On the second day of play at the JOOLA Europe Youth Series in Riga, the Mixed Teams champions were crowned. Spain triumphed in the Under 13 category, while the combined team of Germany, Denmark, and Serbia secured the title in the Under 15 event. Both teams lived up to their top-seeded status. In the Under 15 competition, David CAPANDA, Svejna HEP, Charlie FRISK, and Lotta ROTHFUSS emerged at the top of the standings with two wins and one defeat. The silver medal went to the joint team of Latvia and Finland, represented by Maksims SUSINOVS, Selina TAPINA, Jimi KOIVUMAKI, and Anastasija ZIBUNOVA, who achieved five victories in six matches. Denmark, with Zacharias AL MOALEM, Victor BARTHOLOMÆUSSEN, Sofie JØRGENSEN, and Victoria BARTHOLOMÆUSSEN, took the bronze. In the Under 13 Mixed Teams event, top seeds Spain—Javier GALAN, Alexander MALOV, Aina CASANOVAS, and Celia VALPUESTA—emerged victorious. Sweden’s team of Leah TULEFALT, Saga BLANCK, Noel ISAKSSON, Zac HALLÉN, Esther WARENFELDT, and Filip AROSELL claimed silver. Bronze medals went to Portugal’s Tiago MORAIS, Nuria MADEIRA, and Matilde SOUSA, as well as Lithuania 1, represented by Karina MILTO, Kaja TVOROGAL, Motiejus ADAMONIS, and Mindaugas STONYS. See pictures here.
ETTU President MOURA: ITTF Executive Board Meeting Reaffirms Unity and Progress
ETTU President Pedro MOURA, attending the ITTF Executive Board meeting in his role as President of the European Table Tennis Union, underlined the importance of unity and progress at a decisive moment for world table tennis. “This was a crucial meeting, demonstrating that our sport had a great summer despite the interruption of the AGM in Doha last May. As ETTU President, I feel positive about the governance progress ITTF President Petra SÖRLING is implementing in such difficult circumstances. We are ready to have a constructive approach to the current situation, working towards unity in our beloved sport. It’s time to stop the gossip,” MOURA stated. The ITTF Executive Board met on 18 August 2025 with the ITTF President, Deputy President, Executive Vice-Presidents, CEO, Secretary General, and Presidents of the Continental Federations in attendance. Governance Updates Significant work has been undertaken to address matters relating to the resumption of the 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM), in consultation with an international Swiss-based law firm. During the meeting, it was clarified that this responsibility lies with the Chair of the AGM, Graham Symons, who indicated he is considering an online format for the continuation. He will wait for the decision of the ITTF Tribunal before confirming the date and modality. In recent weeks, the ITTF Tribunal appointed a Hearing Panel. The hearing will take place later this month, with a decision expected once the panel has deliberated. The patience and support of Member Associations during this process are greatly appreciated. For further reference, Division 2 of the ITTF Tribunal Regulations provides details on the stages of this procedure. A Brilliant Summer for Table Tennis Besides these governance matters, ITTF has maintained business continuity and strong momentum. The past months have demonstrated our capacity to deliver: The ITTF remains committed to delivering on the objectives of its Strategic Plan while ensuring the smooth delivery of day-to-day operations. ITTF is confident that, by working together, we will overcome the remaining challenges and continue to grow table tennis worldwide. Expanding on the brilliant Summer for Table Tennis.
2025 JOOLA Europe Youth Series – Riga Open Kicks Off
The 2025 JOOLA EYS Riga Open officially began today at the Sport Hall of O. Kalpaks Riga Folk-Art Primary School, bringing together Europe’s most promising young talents in the U13 and U15 categories Across five days of competition (August 20–24), players will contest singles, doubles, and mixed events, with the first day dedicated to the group stages of the U15 and U13 mixed doubles The seeding highlights some of Europe’s brightest prospects: Spain’s Alexander MALOV, Slovakia’s Barbora Melisa GUASSARDO), lead their respective lists, as well as Sweden’s Joel ISAKSSON, and Switzerland’s Enya HU. With 12 competition tables and a packed schedule, Riga is set to host thrilling battles as rising stars fight for glory and ranking points in the JOOLA European Youth Series.
