In Germany on April 26 and 27 more than 2 300 “SupporTTers” had exclusive access to the first tickets for the WTT Champions Frankfurt in the fall. For non-registered fans in Germany the rush for tickets begins on today Friday April 28. The WTT Champions is the largest international tournament of the year in Germany and takes place from October 29 to November 5 in the Frankfurter Süwag Energie Arena. Only the crème de la crème of the World table tennis has possibility to play – the top 30 men and women in the world as well as two wild card holders will be at the list. If it were already October these would be the top players of the World Table Tennis elite tournament: MA Long of China the G.O.A.T five-time Olympic champion and three-time singles World champion FAN Zhendong reigning World champion and world number one WANG Chuqin four-time World champion in team’s mixed and doubles and World number two LIANG Jingkun team World champion and four-time singles and doubles World championship bronze medalist Tomokazu HARIMOTO of Japan Olympic and World championship bronze medalist in teams World number four Swede Truls MÖREGARDH World championship finalist in singles 2021 and Europe’s top-ranked player…as well as Germany’s Timo BOLL two-time singles World championship bronze medalist and record European champion Dimitrij OVTCHAROV six-time Olympic medalist and World Cup winner DANG Qiu European champion and team World championship finalist 2022 Patrick FRANZISKA winner of the Europe Top 16 and Olympic silver medalist in team. Record European champion BOLL who is currently injured (the shoulder) is determined to participate. “After all it’s an absolute home game for me ” says the Hessian who lives just 50 kilometers from Frankfurt in Höchst im Odenwald. As of today the following players would be qualified for the women’s tournament: China’s CHEN Meng Olympic champion in singles and team 2020 SUN Yingsha Olympic silver medalist 2020 and World championship silver medalist 2021 WANG Manyu World champion in singles and doubles 2021…Austria’s Sofia POLCANOVA European champion in Singles and Doubles 2022 Germany’s Ying HAN the World’s best defensive player World number ten team World championship bronze medalist 2022 Nina MITTELHAM team World championship bronze medalist and singles European championship silver medalist 2022 Xiaona SHAN team World championship bronze medalist and singles European championship bronze medalist 2022. Up to four female and four male athletes per nation are eligible to compete at the WTT Champions but as was recently the case at the WTT Champions in Macao wildcards can also be awarded to the host nation increasing the number of domestic participants beyond four. In Macao for example there were five men and six women from the host country competing. Tickets are available online at https://wttchampionsfrankfurt2023.reservix.de.
Croatia vs. Belgium and Czechia vs. Azerbaijan will play for titles
On the third day if play in Osijek at the Croatia Open Europe Youth Series on Friday Croatia will meet Belgium and Czechia will play against Azerbaijan in the finals of the Under 15 and Under 13 Mixed Teams events. In Under 15 Croatia overcame Germany 5:3. Gabriel MARJANOVIC Victoria PUSTAJ Mara MARKOVANOVIC Mark MARCEC beat Germany’s team with Elisa MEYER Laura MILOS Lisanne TSCHIMPKE Terry CHOI Matthis KASSENS and Daniel NAGY. Belgium’s Maxime DEGIVE Charles JANSSENS Lilly LAFFINEUR and Alicia WARRAND prevailed against Slovenia’s Luka JOKIC Lana SLATINSEK Ana LESKOSEK and Bor BRODNJAK. In B finals Montenegro/Croatia will meet Greece. In Under 13 event Czechia’s Boor Lucie SYKOROVA Simona HOLUBOVA Oliver OLEJNIK and Filip RACAK prevailed against Belgium’s Yasmine CORYN Antoine LELEUX Zhanapraia SANZAROWSKI and Noan PIETTE. They will meet Azerbaijan’s Onur GULUZADE Khadija EYLAZOVA Tunar BAGHIROV and Yaghmur MAMMADLI in the final. Croatia’s first team with Petar ZIDARIC Lana BENKO Matija VOLF and Viktorija OSLAKOVIC had consolation in bronze. The winner of the B final is Montenegro/Croatia. They overcame Croatia 3 in “little” final.
Belgium moved to semis after fantastic recovery against Greece
On the second day of play in Osijek at the Croatia Open Europe Youth Series most dramatic match had been seen in the opening round of the Under 13 Mixed team event finals. Belgium moved to semis by beating Greece/Croatia 5:4 after being down1:4. In the penultimate round they will meet Czechia whilst Croatia 1 will meet Azerbaijan. Loreta MANDIC Ioannis-Panagiotis KIOSELOGLOU and Nera VUJASINOVIC gave Greece Croatia team very good start but then Yasmine CORYN Antoine LELEUX Zhanapraia SANZAROWSKI and Noan PIETTE created remarkable recovery to push Belgium to the next stage. Azerbaijan’s Onur GULUZADE Khadija EYLAZOVA Tunar BAGHIROV and Yaghmur MAMMADLI secured 5:1 win over Slovenia. In Under 15 Mixed team event Belgium is also through to the semis after the victory over Croatia 2. Belgium’s Maxime DEGIVE Charles JANSSENS Lilly LAFFINEUR and Alicia WARRAND prevailed against Andrej MRKIC Andrea ORBANIC and Zvonimir KRAMARIC. They will meet Slovenia in the semis. In other semi final Croatia 1 will play against Germany. Croatia 1 with Gabriel MARJANOVIC Victoria PUSTAJ Mara MARKOVANOVIC Mark MARCEC overcame Croatia 3 with Deni VALE Nikolina MILICEVIC Franka MISKIC and Luka TEPES.
