The European Table Tennis Union, together with the Romanian Table Tennis Federation, will host the Eurotalents Development Camp II in Izvorani, Romania, from 5–11 October 2025 The camp will bring together some of the most talented young players in Europe, all selected for the Eurotalents 2025 Program. Among the girls are Adela BRYHELOVA (CZE), Albane ROCHUT and Lisa ZHAO (FRA), Alexandra STOIAN and Nadalia IONASCU (ROU), Armin AYDIN, Aybige Fedride ÜSTÜNDAĞ and Ela Su YONTER (TUR), Bianca BACSOVA (SVK), Izabell IVANICS and Zsófia FEGYVER (HUN), Karla IVCIC (CRO), Khadija BABAZADE (AZE) and Temperance TANG (BEL). Representing the boys’ side are Ahmet Yigit GULENLER, Ali Enes SEREN and Aras AYDIN (TUR), Alexander MALOV, Javier GALÁN and Ladimir MAYOROV (ESP), Alexandru POP (ROU), Dimitar DIMITROV (ENG), Marin JEAN and Simon CLIN (FRA), Motiejus ADAMONIS (LTU), Pietro CAMPAGNA (ITA), Reah Krol SHAHAR (ISR), Simon ZSIGMOND (HUN) and Stefan BONCHEV (BUL). Training will be led by Head Coach Bogdan ALBESCU, with support from Assistant Coach Istvan GYORGY and Physical Coach Andrei GHERASE. Sessions are scheduled daily at the Romanian Olympic Centre “Sydney 2000”, a facility located just outside Bucharest. Associations should note the key administrative dates: wildcard requests must be submitted by 15 September 2025, entries close on 21 September 2025, and cancellations are possible until 28 September 2025
Continental Stars Ready for Battle at the European Team Championships in Zadar
In just over a month, the top continental players will gather for another edition of the European Team Table Tennis Championships. The city of Zadar, Croatia, will host the Championships from 12 to 19 October. Two years ago, Germany’s women’s team equaled Hungary’s record with a ninth title in history. With stars such as Europe’s No. 3 Sabine WINTER, No. 6 Ying HAN, and No. 9 Nina MITTELHAM, the reigning champions aim to become the most decorated team since the inaugural edition in 1958. They will be joined by Yuan WAN and Annett KAUFMANN. In the 2024 Malmo final, Germany overcame Romania. The five-time champions return led by Europe’s No. 2 Bernadette SZOCS and No. 5 Elizabeta SAMARA, alongside Adina DIACONU, Andreea DRAGOMAN, and Ioana SINGEORZAN. Bronze medalists from Sweden in 2023, Portugal will be represented by Jieni SHAO and Fu YU, ranked 11th and 12th in Europe, as well as Ines MATOS and Matilde PINTO. Portugal is still chasing its first gold. France, also a semifinalist two years ago, will arrive in Zadar with European No. 4 Jia Nan YUAN, No. 8 Prithika PAVADE, and Camille LUTZ, Charlotte LUTZ, and Audrey ZARIF. Austria, without Europe’s No. 1 Sofia POLCANOVA in 2023, fell in the Round of 16 against France. This time, POLCANOVA is joined by Yuan LIU, Karoline MISCHEK, and Nina SKERBINZ. The host nation, Croatia, will feature Hana ARAPOVIĆ, Dora ĆOSIĆ, Mateja JEGER MAJSTOROVIĆ, Ivana MALOBABIĆ, and Lea RAKOVAC. Spain will rely on Maria XIAO, ranked No. 7 in Europe, together with Maria BERZOSA, Ainhoa CRISTOBAL, Elvira Fiona RAD, and Sofia-Xuan ZHANG.
