Between the 10th and 17th of September 2023 it is time for the European table tennis elite to enter Malmö Arena for the battle of the medals. On the men’s side Sweden is one of the favorites with players like vice world champion Truls MÖREGÅRDH and the world champions in doubles Mattias FALCK and Kristian KARLSSON We are now happy to announce that the world famous artist Per GESSLE with songs like “It Must Have Been Love” “Listen To Your Heart” and “The Look” in his repertoire will sing the official song for the Championships with this band PG Roxette. The title is “The Craziest Thing” and the song will be released on all streaming platforms and as vinyl single on the 18th of August. – It is a delight that Per Gessle once again makes a song for a big table tennis event. Last time in Halmstad 2018 was a big success. This song is very grand and happy and will be great in Malmö Arena. I’m convinced that the song will work perfectly as a motivation song for our players in their hunt for medals says Peter Johansson Event Director for the ETTC. The song originally released on PG Roxette’s latest album Pop-Up Dynamo is written by Per GESSLE and Eddie JOHNSSON. In connection to the European Championships in Malmö a new version of the song has been produced. – I am very honored to once again make the official table tennis song for a European or World Championships. In 2018 it was “Name You Beautiful” in happy Halmstad and this time the title of my contribution is “The Craziest Thing”. Filled with spin and energy and as effective and rapid as a diagonal forehand smash says Per GESSLE. The European Table Tennis Championships will be played in Malmö Arena 10–17 September 2023. The event starts with group stage matcher 10–12 September and ends with play-off matches 14–17 September. Hosts are the European Table Tennis Union The Swedish Table Tennis Association and the host city Malmö.

The tradition of new winners every year at the EC U21 continued in 2023. Samuel KULCZYCKI was the only winner who already had a title from a previous EC U21. The 7 other winners were new. For the first time the mixed doubles was not won by a Romanian pair. However Romania remains by far the most successfull country in the U21 with 7 titles. Poland now with 4 took over the 2nd position from Turkey (3). Still no player won more than 2 titles in the EC U21. 7 players now have 2. The group consisting of Adina DIACONU Özge YILMAZ Ece HARAC Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS Cristian PLETEA and Rares SIPOS was joined by Samuel KULCZYCKI.   2023 – Sarajevo (BIH) (7th edition)                                   Winner       Runner-up       MS Milosz REDZIMSKI (POL)   Csaba ANDRAS (HUN)       WS Hana ARAPOVIC (CRO)     Sophia KLEE (GER)       MD Hugo DESCHAMPS / Thibault PORET (FRA) Maciej KUBIK / Samuel KULCZYCKI (POL)   WD Mia GRIESEL (GER) / Bianca Mei ROSU (ROU) Anastasya DYMYTRENKO / Veronika MATIUNINA (UKR) XD Samuel KULCZYCKI / Zuzanna WIELGOS (POL) Eduard IONESCU / Ioana SINGEORZAN (ROU)     Medals Table European Under 21 Championships 2023                     Players             Pos. Name Assoc Gold Silver Bronze   1 Samuel KULCZICKY POL 1 1 1   2 Mia GRIESEL GER 1   2   3 Milosz REDZIMSKI POL 1   1   4 Zuzanna WIELGOS POL 1       4 Hugo DESCHAMPS FRA 1       4 Thibault PORET FRA 1       4 Bianca Mei ROSU ROU 1       4 Hana ARAPOVIC CRO 1       9 Eduard IONESCU ROU   1 1   10 Ioana SINGEORZAN ROU   1     10 Maciej KUBIK POL   1     10 Anastasya DYMYTRENKO UKR   1     10 Veronika MATIUNINA UKR   1     10 Sophie KLEE GER   1     10 Csaba ANDRAS HUN   1     16 Andrei Teodor ISTRATE ROU     3   17 Flavien COTON FRA     1   17 Anna BRZYSKA POL     1   17 Agathe AVEZOU FRA     1   17 Isa COK FRA     1   17 Ines MATOS POR     1   17 Matilde PINTO POR     1   17 Iulian CHIRITA ROU     1   17 Nicole ARLIA ITA     1                               Associations             Associations   Gold Silver Bronze   1 Poland POL 2 1 1   2 Romania ROU 1 1 4   3 Germany GER 1 1 1  

