The opening day of the Under 19 Boys event at the Europe Youth Top 10 in Antibes produced several surprises, as Aleksei SAMOKHIN of Russia and Portugal’s Tiago ABIODUN completed the first three rounds unbeaten, while Bulgaria’s Yoan VELICHKOV also made a major impact. See the pictures by Anthoine BERTHELEMY here. The results significantly disrupted the order suggested by the starting list. Poland’s Marcel BLASZCZYK entered the competition as the No. 1 player, ahead of Slovakia’s Samuel ARPAS, with France’s Antoine NOIRAULT and Nathan PILARD at No. 3 and No. 4 respectively. SAMOKHIN was No. 8, VELICHKOV No. 9, while ABIODUN started at No. 7. SAMOKHIN opened his campaign with a 4-2 victory over Romania’s Robert ISTRATE before beating second-listed ARPAS by the same score. His biggest test came against BLASZCZYK in the final round of the day. The Polish player raced into a 3-0 lead, but SAMOKHIN produced a remarkable recovery. He won four consecutive games to complete a 4-3 victory and close the day with a perfect record. ABIODUN was equally impressive. The Portuguese player started with a 4-2 win over France’s Flavio MOURIER before surviving a seven-game battle against ISTRATE. In Round 3, ABIODUN added another notable victory, beating ARPAS 4-2 to make it three wins from three. VELICHKOV also made a flying start. The Bulgarian opened with a straight-games victory over ARPAS and followed it by beating BLASZCZYK 4-2. His third scheduled match against Patryk ZYWORONEK was recorded as a 4-0 result, with no games played. For BLASZCZYK, the opening day proved difficult after his first scheduled match against ZYWORONEK was recorded as a 4-0 result without games played. He then suffered back-to-back defeats, first against VELICHKOV and then against SAMOKHIN despite holding a 3-0 advantage. Among the French contingent, NOIRAULT recovered strongly from a 4-1 opening defeat to compatriot PILARD. He beat MOURIER 4-1 and ISTRATE 4-2 to finish the day with two wins. PILARD started with victory over NOIRAULT and also had a 4-0 recorded result against ZYWORONEK, before MOURIER stopped him 4-2 in the final round. That victory gave MOURIER his first success after defeats to ABIODUN and NOIRAULT. After an eventful opening day, SAMOKHIN and ABIODUN have perfect records from three played matches, while VELICHKOV has also made an unbeaten start. With six rounds still ahead, the early results have already shown how unpredictable the battle for the U19 Boys title could be in Antibes. U19 Boys – Results Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 – 12:30 Round 5 – 16:30 Round 6 – 19:50 Round 7 – 12:30 Round 8 – 16:30 Round 9 – 19:50
HOCHART leads the way after opening day of U19 Girls event at Europe Youth Top-10
France’s Leana HOCHART made a perfect start to the Under 19 Girls event at the Europe Youth Top 10 in Antibes, emerging as the only player with three victories after the opening day. See the pictures by Anthoine BERTHELEMY here. HOCHART began with an impressive 4-0 win over compatriot Alexia NODIN before overcoming Poland’s Karolina HOLDA 4-1. In the final round of the day, she faced Belgium’s Lilou MASSART and secured another 4-1 victory to complete an unbeaten opening day on home soil. Behind HOCHART, six players finished the first three rounds with two wins and one defeat, underlining how open the competition remains. NODIN responded strongly after her opening defeat. She produced a commanding 4-0 victory over Romania’s Bianca MEI-ROSU in Round 2 and followed with another straight-games success against Romania’s Alesia SFERLEA. MEI-ROSU also ended the day with two wins. She opened with a 4-0 victory over compatriot SFERLEA, lost to NODIN and then recovered to beat HOLDA 4-1. Germany’s Koharu ITAGAKI, last year’s U15 Girls winner, made a strong start in her first Europe Youth Top 10 appearance in the U19 category. She beat Czechia’s Veronika POLAKOVA 4-1 and SFERLEA by the same score before suffering her first defeat against Portugal’s Julia LEAL. ITAGAKI recovered from 2-0 down to lead 3-2, but LEAL responded to take the final two games and prevail 4-3. POLAKOVA also recovered well from her opening defeat to ITAGAKI. She beat LEAL 4-1 before overcoming Poland’s Natalia BOGDANOWICZ 4-2 in the evening session. BOGDANOWICZ started with a 4-1 win over compatriot HOLDA and then came from two games down to defeat MASSART 4-2, before POLAKOVA ended her unbeaten run. MASSART and LEAL also collected victories during a competitive opening day, with LEAL’s seven-game success against ITAGAKI providing one of the highlights of the third round. After three of nine rounds, HOCHART is the only player with a perfect record, but with six rounds still to come, the battle for the U19 Girls title remains wide open in Antibes. Under 19 Girls Round 2 Round 3 Schedule Round 4 – 11:40 Round 5 – 15:40 Round 6 – 19:00 Round 7 – 11:40 Round 8 – 15:40 Round 9 – 19:00