Elections for ETTU Athletes’ Commission Members to Take Place in 2025
The ETTU Athletes’ Commission, which serves as the official voice of athletes within European table tennis, will see five new members elected in 2025. The Commission plays a key role in representing player interests and ensuring their perspectives are included in decision-making processes across the sport. This year’s elections will fill four positions for able-bodied athletes and one position for a para table tennis athlete. Able-Bodied Athlete Elections – 4 Positions Voting will be open to all athletes participating in the 2025 European Championships. The top male and top female vote-getters will automatically be elected. The remaining two positions will go to the next highest-voted athletes, regardless of gender. To ensure fair representation, no more than one athlete per country can be elected. Para Athlete Election – 1 Position The para-athlete representative will be elected during the 2025 European Para Championships in Helsingborg. Voting will be conducted in person at the competition venue. The candidate with the highest number of votes will secure the position. Able-Bodied Athlete Candidates Para Table Tennis Athlete Candidates The ETTU has published a dedicated document containing photos, background details, and personal statements from all candidates, allowing voters to learn more about their prospective representatives before making their choice. These elections are a significant opportunity for European table tennis players to shape the future of their sport by selecting representatives who will advocate for their needs, rights, and ambitions.
Tjejfestivalen 2025 – Sweden’s Biggest TT Festival for Women and Girls Concludes in Halmstad
Halmstad was the vibrant stage for the third edition of PING PONG POWER’s “Tjejraketen” National Festival, held from 8 to 12 August 2025, once again confirming its status as Sweden’s largest table tennis festival for girls and women. Organised by the Swedish Table Tennis Association, the event brought together 165 participants aged from just 7 to 79, supported by 20 coaches – 17 of them women. Over five days of training, competition, and social activities, matches were played on 87 tables across three halls, creating an inspiring celebration of female participation in table tennis. ETTU Deputy Secretary General Galia Dvorak attended the festival and spoke with great enthusiasm: “I had heard a lot about Tjejfestivalen, but it’s something you must experience yourself. I’ve never been to an event with so many women, let alone in table tennis. This initiative is truly inspiring, and I look forward to exploring ways to internationalise it or replicate it elsewhere in Europe.” With 80 tables across three halls at Halmstad Arena, the festival created a dynamic and inclusive environment, staying true to its vision – “Together We Are Stronger”. Participants also enjoyed accommodation at Profil Hotels Halmstad Plaza, with a full programme designed to combine sporting development with community spirit. Head of Female Development at the Swedish Table Tennis Association and National Team Coach for U15 Girls, Maria Christoforaki, reflected on the conclusion of the event: “Another successful festival is now part of history — by making history! It’s unbelievable to see this initiative grow year by year. The happiness, laughter, and enthusiasm it brings to hundreds of people, both players and coaches, is the greatest reward I could ask for, and it motivates me to give my very best to develop female table tennis in Sweden. Table tennis knows no age or level — it is both a sport and a game. It brings people together… and together we are stronger!” Tjejfestivalen 2025 not only celebrated table tennis but also emphasised the importance of joy, cooperation, and respect in sport.
Reigning Champions Saarbrücken Return Stronger: 2025/26 ETTU Champions League Men Team Rosters
The 2025/26 season of the ETTU Champions League Men is about to begin, and the title defence by 1. FC Saarbrücken TT headlines what promises to be another spectacular campaign. The complete team rosters can be found here. Reigning Champions with a Star-Packed Line-Up The German club returns as the top seed after lifting the trophy for the past three seasons. Now, 1. FC Saarbrücken TT come back even more powerful—with a squad that reads like a who’s who of global table tennis. Saarbrücken has added one of the sport’s biggest names: FAN Zhendong, the reigning Olympic and World Champion, who boasts three Olympic and nine World Championship gold medals. Completing the team are Europe’s No. 1, Sweden’s charismatic Truls MOREGÅRD, No. 4 Darko JORGIC of Slovenia, and Germany’s own Patrick FRANZISKA (No. 6 in Europe). Romanian talent Eduard IONESCU and Japanese defender Yuto MURAMATSU round out what is arguably the strongest roster in European club competition. Borussia Düsseldorf, the six-time Champions League winners and six-time Europe Cup of Champions titleholders, return as the No. 2 seed—this time without Timo BOLL. After missing out in the last three finals, they are back with a proven trio: Dang QIU (Europe’s No. 8), Anton KÄLLBERG (Europe’s No. 7), and American Kanak JHA. Borussia remains one of the most decorated and consistent teams in the competition’s history. Top