a very good team spirit and we are all focused on MECL. We will do everything to win the most important title in Europe again” says six times individual European champion who lost one game from Bogoria`s OH Sang Eun two seasons ago. Borussia`s coach Danny HEISTER added: “We had a good start in German Bundesliga TTBL with our 3:0 victory against Frickenhausen and I hope that this match will give us self-confidence for the upcoming games. Bogoria with OH GORAK FLORAS and FERTIKOWSKI is hard to beat as we know from the past. But it´s very important to start successful in ECL because of the strength of our group. I think if our players are in good shape we will win this first ECL-match.”
Almeira opened the doors for veterans
The first European Veterans Team Championships started today in Almeira. First day of the competition concluded with few minor upsets but the real battles are yet to come. In the Women 40 – 59 Category Russia’s Spartak Moscow with Marina VASILYEVA Laris The first European Veterans Team Championships started today in Almeira. First day of the competition concluded with few minor upsets but the real battles are yet to come. In the Women 40 – 59 Category Russia’s Spartak Moscow with Marina VASILYEVA Larisa LAVRUKHINA and Elena CHUNIKHINA holds top position. They beat Bulgaria’s Svilhosa and Latvia 1. In the same group in all – Latvia’s duel between Dobele and Latvia 1 it was the team with nation’s name that succeeded. Chorvatsky Grob from Slovakia also beat Bulgaria’s representatives. In Men’s 40-49 in Group A Russia 1 with Sergei SAVELEV Aleksandr SAVELEV and Georgii RUBINSHTEIN shares top position with Spanish Lorca Hotel Felix. For hosts play Domingo MENDEZ Antonio DIAZ and Mateo MARTINEZ. Russia 1 beat Belgium’s Paulipo 1 whilst Lorca succeeded against CTM DKV Ergo Jerez. In Group B French Royan upset the rankings and emerged at the top with two victories. Jean Michel BOUQET Olivier BEGUIN and John LASSERRE beat TT Riga from Latvia and Club Huelva TM from Spain. Stockholm S-Blommor from Sweden and Russia’s Turbo Moscow are at the second position; both undefeated but with one match less. In Group A in Men’s 50-59 Spanish Amigos C.T.T. and Russia are at the leading position. Igor MIGALOV Igor ROLDUGIN and Sergei MANTUROV beat Slins team of Latvia whilst Jorge GUAL Juan Jose MIGUELEZ and Jose Manuel ABELAIRAS overcame C.T.T. La Vila Joiosa. In Group B Russia’s Rodina with Aleksandr ELINSON Aleksei Rodin and Vladimir TUDVASEV beat Italy’s Augusta Taurinorum. In men 60-64 Spanish Sanse Coruna with Francisco Jose GONZALEZ Luis GARCIA and Migue MALDONADO overcame Cosolada to secure leading position. In Men 65-69 Russia 2 and Spanish Assoc. VET. BCN recorded straight match victories. For Russia succeeded Gmyra Kaplan GENNADY Felix KAPLAN Vladimir STOLNIKOV whilst in Spanish team played Juan REDON Ricard PALAU and Jaume PUIG. In men 70-79 Russia with Nikolay BOLSHOV Dmitry DAVYDENKO and Anatoliy ZUBRIN is in the unbeaten as well as Los Novatos from Spain with Enrique FERNANDEZ Josep MADURELL and Aurelio Burgos de ANDRES. The link for pictures of the EVTC 2014 here
A new era begins with Thomas WEIKERT
Today is a historic day in the history of the International Table Tennis with the current President Adham SHARARA (CAN) moving into his new role as ITTF Chairman and current Deputy President Thomas WEIKERT (GER) becoming the 7th ITTF President. Adham SHA Today is a historic day in the history of the International Table Tennis with the current President Adham SHARARA (CAN) moving into his new role as ITTF Chairman and current Deputy President Thomas WEIKERT (GER) becoming the 7th ITTF President. Adham SHARARA who has been the ITTF President since 1999 stated: “I am very happy that the ITTF will now step into a new phase of its development. I hand over the ITTF reigns to Thomas WEIKERT today and provide him my full support. Thomas is the head of a large and important national association and his experience in that capacity will be very important for the further development of the ITTF and its members associations. Thomas has the necessary energy and motivation to take the ITTF to the next level and we will all support his efforts as an ITTF family.” Today Mr WEIKERT becomes the 7th President of the ITTF since its creation in 1926. The current German Table Tennis Association President follows Ivor MONTAGU of England (Chairman 1926-1937 President 1937-1967); H. Roy EVANS of Wales (1967-1987); Ichiro OGIMURA of Japan (1987-1994) Lollo HAMMARLUND of Sweden (1994-1995) XU Yinsheng of China (1995-1999) and Adham SHARARA of Canada (1999-2014). On succeeding Mr SHARARA the new ITTF President stated: “Firstly I would like to give a huge thank you to Adham SHARARA. During his 15 years as ITTF President he has taken the sport forward in leaps and bounds and everyone involved in table tennis will forever be in his debt. During my time as ITTF President I would like to continue the growth of the sport and fulfill the ITTF’s goal of becoming a top 5 sport. I am hoping for a big support from the ITTF family to achieve this goal. Although I am German I am no German President but a President for everyone”. Even though he represents one of the bigger