GOMEZ sets the pace after opening day of U15 Boys event in Antibes
Spain’s Marcos GOMEZ emerged as the only unbeaten player after the opening three rounds of the Under 15 Boys event at the Europe Youth Top 10 in Antibes, completing the first day with three victories. See the pictures by Anthoine BERTHELEMY here. GOMEZ was tested immediately in an all-Spanish opening-round encounter against Alexander MALOV. He prevailed 4-2 before producing a commanding performance against Czechia’s Ondrej MORAVEK, winning 4-0. In the final round of the day, GOMEZ faced another compatriot, Ladimir MAYOROV, and secured a 4-1 victory to complete his perfect start. Behind GOMEZ, the competition remains wide open, with several players ending the opening day with two wins from three matches. MAYOROV made an impressive start by beating Poland’s Hubert KWIECINSKI 4-1 and followed it with a straight-games victory over MALOV. His unbeaten run was ended by GOMEZ in Round 3. Russia’s Nazar BAKIROV also started strongly. He overcame MORAVEK 4-2 and Sweden’s Emil ELLERMANN 4-2 before Germany’s Tien Nghia PHONG stopped him in the evening session. BAKIROV took the opening two games against PHONG, but the German responded by winning four in succession for a 4-2 victory. ELLERMANN recovered well after losing to BAKIROV. The Swedish player had opened his campaign with a 4-1 win over France’s Noah TESSIER and returned to winning ways in Round 3, coming from 2-0 down to beat MORAVEK 4-2. PHONG also finished the day with two victories. He began in impressive fashion with a 4-0 win over compatriot Lukas WANG before losing a seven-game contest to TESSIER. He then recovered from two games down against BAKIROV to secure his second win. There was no shortage of close contests during the opening day. MALOV earned his first victory in Round 3 after a seven-game battle with WANG, while KWIECINSKI also needed the full distance to overcome TESSIER. WANG’s victory came in another seven-game encounter, against KWIECINSKI in Round 2. After three of the nine rounds, GOMEZ holds the only perfect record, but with six rounds still to play, the battle for the Under 15 Boys title remains wide open in Antibes. U15 Boys – Results Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Schedule Round 4 – 3 October, 10:50 Round 5 – 3 October, 14:50 Round 6 – 3 October, 18:10 Round 7 – 4 October, 10:50 Round 8 – 4 October, 14:50 Round 9 – 4 October, 18:10
TOLMACHEVA and ROCHUT unbeaten after opening day in Antibes
Varvara TOLMACHEVA of Russia and France’s Albane ROCHUT emerged from the opening day of the Under 15 Girls event at the Europe Youth Top 10 in Antibes with perfect records, both winning all three of their matches. See the pictures by Anthoine BERTHELEMY here. TOLMACHEVA opened her campaign with a 4-2 win over compatriot Amina ILIMBETOVA before recording a convincing 4-0 victory against Czechia’s Adela BRHELOVA. Her toughest challenge came in the third round against Poland’s Aleksandra NAWROCKA. NAWROCKA led 3-1, but TOLMACHEVA responded by taking the next two games to force a decider. The seventh game also went beyond 11 points before TOLMACHEVA eventually prevailed 14-12 to complete the comeback and maintain her unbeaten start. Home favourite ROCHUT was equally successful. The French player began with a straight-games victory over Austria’s Sophia PICHLER before being pushed all the way by Germany’s Amelie JIA in Round 2. ROCHUT eventually secured a 4-3 win and followed it with a 4-2 success against Poland’s Lucja KOBOSZ. Behind the two unbeaten leaders, the competition remains tightly contested. ILIMBETOVA recovered from her opening defeat to TOLMACHEVA by edging NAWROCKA 4-3 and then beating Switzerland’s Enya HU 4-1. JIA also finished the day with two victories, having overcome HU 4-3 in the opening round and bounced back from her narrow defeat to ROCHUT with a 4-0 win against Slovakia’s Barbora GUASSARDO. GUASSARDO also recorded two wins on the opening day. She survived a seven-game contest against BRHELOVA in Round 1 and beat PICHLER 4-1 before losing to JIA in the evening session. NAWROCKA, HU and BRHELOVA each collected one victory from their opening three matches, while KOBOSZ and PICHLER will be looking for their first wins when play resumes. U15 Girls – Results Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Schedule Round 4, 10:00 Round 5, 14:00 Round 6, 17:20 Round 7, 10:00 Round 8, 14:00 Round 9, 17:20
European U19 Talents Ready for Top 10 Challenge in Antibes