The crowned champion of the Men’s Singles Event at the European Under 21 Championships is Milosz REDZIMSKI of Poland. In the final REDZIMSKI justified his top seed position and overcame Csaba ANDRAS of Hungary (10 -7 8 4 6). Samuel KULCZYCKI of Poland and Andrei Teodor ISTRATE of Romania clinched bronze. “I think the service was the key to success. I created a lot of troubles to Csaba and I also was good with receive ”said REDZIMSKI. In all-Polish match in the semi final Milosz REDZIMSKI avenged his last year’s defeat at the same stage of the Under 21 Championships against Samuel KULCZYCKI 1:4. Now he accounted for his teammate after six games duel (-10 9 -9 10 5 10). “I think Samuel was much more confident last year. This time I came here as no. one seed so it boosted my confidence a lot. I tried to stay calm and to have the control of the match. I stayed close to the table and played aggressively ” explained Milosz. REDZIMSKI clinched gold medals at the European Championships in mixed doubles in Under 15 category in Team’s events in Under 19 and also had bronze in singles in Under 15. Csaba ANDRAS overcame Andrei Teodor ISTRATE of Romania in other penultimate stage match (12 -9 4 6 8). “I did it thanks to my team. I feel great gratitude toward my coach sparing partner and Hungarian team that supported me here. I was so motivated. I am the first Hungarian player to reach the medal rostrum in Under 21 European Championships and it means so much to me. I played four times in the quarterfinal of the Europeans and finally I broke the barrier ” said ANDRAS.

Hana ARAPOVIC of Croatia clinched her first title in singles at the European Under 21 Championships in Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the final she overcame Sophia KLEE of Germany (9 3 8 -5 9). Bronze medalists are Nicole ARLIA of Italy and Mia GRIESEL of Germany. In the final Hana was focused on success. “I tried to be as calm as I could. I played until the last point for the title like it was first. I managed to have the full control over the match ” said ARAPOVIC. In the semi final Sophia KLEE was in fine run against Nicole ARLIA of Italy (1 7 9 5). Last year’s runner up in doubles failed to produce the game to stop KLEE. “I was two times European teams champion in Under 19 event and I have a title in Under 15 doubles at the Europeans but so far this is my first medal in singles and I am very proud of it ” said KLEE. Sophia was absent for a while from the tournaments and this success is even more important for her. “Last year from January to April I was completely out of game I did not come near the table. My knee cap was broken so it took time before I recovered. Eventually I returned and I worked very hard. Now I am so proud and I am happy to be able to win medal again ” said KLEE. Sophia did not give a lot of chances to ARLIA. “I guess she was little bit more nervous than me at the begining. It is not easy we are playing at one table now and the pressure is much higher but I took it better. In general I felt very well and I have been focused ” explained KLEE. In other semi final Hana ARAPOVIC overcame Mia GRIESEL of Germany in another straight games duel (8 7 3 9). Hana finally made a breakthrough in singles at the European Championships. “In three previous Championships in Under 15 and Under 19 I lost in the quarterfinals in singles. This is my first medal and I am so proud ” said Hana. The begining of the game was very close. “ I beat her last year in Top 10 when I won gold but it was very close seven games match which could easily went both sides. I was 3:1 up before she leveled. However then I learned what I can expect and I was ready for tactics. It helped me here ” said the European championships doubles gold medal winner ARAPOVIC.