ETTU and Table Tennis Cup (TT-Cup) Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Promote Table Tennis in Europe
The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) and Table Tennis Cup (TT-Cup) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to popularize table tennis in Europe and provide the best athletes with consistent match practices to improve their skills. The MoU also aims to promote these events and discover new European talents. The signing of this MoU marks a milestone in the efforts of both ETTU and TT-Cup to promote and develop table tennis in Europe. Under the terms of the MoU ETTU and TT-Cup will work closely together to organize tournaments and other events that promote table tennis at the local and regional levels. “We are happy to partner with Table Tennis Cup which has already featured some of the best table tennis players around the globe to promote table tennis in Europe ” said Pedro MOURA acting President of ETTU. “Our goal is to provide the best local athletes with consistent match practices. We believe this partnership will help us achieve that goal and discover new talents in Europe and give them extra experience on international table tennis. Both entities will work together to promote the principles of fair play in all activities related to the table tennis tournaments.” The MoU will also have a very positive impact on all the solidarity causes that ETTU is currently involved in as the partnership will enable ETTU to reach a wider audience and engage more people in its efforts to promote table tennis and support its social causes.
2024 Europe Youth Top 10 awarded to Poland’s Grodzisk Mazowiecki
The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) Executive Board has announced that the 2024 Europe Youth Top 10 will be hosted by Poland’s Table Tennis Association. The competition is set to take place in Grodzisk Mazowiecki which is the home town of the Bogoria Dartom Grodzisk Mazowiecki table tennis club. The venue for the 2024 Europe Youth Top 10 will be the Sport and Entertainment Hall of Social Integration and Activation Center in Grodzisk Mazowiecki. The area of the venue is 1906 square meters and it has a capacity of 1500 seats. “We are very pleased that the European Table Tennis Union Executive Board once again appreciated the Polish Table Tennis Association. Granting us the right to organize the TOP 10 shows that our organization belongs to the group that sets the direction for the development of table tennis in Europe. The host city of the TOP 10 will be Grodzisk Mazowiecki home town of Miłosz REDZIMSKI U21 European Champion and Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki club. Therefore I ensure we will provide the highest standard of the event and full stands. The tournament will be played in new sport arena opened last year so we will have perfect opportunity to show it in Europe. I would like to invite you all to visit Grodzisk Mazowiecki next autumn ” said Polish Table Tennis Federation President Dariusz SZUMACHER . Four events will take place including Boys and Girls Under 15 and Under 19 with participants invited according to their rankings. Poland has a proven track record when it comes to hosting major table tennis competitions. The country successfully organized the European Championships in Gdansk/Sopt in 2011 and more recently European Championships in Warsaw in 2022. The decision to award the 2024 Europe Youth Top 10 is testament to the country’s continued commitment to the growth and promotion of the sport.
Mixed teams events heated up the atmosphere in Osijek
The opening day of the play at the Europe Youth Series – Croatia Open in Osijek the Group stage in both Mixed Teams in Under 13 and Under 15 Events was concluded. In the Under 13 Mixed Doubles Teams Event in A Finals Czechia and Croatia will be free in the quarterfinal. Belgium will meet Greece-Croatia Team and Azerbaijan will play against Slovenia. In Under 15 Event Germany and Slovenia will be free in the opening round whilst in remaining quarterfinals Croatia 1 will play against Croatia 3 and Belgium will meet Croatia 2. In group Stage Czechia’s Lucie SYKOROVA Simona HOLUBOVA Oliver OLEJNIK and Filip RACAK recorded two 5:0 wins over Slovenia and Croatia 3. In Group 2 Croatia’s Viktorija OSLAKOVIC Lana BENKO Petar ZIDARIC and Matija VOLF overcame Belgium 3:2 and combined Montenegro/Croatia team 5:0. Azerbaijan’s Onur GULUZADE Khadija EYLAZOVA Tunar BAGHIROV and Yaghmur MAMMADLI beat Greece-Croatia’s team 3:2 Portugal 4:1 and Croatia 2 5:0. In B Finals Croatia 2 will play against Montenegro/Croatia and Portugal will meet Croatia 3. In Under 15 Mixed Teams Event in Group Stage Germany’s Elisa MEYER Laura MILOS Lisanne TSCHIMPKE Terry CHOI Matthis KASSENS and Daniel NAGY booked the top position by overcoming Montenegro Croatia 4:1 and after losing from Croatia 2- 2:3. In Group 2 Slovenia’s Ana LESKOSEK Lana SLATINSEK Bor BRODNJAK Luka JOKIC Mark MARCEC recorded three wins. They overcame Croatia 1 – 4:1 Greece 3:2 and North Macedonia 5:0. In Group 3 Belgium’s Maxime DEGIVE Charles JANSSENS Lilly LAFFINEUR and Alicia WARRAND prevailed against Croatia 3 -3:2 Georgia 4:1 and Germany/Croatia 4:1. In B finals Montenegro Greece and Germany are free in first round whilst Georgia will meet North Macedonia.