Europe’s leading U19 players will gather in Antibes from 2 to 4 October for the 2026 Europe Youth Top 10, with ten Boys and ten Girls competing over three demanding days at the Azur Arena. The U19 fields feature some of the continent’s most promising young players, several of whom have already made their mark at senior youth and Under 21 level. Last year, France celebrated success in both U19 categories, with Nathan LAM topping the Boys standings and Nina GUO ZHENG claiming the Girls title. Romania’s Bianca MEI-ROSU arrives in Antibes as the European Under 21 Women’s Singles champion after an impressive run in June, when she beat Poland’s Natalia BOGDANOWICZ in the quarter-final, Zuzanna WIELGOS in the semi-final and Slovenia’s Sara TOKIC in the title match. In July, she also reached the quarter-finals of the European Youth Championships U19. France’s Alexia NODIN also enjoyed a strong season. She defeated Anna HURSEY of Wales to reach the semi-finals of the European Under 21 Championships, where she narrowly lost to TOKIC, and then went on to reach the semi-finals of the European Youth Championships U19 in July. Her compatriot Leana HOCHART reached the quarter-finals at both events, beaten by WIELGOS at the Under 21 Championships. BOGDANOWICZ, who lost to MEI-ROSU in the Under 21 quarter-finals, will also be in Antibes. Completing the line-up are Portugal’s Julia LEAL, Poland’s Karolina HOLDA, Germany’s Koharu ITAGAKI, Czech Republic’s Veronika POLAKOVA, Belgium’s Lilou MASSART and Romania’s Alesia SFERLEA. ITAGAKI returns to the Europe Youth Top 10 after a perfect campaign in the U15 Girls event last year, and now steps up to the U19 category for a new challenge. France’s Nathan PILARD was the best performer of the group at the European Youth Championships U19 in July, taking the silver medal in Under 19. Bulgaria’s Yoan VELICHKOV reached the quarter-finals of the European Under 21 Championships in June, where he was stopped by Romania’s Darius MOVILEANU, and the semi-finals of the European Youth Championships U19 in July. Aleksei SAMOKHIN also reached the U19 semi-finals, while Romania’s Robert ISTRATE and Poland’s Patryk ZYWORONEK were eliminated in the quarter-finals. Portugal’s Tiago ABIODUN reached the quarter-finals of the European Under 21 Championships in June before losing to Germany’s Wim VERDONSCHOT. Poland’s Marcel BLASZCZYK heads the confirmed list, alongside Slovakia’s Samuel ARPAS. France will be represented by Antoine NOIRAULT, PILARD and Flavio MOURIER, while ISTRATE, ABIODUN, SAMOKHIN, VELICHKOV and ZYWORONEK complete the ten-player field. The competition begins on Friday 2 October with the opening three rounds. Rounds four to six follow on Saturday, before the final three rounds decide the U19 titles on Sunday. With nine matches awaiting every player, consistency across all three days will be crucial as Europe’s U19 talents battle for the two Europe Youth Top 10 crowns. U19 – Confirmed Players No. U19 Boys Country U19 Girls Country 1 Marcel BLASZCZYK POL Bianca MEI-ROSU ROU 2 Samuel ARPAS SVK Leana HOCHART FRA 3 Antoine NOIRAULT FRA Alexia NODIN FRA 4 Nathan PILARD FRA Julia LEAL POR 5 Robert ISTRATE ROU Karolina HOLDA POL 6 Flavio MOURIER FRA Natalia BOGDANOWICZ POL 7 Tiago ABIODUN POR Koharu ITAGAKI GER 8 Aleksei SAMOKHIN RUS Veronika POLAKOVA CZE 9 Yoan VELICHKOV BUL Lilou MASSART BEL 10 Patryk ZYWORONEK POL Alesia SFERLEA ROU
Istanbul awarded 2027 European Team Championships Stage 1 and European Games Mixed Team Qualification Event
Istanbul will host two major ETTU events in February 2027 after the ETTU Executive Board awarded the Türkiye Table Tennis Federation the 2027 European Team Championships Stage 1 and the Mixed Team Qualification Event for the 4th European Games. Both events will be staged at Ata Sporları Merkezi, with the European Team Championships Stage 1 taking place from 3 to 7 February, followed by the Mixed Team Qualification Event from 9 to 12 February. The two competitions will mark the beginning of an important year for table tennis in Istanbul, which will also welcome the 4th European Games in June 2027. The European Team Championships Stage 1 will see six men’s and six women’s teams progress to the Final Stage in Porto, Portugal, scheduled from 17 to 24 October 2027. Attention will then turn to the European Games, with the Mixed Team Qualification Event taking place at the same venue from 9 to 12 February. The competition will determine the final four places in the Mixed Team event at the 4th European Games. Table tennis at the European Games will be played from 16 to 22 June 2027 in Istanbul. The Mixed Team event will make its debut on the European Games programme in 2027, adding further significance to the qualification competition in February. The gold medallists in the Mixed Team event at the European Games will secure direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Metz to host 2027 ETTU Champions League Women Final 4