associations he does also stand for the small ones. “Development of smaller associations is a matter that is near to my heart. One of my aims is to expand the already well-functioning ITTF Development Programme. I want our sport to be played in as many countries by as many people as possible. Table Tennis should not only serve as a form for physical and mental training but also be a unifying element.” Adham SHARARA will still be deeply involved in the ITTF in the position of the ITTF Chairman. This position was created at the 2014 ITTF AGM and is an independent and non-political position without any voting or decision-making power. The ITTF Chairman’s main function is to chair the ITTF AGM each year as well as specific projects assigned by the ITTF Executive Board which are: • Review the Constitution • Present and propose the new P5 long-term plan to the EC • Focus on Marketing To fill the vacated position of Mr SHARARA on the Executive Committee the Board of Directors elected Mr Bruce BURTON (Canada) as Executive Vice president effective 1 September 2014. Therefore the complete 9-member EC until the next elections in 2017 is now: Thomas WEIKERT (President) Khalid AL-MOHANNADI (Deputy President) and Bruce BURTON Cherif HAJEM Patrick GILLMANN Masahiro MAEHARA Melecio RIVERA SHI Zhihao and Petra SORLING as Executive Vice Presidents. During Mr SHARARA’s 15 years as ITTF President he has overseen major changes designed to make the ITTF more commercially viable and attractive to TV audiences. This included changing the games from “first to 21 points” to “first to 11 points” and increasing the size of the ball from 38mm to 40mm just to name a few. Mr SHARARA is leaving the ITTF in good health after being in charge since 1999. The ITTF’s growth under Mr SHARARA includes: • ITTF moving up the Olympic funding table after London 2012. • ITTF’s major events being broadcasted live in 110 countries. • ITTF having the third highest number of social media followers among all Olympic international federations. • ITTF currently holding over 75 events a year in all corners of the globe. • ITTF having 220 National Associations which is the equal highest of any International Federation second highest of any sport on the planet. SHARARA also stated: “Today I welcome Thomas WEIKERT as the 7th ITTF President. The official transfer of responsibility of president is today and on behalf of all the ITTF family I wish Thomas all the best in his new position. I also congratulate Mr. Khalil AL-MOHANNADI as the new ITTF Deputy President and I welcome Mr. Bruce BURTON as the new Executive Vice-President.Also today I assume the new position of ITTF Chair and since I am a man and not to offend any women as “Chairman” I am taking this new role very seriously and will do my best to meet all expectations. I ask of all national associations continental federations and elected volunteers within the ITTF and all ITTF professional staff to continue their support to the new Executive team and to continue to develop our sport nationally and internationally with more fervour and passion in order to reach our overall goal of being Top-5 in the world. I take this opportunity to thank all those that have worked with me and helped me over the last 23 years; 15 years as president 4 years as Deputy and 4 years as Continental VP. I hope you will continue to help me in my new function.”
PALINA: “Champions but not favorites”
“We wish all teams a nice exciting matches friendly atmosphere during all season” stressed first of allBerlin’s coach Irina PALINA announcing the 2014/15 Women’s European Champions League which starts this Friday. Eight clubs will compete again “We wish all teams a nice exciting matches friendly atmosphere during all season” stressed first of allBerlin’s coach Irina PALINA announcing the 2014/15 Women’s European Champions League which starts this Friday. Eight clubs will compete again divided in two groups and everybody will try to beat TTC Berlin Eastside the club who collected all possible trophies in last season: WECL German League and German Cup. “We start new season as a champion but we are very realistic and we understand that we are not a favorite” says PALINA. The team made just one change in the best four players. Petrissa SOLJA came from double WECL champion Linz AG Froschberg instead of Irene IVANCAN who moved to Fenerbahce. It means thatBerlincontinues as „German national team” having two more host players SHAN Xiaona and Kristin SILBEREISEN plus Hungarian Georgina POTA. Berlin was not considered as favorite in previous edition but managed to overcame no. 1 seed Fenerbahce in the final. Turkish side is again has the best ranking playing in Group A alongside SVNO STROCK KTS Spar Zamek and Szekszard AC. Berlin will fight for best two spots in Group B which leads to the semifinal against Linz AG Froschberg Metz TT and Postas Sport. “For qualified to semifinal or final we have to fight against each team in the group. I hope our girls are ready for this. In this season they already played qualification to Final 4 of German Cup which will be inBerlinin January and Czech Pro-tour. Regarding WECL we start on Friday against Postas fromHungary” concluded Irina PALINA.