European youth took stage in Osijek
The premiere tournament of the Europe Youth Series commenced this morning in Osijek. Under 13 Mixed Teams Event opened the competition followed by Under 15 Mixed Teams Event. The opening day in Osijek is completely reserved for Mixed Events. You can follow the action live with four camera production on table one at ettu.tv The results are available here
European Youth series kick off in Osijek
Get ready for an exciting new tournament series for young players in Europe. The first tournament of the Europe Youth series which aims to give young tennis players an opportunity to gain experience and recognition will kick off tomorow. The first tournament is taking place in Osijek Croatia and it is organized by the Table Tennis Association of Croatia and under the authority of the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU). ETTU have made it their mission to provide a platform for young players to showcase their skills and give them a competitive edge in the sport. The venue for the Osijek tournament is the beautiful Gradski vrt and we all can look forward to watching some nail-biting matches as young talents compete for the top spot. The tournament will begin with the first round of the Group Stage in Mixed Teams events in Under 13 and Under 15 categories. The Group Stage of Under 15 Boys and Girls Singles is scheduled for Friday with Doubles matches starting soon thereafter. Players from Azerbaijan Croatia Czechia Belgium Cyprus Germany Georgia Greece Montenegro Portugal Slovenia and Hungary will compete in the tournament with 53 players in the Under 15 Boys Singles event 42 players in the Under 15 Girls Singles event 29 players in the Under 13 Boys event and 21 players in the Under 13 Girls event. The organizers have expressed their excitement about the tournament and believe that it will be a great opportunity for young players to play many matches against the adversaries same age from all over the Europe. The tournament series will showcase some of the most talented young table tennis players in Europe with events planned in Serbia Czechia Greece and Turkiye following the Osijek tournament. The first tournament of this new series promises to be an exciting event so make sure to follow the results and stories from Osijek Croatia starting on April 26.
ETTU is launching an Open Tender for the 2024 Men and Women Champions League Final 4
The European Table Tennis Union is launching an Open Tender for the 2024 Men and Women Champions League Final 4. The Open Tender is open to Member Associations Clubs Regional and National Governments and other interested parties to participate in the bidding process. The ETTU Executive Board has made a strategic decision to address the calendar constraints faced by European table tennis club competitions due to late international event scheduling. These issues have been exacerbated by the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games. To streamline the next season’s club competition the Executive Board has decided to implement the Final 4 which will replace the home and away semi-finals and finals.This decision is part of ETTU’s preparation for implementing the 2023-2028 Strategic Plan and a future ETTU marketing and media rights contract under the guidance of expert advisors. All ETTU events including the Champions Leagues are under consideration to create a better product for the market. In addition to the increased fan engagement and media coverage hosting the Final 4 provides more opportunities for revenue generation including ticket sales sponsorships and media rights. Access the tender document here The deadline to receive applications is Monday 5th June.
PT Espoo won the Finnish Championship League
PT Espoo won the final tournament of the Finnish Championship League organized on Saturday 22nd April at the Ruskeasuo Sports Hall Helsinki. In the semi-finals the PT Espoo defeated Kaiku from Turku 4-1 and in the final match Kaiku from Koski Tl 4-2. OPT-86 located in Oulu took the third place. Arttu PIHKALA Aleksi RÄSÄNEN Mika RÄSÄNEN and Toni SOINE played for PT Espoo’s champion team during the season. On Saturday PIHKALA and Alex NAUMI (KoKa) won all their four matches. “It is great to win a Championship. This was the first title for Arttu and me. First we had an easy victory over TuKa and then we showed an impressive performance from the whole team in the final. We are very satisfied with the championship ” Aleksi Räsänen said. The winner of the first division HIK Pingis (Hanko) will be promoted to the Championship League next season replacing PT Vantaa (TIP-70’s 2nd team) who finished on the eighth position in the regular season. TIP-70 kept the league position through the qualifiers. PT Espoo’s 2nd team will be seen as a new team on the Finnish top level next season – it dropped KoKa’s 2nd team to the first division in the qualifiers. Finnish Championship League finals and qualifiers 2023 Semi-finals: PT Espoo – Turun Kaiku 4-1 Kosken Kaiku – OPT-86 4-2 Final match: PT Espoo – Kosken Kaiku 4-2 bronze match: OPT-86 – Turun Kaiku 4-1 Qualifiers: 1. TIP-70 2. PT Espoo II 3. PT Koski (Kosken Kaiku II) 4. PT Helsinki
