Taipei and Egypt , the top two seeds in the respective Junior Boys’ and Cadet Boys’ Team events at the Tunisia Junior and Cadet Open, both struck gold in Hammamet. Further Taipei succeeded to the gold in the cadet girls teams event whilst Algeria won its ,
The new Sports School in Vilnius improving table tennis
ETTU President Stefano BOSI spent two intense days in Vilnius to know more about table tennis development in Lithuania and National Association future project, to start from the new Vilnius Sports School Tauras hall whose official opening ETTU President a,
All 5 of England’s representatives at London OG on duty in Herning
In exactly one week the table tennis European Championships will take place in Herning, Denmark with all five of England’s representatives at the London 2012 Olympic Games taking part. World number 85 Paul DRINKHALL will lead the English attack on Europe , In exactly one week the table tennis European Championships will take place in Herning, Denmark with all five of England’s representatives at the London 2012 Olympic Games taking part. World number 85 Paul DRINKHALL will lead the English attack on Europe as the 32nd seed for the competition, which runs from 17-21st October. The 22-year-old’s previous best was a last 32 finish in St. Petersburg, Russia 2009, but after competing at both the Olympic Games and LIEBHERR Men’s World Cup recently, he has re-found his best form to once again enter the world’s top 100 ahead of the competition. However, last year the four-times National Champion was overshadowed by the incredible efforts of the then 18-year-old world number 269, Liam PITCHFORD, who beat both Vladimir SAMSONOV (BLR, WR 9) and Alexey SMIRNOV (RUS, WR 20) in Sopot-Gdansk, Poland in 2011. “I had a good tournament last year so it is obviously going to be difficult to match those results this year but I’m confident and I believe I can do it so we will see. To be honest I haven’t been in the greatest form recently and I haven’t played many matches so my confidence has been a bit low, but I played a tournament this week to get some match practice for the Euros and I felt pretty good so that has boosted my confidence,”said Liam PITCHFORD PITCHFORD will hope to replicate that form once more after also competing at both the Olympic Games and Liebherr Men’s World Cup alongside DRINKHALL in London and Liverpool respectively. Fellow Olympian Andrew BAGGALEY will also compete in Denmark alongside Daniel REED and Darius KNIGHT who make up the male quintet that the English Table Tennis Association have sent. “It would be a good achievement for me if I could get to the last 16 in the singles. I have been in the top 100 for a few months, I feel more confident in my game and if I play free then I can beat anybody, so why put pressure on myself? Liam had a great tournament in Poland, and I didn’t play very well, however I hope this time we can both play to our best, it is not a competition between us, however we are there to help each other play well and to push each other!”, said Paul DRINKHALL. In 2011 the England Women’s team secured promotion to the top division of European competition. Although this year there is no team event (it is held biennially) the girls will hope to impress once more. England’s Olympic duo of Joanna PARKER and Kelly SIBLEY are this time joined by 14-year-old TIN-Tin Ho, the European Cadet number 5 from Paddington, London. Last season Tin-Tin beat the Cadet World Number 1 while also winning twice on the ITTF circuit in Portugal and France. A bronze medal at the European Youth Championships in July saw her selected for the European team to play at the World Cadet Challenge in Guam (27th Oct – 4th Nov). TIN-Tin Ho added: “I just want to do as well and learn as much as I can. Hopefully win as many as I can. Yes, as it is also a European Championships but for my age group. I will have to try my very best at making sure all my shots are good quality. Also, just relax when I play and enjoy it. Samara is one of the best players I had ever played, I got an idea of the shots I had never experienced before so now I know what the matches may be like in Denmark. The Europeans and the pre-European camp in Sheffield will both be great ways of preparation for the Cadet Challenge as I will be training and playing against seniors instead of cadets. There is also a training camp before the Cadet Challenge so I will be able to prepare then as well.” Full England Squad – Men: Paul DRINKHALL (Age 22, WR 85), Andrew BAGGALEY (29, 136), Liam PITCHFORD (19, 137), Daniel REED (22, 229), Darius Knight (22, 256). Women: Joanna PARKER (25, 117), Kelly SIBLEY (24, 181), TIN-Tin Ho (14, 434) (courtesy of ETTA) Photo: Joanna PARKER (Photo Roscher)