Contenders Across the Board KS Dartom Bogoria Mazowiecki (Poland), last year’s HYLO Champions League Final 4 semi-finalists, are led by Milosz REDZIMSKI (ER 18), Panagiotis GIONIS (ER 36), and Marek BADOWSKI. Just one place lower in the seedings, KS Dekorglass Działdowo, 2025 quarter-finalists, boost Poland’s presence. Their line-up includes Croatia’s Tomislav PUCAR (ER 17), China’s Yingchao HOU, and Poland’s Samuel KULCZYCKI and Jakub DYJAS. Austria’s SolexConsult TTC Wiener Neustadt, seeded No. 5, feature Romania’s Andrei ISTRATE (ER 54), alongside Slovenia’s Peter HRIBAR, Iran’s Navid SHAMS, and Japan’s Shunsuke OKANO. Another HYLO Champions League Final 4 semi-finalist, KS Bank Spółdzielczy Orlicz 1924 Suchedniów, counts on Deni KOZUL (ER 28) and Mateusz ZALEWSKI (ER 109), with reinforcements from Korea’s Seungmin CHO (WR 69) and Japan’s Kazuhiro YOSHIMURA (WR 103). GV Hennebont TT (France), seeded No. 7, bring a strong international lineup including Simon GAUZY (ER 16), Yuanyu CHEN (WR 19), Rubio WEN (WR 35), and Qihao ZHOU (WR 40). HB Ostrov (Czechia), last season’s ETTU Europe Cup Men winners, are seeded No. 8 with Australia’s Fin LUU (WR 44), Vladislav URSU (ER 47), and Pavel SIRUCEK (ER 76). AS Pontoise CERGY TT (France) leads with Liam PITCHFORD (ER 19), supported by Quadri ARUNA and Czechia’s Tomas POLANSKY. Post SV Mühlhausen (Germany), seeded No. 10, field Marcos FREITAS (ER 12), Ovidiu IONESCU (ER 30), and Gaoyuan LIN (WR 26), bringing world-class depth. SPG Felbemayr Wels (Austria), seeded No. 11, are led by Maciej KOLODZIEJCZYK (ER 74) and Felix WETZEL (ER 197). SF SKK El Nino Praha, seeded No. 12, feature Yevhen PRYSHCHEPA (ER 152). Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier TT, seeded No. 13, are guaranteed to attract attention with the explosive LEBRUN brothers, Félix (ER 2) and Alexis ER 3), spearheading their campaign. 24 Clubs, One Title – The Race Begins A total of 24 clubs will compete in the 2025/26 ETTU Champions League Men. The action begins from 29 to 31 August 2025, with Stage 1 hosted in Novi Sad, Serbia, alongside the Women’s Champions League. You can see the Stage 1 draw [here]. Stage 1, features four groups of four clubs each, seeded from position 9 onward. The top eight seeded clubs are directly qualified for the Round of 16. The top two teams from each Stage 1 group will progress to the Round of 16, joining the eight top seeds. From that point, the Champions League Men will follow a knock-out system with two-legged ties in the Round of 16 and quarterfinals. The four winners will advance to the Final 4. With Olympic champion, World Top 10 players, rising stars, and Europe’s elite clubs in action, the 2025/26 season is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent memory. From the opening match to the final showdown, fans can expect high-level drama, intensity, and pure table tennis excellence.
ETTU Champions League Women 2025/26 Season Set to Begin: Europe’s Elite Clubs Ready for Action
The 2025/26 season of the ETTU Champions League Women is about to begin, and with it comes a significant step forward in the evolution of European club competitions. As part of its ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence, ETTU is introducing the Final 4 format to the Champions League Women for the first time, following the successful implementation of the concept in the Champions League Men two years ago. This major development highlights ETTU’s dedication to enhancing visibility, competitiveness, and prestige in the women’s club competition landscape. With the European Club Rankings determining the seedings stage is set for thrilling encounters, high-calibre performances, and fierce competition from the very first serve. The full team rosters can be found here. At the top of the seeding list is KTS Enea Siarkopol Tarnobrzeg (POL), a dominant force in recent years with four ETTU Champions League titles. With Olympic silver medallist and defensive star Ying HAN (ER 6) leading the squad, joined by Japan’s Satsuki ODO (WR 9) and Portugal’s veteran Fu YU (ER 12), they enter as title favourites. Last year, they lost their crown in the semifinals to the 2025 winners, Germany’s ttc berlin eastside. This year, they will try to regain their title with the reinforcement of ODO, who is a silver medallist at the 2025 World Championships in Doha and a two-time gold medallist at the 2024 Asian Games in Astana. Last season’s finalists, Metz TT (FRA), who also finished as runners-up in 2023, are seeded No. 2, featuring France’s star Charlotte LUTZ (ER 16), Egypt’s Hana GODA (WR 24), Romania’s Adina DIACONU (ER 26), and Luxembourg’s Sarah De NUTTE (ER 42), bringing together an impressive multinational lineup. Reigning champions, Germany’s ttc berlin eastside, return as serious contenders with a strong roster, including Japan’s Miyuu KIHARA (WR 20), a new reinforcement serving as a strong response to KTS Enea Siarkopol Tarnobrzeg’s addition of ODO. KIHARA clinched bronze in Doubles at the 2025 World Championships, as well as bronze in 2023 in Durban, and two silver medals in the Team World Championships in 2022 (Chengdu) and 2024 (Busan). Nina MITTELHAM (ER 9), Natalia BAJOR (ER 14), and Xiaona SHAN (ER 13) continue to anchor the team’s ambitions. Serbia’s Sabina SURJAN (ER 37), Mia