U23 Para-Eurotalents Development Camp in Havířov
From September 7 to 12, the U23 Para-Eurotalents Development Camp is taking place at the National Training Center in Havířov. 25 players from 10 European countries are participating. This is the first time that the Czech Republic has hosted a similar camp for para table tennis players. “We have already organized several successful ETTU youth camps and we are very happy that we also succeeded in the selection process for the para table tennis camp. In nearby Ostrava, we regularly organize the international tournament Czech Para Open, which is why we wanted to help talented male and female para table tennis players develop in this way as well,” says Nikolas ENDAL, president of the Czech Table Tennis Association. The head coach of ETTU at the camp is Ela MADJSKA, who is assisted by Sanda ERBSA, Chinese coach XU Kai and, of course, the coaches of the individual expeditions. “For young players, such camps are very important. They have the opportunity to train with different sparring partners, meet players from other countries and advance their training methods. It is also similar for us coaches. We discuss training plans, exchange experiences and see each other’s work style. This year there were supposed to be two camps for the U23 category, but unfortunately there is only one in Havířov,” said Ela MADJSKA. The level of individual players and players is different. The camp includes members of senior national teams, but also participants who still have a lot of work to do before entering international competition. “That is also one of the meanings of such meetings. Players who are weaker in terms of performance see what is still ahead of them, while the better ones have the opportunity for quality preparation. I think we will see several of them in November this year at the European Championships in Helsingsborg, which is the highlight of this year for para players,” continues Ela MADJSKA.
Player Power on Display: Europe’s Best Gather for Zadar 2025
The 2025 European Team Table Tennis Championships will be staged in Zadar, Croatia, from 12 to 19 October, organised by the Croatian Table Tennis Association under the authority of the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU). The matches will be played at the Dvorana Krešimira Ćosića. A total of 24 men’s teams and 24 women’s teams have qualified. Among them are traditional powerhouses such as Germany, Sweden, France, Romania, as well as the hosts Croatia, England, Italy and others will also compete. Sweden, hosts of the 2023 edition and reigning men’s champions, will once again be among the favourites. Their line-up includes Truls MOREGÅRD, Anton KÄLLBERG, Mattias FALCK and Kristian KARLSSON. Moregård is currently Europe’s No. 1 player, with KÄLLBERG ranked No. 7, KARLSSON at No. 20, and FALCK at No. 29. Sweden is also the most decorated country in the history of men’s team events, with 15 titles so far. Germany, runners-up at the 2023 event in Malmö, travel to Zadar with one of the strongest squads in Europe. Benedikt DUDA is their highest-ranked player at No. 5 in Europe, followed by Patrick FRANZISKA (No. 6), Dang QIU (No. 8) and Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (No. 9). With nine titles already in the history of European men’s team events, Germany remains a constant contender. France, who won bronze in Malmö, will once again rely on the LEBRUN brothers, Félix and Alexis, currently ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in Europe. They will be joined by the experienced Simon Gauzy, ranked No. 13. France wopn three titles so far, but the last one in 1998. Portugal, another medal-winning team from the last Championships, will be led by Marcos FREITAS (No. 12 in Europe), supported by João GERALDO (No. 24), Tiago APOLONIA and João MONTEIRO. This group of players was also part of the team that claimed the historic European title in Lisbon in 2014. Croatia will count on home support in Zadar. Their top players are Andrej GAĆINA (No. 16 in Europe), Tomislav PUCAR (No. 18) and Frane KOJIĆ. With two players inside the continental Top 20, Croatia aims to challenge for a strong finish in front of their fans. This year’s Championships also carry additional importance. The top 16 men’s and women’s teams in Zadar will qualify for the 2026 World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals in London. If England finishes inside the top 16, a special playoff for 17th place will be staged on 17 October.
DRAW for ETTU Champions League Stage 2
We are pleased to invite you to the ETTU Champions League Stage 2 Draw, which will take place on Wednesday, 17 September, at 11:00 CEST. The draw will be streamed live on ETTU TV. It will be conducted in accordance with the official seeding list and the ETTU Champions League 2025/2026 directives,11.