Hugo DESCHAMPS and Thibault PORET of France clinched gold medal in the Men’s Doubles Event at the European Under 21 Championships in Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the final they overcame Maciej KUBIK and Samuel KULCZYCKI of Poland (4 8 10). Two Romania’s Doubles had to settle with the bronze: Iulian CHIRITA and Andrei Teodor ISTRATE as well as Eduard IONESCU and Darius MOVILEANU finished third. Polish duo failed to avenge the recent defeat against Hugo DESCHAMPS and Thibault PORET at the WTT Feeder in Dusseldorf. “In February we beat them and we remember how aggressive we had to be in order to win. Last night we watched the video from that match again and we were prepared well. We sticked to the tactics and we did not allowed them to take the control ” said Thibault PORET. It is first European Championships’ title for the French pairings. “It is amazing. It was really not easy. Not only in the final but we also beat the last year’s champions Ivor BAN and Csaba ANDRAS in the quarterfinal ” added Hugo DESCHAMPS. In the semis ESCHAMPS and PORET overcame Iulian CHIRITA and Andrei Teodor ISTRATE of Romania after four very close games (-3 16 9 10). Maciej KUBIK and Samuel KULCZYCKI overcame Eduard IONESCU and Darius MOVILEANU of Romania (8 -7 -9 10 6).

On their first tournament where they have played together Mia GRIESEL of Germany and Bianca MEI ROSU of Romania clinched the title in the Women’s Doubles Event at the European under 21 Championships in Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the final they overcame Anastasiya DYMYTRENKA and Veronika MATIUNINA of Ukraine. Ines MATOS and Matilde PINTO of Portugal and Agathe Anne AVEZOU and Isa COK of France were halted in the semis. The final match started in favor of DYMYTRENKA and MATIUNINA but from the second game pendulum swung (4:11 14;12 11:8 11:4). “I think it ws great idea to make our partnership in doubles here. We proved as a very good double. We communicated very well and that was the key to our success ” said Bianca MEI ROSU. Mia GRIESEL of Germany pointed they had a difficult start of the match. “For Ukrainian girls it is easer to understand each other and they know each other better as well. However we managed to take the control of the match. This was the biggest challenge for us in Sarajevo.”

Samuel KULCZYCKI and Zuzanna WIELGOS of Poland clinched the title in the Mixed Doubles Event at the European Under 21 Championships in Sarajevo. In the final they overcame Romania’s pairings Eduardo IONESCU and Ioana SINGEORZAN. Bronze medalists are Flavien COTON of France and Mia GRIESEL of Germany and Milosz REDZIMSKI and Anna BRZYSKA of Poland. It is the fist time in four years old history of Mixed Doubles Events at the Europeans Under 21 that Romania’s pairings could not reach the highest step at the medal rostrum. “We are so proud that we managed to reach gold on our first ever championships together “ said KULCZYCKI.”I did not start well but Zuzanna played expertly and she helped me come to rhythm.” In the semi final Samuel and Zuzanna prevailed against Flavien COTON of France and Mia GRIESEL of Germany (11 -7 3 7). “From the begining we were not in the comfortable position. We were 6:10 down but we recovered to win that game. Just as we settled into the rhythm in the second game I had great difficulties with Mia GRIESEL’s style of play. I needed some time to adopt to it but it was too late for that part of the match. From third we finally found the way to control everything so it was 9:0 and 11:3. We did not make any easy mistakes ” explained KULCZYCKI. Zuzanna WIELGOS admitted the success came as surprise for her. “I did not expect we will reach this far on our first Championships together ” said Zuzanna. On their way to the gold they also overcame last year’s champions Andrei ISTRATE and Luciana MITROFAN. Romania’s Eduardo IONESCU and Ioana SINGEORZAN were so many times close to medal just to lost at the final hurdle before the medal. In Sarajevo they went further. In other semi final they overcame Milosz REDZIMSKI and Anna BRZYSKA of Poland (-8 11 9 7). “It is the first semi final after two times we were playing in the quarters of the European Championships. It is very important for us and that is why we were little bit nervous at the begining. In addition BRZYSKA did not make it any easier with her pimples on both side. We had to stay focused and on alert ‘ said IONESCU. Ioana SINGEORZAN pointed that confidence in each other was the key to success. “From the third game we managed to settle into the rhythm and I think the way we encouraged each other and gave support to each other is very important part of our success ” added SINGEORZAN.