GRIESEL (ER 53), and China’s Weishan LIU (WR 55) are also listed. ttc berlin eastside has clinched the Champions League Women title six times in the club’s history. Seeded at position No. 4 is Etival ASRTT (FRA), spearheaded by Portugal’s Jieni SHAO (ER 9), Sweden’s Christina KÄLLBERG (ER 22), and Australia’s Liu YANGZI. ETTU Champions League semifinalists Saint-Quentin TT are listed as the No. 5 seed, with Linda BERGSTRÖM (ER 11), Barbora VARADY (ER 41), and Camille LUTZ (ER 51) in the line-up. Two-time ETTU Champions League winners, Linz AG Froschberg (AUT), feature Thai star Suthasini SAWETTABUT (WR 126), Dutch ace Britt EERLAND (ER 20), and Croatia’s Ivana MALOBABIC (ER 31). Among the top eight are No. 7 seed ASD Quattro Mori Cagliari, with Tania PLAIAN (ER 111) and Elizabet ABRAAMIAN (WR 126), and No. 8 seed UCAM Cartagena T.M. (ESP), which includes Maria XIAO (ER 8), Tin-Tin HO (ER 49), and Daniela ORTEGA (WR 106)—all aiming for a deep run. Seeded at position No. 12 is French club Saint Denis TT, with Prithika PAVADE (ER 7), Hana ARAPOVIC (ER 33), and China’s Siqi FAN (WR 33), one of the favourites despite their team seeding. The French club clinched the Europe Cup Women’s title last season, repeating their success from the 2020/21 season. The action begins from 29 to 31 August 2025, with Stage 1 hosted in Novi Sad, Serbia, alongside the Men’s Champions League. You can see the Stage 1 draw here. In the 2025/26 season, clubs seeded from positions 9 to 16 will compete in Stage 1, consisting of two groups of four teams. The group winner and runners-up will join the automatically qualified top eight seeds in Stage 2 in which there will be four groups made up of three clubs in each. The winners and runners-up from each Stage 2 group will qualify for the quarterfinals, which will be played as home-and-away matches. The winning teams will then proceed to the Final 4.
Dang QIU defeats World No. 1 Shidong LIN
Germany’s Dang QIU has reached the quarterfinals of the WTT Champions tournament in Yokohama with a surprise victory over world number one Shidong LIN (China). For the 2022 European Champion, it was his first win against the Asian star in their fourth encounter. World No. 13 Dang QIU prevailed in an equally thrilling and high-quality battle against the world’s top-ranked player, winning 13:11, 4:11, 6:11, 11:6, 12:10. After his impressive performance, the 28-year-old said: “The match against LIN went very well. I’m in good shape and feel in great form here in Yokohama. Now I’m looking forward to the match against Kanak JHA.” In the battle for a place in the semifinals, the two Borussia Düsseldorf teammates will meet in the early hours of Sunday. Dang QIU will face his new club colleague Kanak JHA (USA), against whom he has won both of their previous international encounters.
Media Accreditation Open for 2025 European Team Championships in Zadar
The media accreditation process for the 2025 European Team Championships, set to take place in Zadar on 12th October to 19th October, is open. Journalists, photographers, and professional social media content creators are invited to submit their applications via the official Championships site. In addition to traditional media representatives, a dedicated accreditation path is available for social media professionals. Accreditation will be granted by the ETTU and the LOC based on digital media criteria and space availability. Social Media Content Creators and Field of Play (FoP) Access To gain access to the Field of Play, social media content creators must: Once approved, content creators will receive official event bibs from the organizing committee. These bibs must be worn at all times while on the Field of Play and must be returned after each team’s match. Without an official bib, access to the FoP is strictly prohibited. Field of Play Regulations To ensure an undisturbed event environment, the following rules apply: ETTU reserves the right to revoke access or remove individuals who fail to comply with these rules. Access to Mixed Zones and Press Tribune Content creators may enter the mixed zone with prior approval from the ETTU Media Manager. They are also permitted to take photos from the press tribune, provided they do so discreetly and without disrupting others. Social Media Collaboration and Tagging Guidelines All accredited content creators are asked to:
ETTU to Launch Coach Education System in 2025
ETTU is proud to announce the launch of the ETTU Coach Education System (CES), developed in cooperation with ASCENT Academy, with implementation starting in 2025. You can see the document here. The CES provides a structured pathway for the education and certification of European table tennis coaches at three levels, covering participation, performance development, and high-performance coaching. Each level combines online learning modules in key areas of sport science with in-person practical sessions focused on table tennis-specific content. ETTU will offer a number of scholarships to support the participation of eligible candidates. Further information, including application guidelines, course calendar, and selection criteria, will be shared shortly. We encourage you to identify suitable candidates and to forward this information to coaches or former players who may be interested.