ETTU offers an online Basic Umpire Course
Table tennis is experiencing strong growth across Europe, with an increasing number of players, events, and competitions at every level. This success would not be possible without the dedication and professionalism of our umpires, who play a crucial role in ensuring fairness, quality, and the spirit of our sport. Recognising the importance of umpires in the continued development of table tennis, ETTU is pleased to offer an online Basic Umpire Course for all interested associations. With this initiative, we aim to support our Member Associations by strengthening their pool of trained officials and encouraging new generations to join the umpiring community. We warmly invite your association to take part in this course and to encourage candidates who are motivated to begin their umpiring journey. The Basic Umpire Course will be offered online (3 sessions of 4 hours) and includes self-studying (approx 4 hours). At the end, candidates will finalise with a written examination and will receive a certificate. Additionally, all interested Member Associations can also ask for a self-funded on-site development activity. If you have interested candidates for the online Basic Umpire Course, please send us the names of the participants and contact email no later than Saturday, 20.09.2025 to projects@ettu.org We look forward to your participation and to working together in developing the future of table tennis officiating in Europe.
ETTU Champions League Stage 1 Opens European Club Season in Novi Sad
For the past three days, the European club scene was under the spotlight as Stage 1 of the ETTU Champions League took place in Novi Sad. The 2025/2026 season kick-off brought together 32 clubs in both the Men’s and Women’s Events. In the Men’s Event, eight clubs, winners and runners-up from four groups, qualified for the Round of 16, where the top eight seeds will join them in the knockout stage. The clubs that did not qualify will move on to Stage 2 of the Europe Cup. In the Women’s Event, four clubs—winners and runners-up from two groups, advanced to Stage 2, where they will be joined by the top eight seeds to form four new groups of three clubs each. Those who failed to qualify will also proceed to Stage 2 of the Europe Cup. All four group winners iof the Men’s groups, France’s Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier, Germany’s Post SV Mühlhausen 1951 e.V. and ASC Grünwettersbach, and Belgium’s TTC Sokah Hoboken, finished the opening stage undefeated. In the Women’s Event, STK Novi Sad concluded the tournament at the top of the group despite a defeat in the last round against Poland’s PGE Fibrain Ku AZS Politechnika Rzeszów. France’s representatives Saint-Denis TT 93 lived up to expectations, winning their group with three straight victories. You can find the photos here. QUALIFIED FOR THE ROUND OF 16 MEN Group winners Group runner ups QUALIFIED FOR STAGE 2 WOMEN Group winners Group runner ups
Saint-Denis TT 93 and Novi Sad Secure Second Wins at ETTU Champions League Stage 1
The ETTU Champions League Stage 1 continued with solid performances of the favorites in Novi Sad. Saint-Denis TT 93 recorded their second win in Group A in the opening round of the competition. The French side overcame Budaörsi Sport Club, leaving the Hungarian team still without a victory at the tournament. Hana ARAPOVIC opened the match with a win over Leila IMRE, Jie LI defeated Dora MADARASZ, and Agathe AVEZOU prevailed against Emma SZOSZNYAK. “I think I adjusted to IMRE’s game very quickly and well, so I am very satisfied with my performance. Overall, the whole team performed at a high level. LI had a good start, but in the third game MADARASZ found her rhythm and raised her level, before Jie regained control and sealed the match. Agathe was also fully on top of her task,” explained ARAPOVIC. Tomorrow, Saint-Denis TT 93 will face Mirandela. “I am the same generation as Ines MATOS, so I know her quality well. COMBA is a little younger, I have never played against her, but I watched her at tournaments, so I know what to expect. Anamarija ERDELJI belongs to another generation; I have not had the chance to see her play, but I’ve heard she is a very strong defensive player. That could be tricky, but if we keep playing at this level, we should not face big problems,” added ARAPOVIC. Coach Qiwen commented: “We are really happy with our first two matches — the results went even better than expected. Every player contributed a lot and performed very well. Hana is our new teammate, and although it was her