Table tennis expert Jan Berner visited Greece
Last month coach Jan BERNER visited Patras in Greece for a weekend course. The main topics were the serve and receive. “Michail KATSIKADELIS from the local club and the federation helped me with the course.It was two full days of theory and discussions an,
Dr CASL at the top in both Leagues
In Croatia STK Dr.ČASL Zagreb is at the top of the standings after two rounds. Libertas Marincolor Dubrovnik is second, followed by GSTK Zagreb and Vodovod Osijek. Last week all the guest teams recorded victories. STK Kutina beat Vodovod Osijek and STK Ol,
European rankings: Alena LEMMER took top position
In October, Alena LEMMER of Germany progressed to the top position of the European rankings in Cadet Girls category. She moved from second place to overtake Daria CHERNOVA’s position. Maria MALANINA of Russia also moved one place higher and pushed down Ma,
STROCK in semis despite enchanting Lea
It`s not usual to have two satisfied opponents, but tonight in Zagreb – in the city with long and successful table tennis tradition – there was a reason for that! Actual Women`s ECL vice-champion, Austrian SVS STROCK reached semis again, defeating newcome,
ETTU Cup: third round’s draw
Group phase of the Men’s ETTU Cup concluded this weekend. Two rounds are behind us and from November best 16 in Cup will moved to knock out phase. The draw has been done today in Luxembourg, winners of the eight groups joined big guns. Third round is sche,
LAKEEV and RAMIREZ will play in Hangzhou
Russia’s Vasily LAKEEV and Spain’s Sara RAMIREZ won the respective Men’s and Women’s Singles titles at the ITTF Euro-Africa Circuit Egypt Open in Cairo thus both booked their places in the GAC GROUP 2012 ITTF World Tour to be stage, Russia’s Vasily LAKEEV and Spain’s Sara RAMIREZ won the respective Men’s and Women’s Singles titles at the ITTF Euro-Africa Circuit Egypt Open in Cairo thus both booked their places in the GAC GROUP 2012 ITTF World Tour to be staged in the Chinese city of Hangzhou from Thursday 6th to Sunday 9th December. The players finishing in the top four places in the Men’s and Women’s Singles Standings qualify for the Grand Finals; the tournament in Cairo was the last in a series of six. Vasily LAKEEV, who had won earlier in the year in Belarus, concluded the itinerary with 5,000 points and in top spot. Meanwhile, Sara RAMIREZ, the runner up in both Morocco and Flanders concluded the year with 4,300 points and in third place. Russia’s Polina MIKHAILOVA, who won in Belarus and was the runner up in both Croatia and Sweden, finished in first place with 6,600 points ahead of Hungary’s Szandra PERGEL with 4,600 points. Szandra PERGEL won in both Croatia and Flanders. Fourth place was secured by DPR Korea’s KIM Song I with 3,500 points; she won in Morocco. Defeat for Mikhail PAYKOV in the penultimate round but enough to book a place in the GAC GROUP 2012 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals. He collected 700 points for his efforts and thus finished the year with 2,700 points. Sweden’s Hampus NORDBERG, the winner on home soil in Sweden and Croatia’s TAN Ruiwu, the victor in Croatia, shared second place; each with 3,500 points. (courtesy ITTF) Click here for further information Photo: Sara RAMIREZ (Photo Roscher)
ISMAILOV and POLCANOVA crowned in Vrnjacka Banja
Sadi ISMAILOV of Russia clinched gold in the Junior Boys Singles Event in Vrnjacka Banja. At the 2012 Serbian Junior & Cadet Open – ITTF Junior Circuit Sofia POLCANOVA of Austria won gold in Junior Girls Singles Event. In the final of the Boys E,