first time playing with us, she adapted quickly and played excellently. LI Jie, as our experienced player, is always very reliable. Agathe has shown big improvement this time and kept a very stable performance throughout the matches. Tomorrow against Mirandela will be a tough clash, but we are motivated and will try our best to continue in the same spirit.” Portugal’s CTM Mirandela, meanwhile, fell to Spain’s MIRÓ Ganxets Costa Daurada. Olga VOROBEVA overcame Ana Marija ERDELJI’s defensive style to set the tone for the Spanish side. Andrea TODORIC defeated Ines MATOS, and Fiona Elvira RAD completed the 3–0 sweep by beating Mariana Santa COMBA. “Before the match, Olga said she preferred to play against ERDELJI’s defensive style, and it proved to be a good decision. She gave us a strong start. I had no problems against MATOS, even though we played for the first time. The same for RAD,” explained TODORIC. “Now we are focused on the match against Budaörsi Sport Club. This win against Mirandela opened the door to the next stage, but we still need to beat the Hungarian team.” Hosts STK Novi Sad also recorded their second win, defeating SKST Plus Hodonín in straight games after succeeding yesterday against STK Dr. Časl. Aneta MAKSUTI once again led her team with a win over Karin GROFOVA, Valeria SHCHERBATYKH beat Binyue ZHANG, and Valeria KOTCUR prevailed against Marketa SEVCIKOVA. In the last match of the day, Polish side PGE Fibrain KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszów secured their first victory, while STK Dr. Časl remains winless. Ganna HAPONOVA was the only scorer for the Croatian side, while Yerin KIM won two matches and Zuzanna WIELGOS added one more point.
Wins for Favorites Shape Round of 16 Line-Up on the second day of play in Novi Sad
On the second day of play at the ETTU Champions League Men Stage 1 in Novi Sad, most favorites already booked their places in the Round of 16. Germany’s Post SV Mühlhausen 1951 e.V. secured their qualification from Group A with a second consecutive victory. After defeating Polish side Dojlidy Białystok on opening day, the no. 3 seeds in Novi Sad overcame Slovakia’s STK Vyhne in straight matches. Ovidiu IONESCU edged Wie Chih YEH by golden point, Steffen MENGEL beat Filip SZYMANSKI, and Cheng-Ting LIAO prevailed against Adam KLAJBER. “Against YEH it was a very tough match, I think we both played at a good level. I am happy I won and I am sure it gave a boost to the whole team. We played with confidence after a tough match yesterday and we are happy with the results. The main goal was to be first in the group and we achieved it,” said IONESCU. In Group D, ASC Grünwettersbach claimed their second win in Novi Sad by beating French side AS Pontoise Cergy TT in straight matches. The highest-ranked team in Stage 1 is still without a win, while the German side leads the standings alongside tomorrow’s opponent, Real Club Cajasur Priego. Tiago APOLONIA overcame Alexandre CASSIN, Hiroto SHINOZUKA widened the gap with victory over Benjamin BROCHARD, and Ricardo WALTHER sealed the tie by defeating Flavio MOURIER. “We had two perfect games in two days. We are happy that we managed to win both matches 3–0, and I am glad I could give our team a good start by beating the opponents’ best players in both rounds,” said APOLONIA. WALTHER added: “We are very happy to win our second match and to qualify already for the Round of 16. That was our first goal. Now we want to fight tomorrow to finish 1st in our group.” In Group C, Belgium’s TTC Sokah Hoboken swept Croatia’s STK Starr. Gabrielius CAMARA, Rémi BETELU, and Benjamin BROSSIER all prevailed in straight matches against Tin ISLAMOVIC, Jaryl WONG, and Zvonimir KRAMARIC. Czech side SKST Havířov, represented by Gustavo GOMEZ, Štěpán BRHEL, and Michal BLINKA, also recorded a clean victory, defeating SPG Felbermayr Wels with Maciej KOŁODZIEJCZYK, Felix WETZEL, and Chia-Hao CHANG. Both Havířov and Sokah Hoboken remain unbeaten, and their direct clash tomorrow will decide the group leader. SPG Felbermayr Wels and STK Starr, both winless, are out of contention. In the last tie of the day, Alliance Nîmes/Montpellier overcame SF SKK El Niño Praha. Alexis LEBRUN, Manav THAKAR, and Antoine HACHARD defeated David REITSPIES, Yevhen PRYSHCHEPA, and Tomáš KONEČNÝ to keep the French team at the top of Group B with two wins. Italian side ASD TT Santa Tecla Nulvi, with Nicolas BURGOS, Petr FEDOTOV, and Tomáš KOLDAS, recorded their first victory by overcoming Denmark’s Bordtennis BTK 61 (Jens LUNDQVIST, Dominykas SAMUOLIS, and Tobias RASMUSSEN).
Fierce Battles Mark Opening of ETTU Champions League Women in Novi Sad
The ETTU Champions League Women’s historic season officially kicked off today in Novi Sad. Stage 1 marks the first step toward the inaugural ETTU Champions League Women Final 4. Top-seeded club SKST Plus Hodonín from Czechia justified their status, but only after a hard-fought battle against Poland’s PGE Fibrain KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszów. The Polish side had the better start, as 2013 European champion Fen LI defeated Karin GROFOVA. Binyue ZHANG then doubled the advantage with a win over Zuzanna WIELGOS, before Yerin KIM widened the gap to 2–1. At that point, LI and ZHANG looked ready to seal the victory, but LI was forced to withdraw due to injury. “I went for a smash, but then I felt pain in the arm ligament. I have a problem with my elbow. I hope I will be ready for tomorrow,” said LI. With the score tied at 2–2, WIELGOS and GROFOVA returned to the table. At 5–5 in the decisive game, GROFOVA seized the golden point to secure the win. “They call me the expert for the golden point. I rarely lose it,” GROFOVA said with a smile of relief. “WIELGOS is very strong in the service game, but the key was to return well, and I managed to do it.” Meanwhile, French side Saint-Denis TT 93 produced a commanding victory, sweeping Spain’s MIRÓ Ganxets Costa Daurada in straight matches. Hana ARAPOVIC, Jie LI, and Agathe AVEZOU dropped only one game in the process. Hosts STK Novi Sad overcame former Champions League winners, Croatia’s STK Dr. Časl, in a thrilling 3–2 victory. Aneta MAKSUTI gave the hosts a dream start. Experienced Szandra PERGEL pushed MAKSUTI to the full distance but failed to capitalize. “I’m really glad we started with a victory, we are all happy. My match was a bit uncertain — I was leading 2–0, and then I don’t know what happened. Szandra is very experienced, but at 5–3 for her in the fifth game I gave everything I had and managed to turn it around and win. I hope that gave some extra motivation to the team. My teammates played great, the atmosphere was fantastic, the crowd supported us, and this win was really important for us. I hope we will play just as well the day after tomorrow,” said MAKSUTI. Coach Miloš TIOSAVLJEVIĆ added: “As always, the first match in a tournament is probably the toughest. We started really well, Aneta won the first two games relatively easily, but PERGEL found her rhythm, leveled at 2–2, and even led 5–3 in the decider with two match points. Aneta didn’t give up, she kept believing in herself and managed to turn it around, winning the decisive points. That finish definitely lifted the spirits of her Russian teammates who joined us for this tournament.” Stage 1 features clubs seeded from positions 9 to 16, divided into two groups of four teams. The group winners and runners-up will progress to Stage 2, where they will join the automatically qualified top eight seeds. Stage 2 will consist of four groups of three clubs each. The winners and runners-up from those groups will advance to the quarterfinals, contested in home-and-away format. The four winners will then proceed to the first-ever Women’s Champions League Final 4.