The European Table Tennis Union has awarded Metz, France, the hosting rights for the 2027 ETTU Champions League Women Final 4, which will take place on 1-2 May 2027. The event will bring four of Europe’s leading women’s clubs to Metz for the second edition of the Final 4, following the successful introduction of the format in 2026. The inaugural ETTU Champions League Women Final 4 was staged in Tarnobrzeg, Poland, in May 2026, with KTS Enea Siarkopol Tarnobrzeg becoming the first club to lift the trophy under the new format. “The inaugural ETTU Champions League Women Final 4 in Tarnobrzeg was an important milestone for European club table tennis and demonstrated the potential of this new format. We witnessed excellent matches, a fantastic atmosphere and a very professional organisation, and I would like once again to thank KTS Enea Siarkopol Tarnobrzeg and everyone involved for making the first edition such a success”, said ETTU President Pedro MOURA. Metz TT played a prominent role in that historic first edition. The French club reached the title match, before losing to hosts Tarnobrzeg in the final. President MOURA:“We are now very pleased to take the Final 4 to Metz in 2027. Metz TT is a club with a strong European tradition and has consistently demonstrated its quality at the highest level. I am confident that, together with ETTU, Metz TT and the Ligue du Grand Est de Tennis de Table, we will deliver another outstanding event and continue the development and growing visibility of the Women’s Champions League” The appearance confirmed Metz TT’s position among Europe’s leading clubs. It was their third Champions League final in four seasons, following runners-up finishes in 2023 and 2025. The 2025/26 campaign was also a memorable one domestically, with Metz TT winning the French league title. “We are particularly proud to be hosting this Final Four in Metz for the first time! We are keen to show that our region is passionate about table tennis, and we fully intend to make that passion even more vibrant with this magnificent event at the very top of European table tennis,” stated Responsable Pôle Institutionnel et Communication Assistante de Direction Silvia DA SILVA. “This event is fully in line with our initiative to promote women’s participation in the sport by highlighting the spectacular nature of top-level women’s table tennis!” Now the Champions League Women Final 4 will move to France for the first time, with Metz set to welcome the continent’s top clubs for two days of decisive action.
Top Spin Messina Amtivo claim third Italian Men’s Super Cup
Top Spin Messina Amtivo celebrated their third Italian Men’s Super Cup triumph after overcoming Artraffic Bagnolese in the ninth edition of the competition, held in Bagnolo San Vito. Following their previous victories in 2019 and 2020, Top Spin Messina added another trophy to their collection with a 45-31, 45-25 victory. FITeT Deputy Vice President Carlo BORELLA presented the trophy to the winners. For the second consecutive year, the Super Cup was played using the relay format, with pairs of players alternating at the table every five points and each game played to 45. Slovakia’s Lubomir PISTEJ joined Niagol STOYANOV and Daniele PINTO in the Top Spin Messina lineup, while Artraffic Bagnolese fielded Spain’s Miguel Angel VILCHEZ, Lorenzo RAGNI and Gabriele PICIULIN. Top Spin Messina president Giorgio QUARTUCCIO underlined the importance of bringing another trophy back to the club. “We really wanted to bring this trophy to Messina. It is a very significant victory. I would have preferred to beat Bagnolese in the recent league final, which we missed out on by a whisker, but that’s sport. Let’s cherish this Super Cup win,” said QUARTUCCIO. Captain Marco RECH DALDOSSO was equally pleased with the way his team handled the unusual format, particularly after Bagnolese’s strong opening. “The match went well and we’re happy. It’s always a tricky format, and Bagnolese got off to a very strong start. The guys responded perfectly,” said RECH DALDOSSO. STOYANOV also highlighted the challenge posed by the relay system and the team’s ability to recover after a difficult beginning. “It’s a very unique format, and we did not start well. We are absolutely delighted to have brought the Super Cup home,” said STOYANOV. Artraffic Bagnolese – Top Spin Messina Amtivo 31-45, 25-45 First game Second game
ETTU and Dyn agree major broadcast partnership through 2028
The European Table Tennis Union has reached a new long-term media rights agreement with Dyn, bringing some of Europe’s leading table tennis competitions to audiences in Germany, Austria and Switzerland through 2028. Under the agreement, Dyn has secured exclusive live rights in Germany and non-exclusive rights in Austria and Switzerland. The package covers the European Individual Championships, European Team Championships, Europe Top 16 Cup and selected stages of the ETTU Champions League. “This agreement with Dyn represents another important step in ETTU’s strategy to increase the visibility and accessibility of European table tennis. Germany, Austria and Switzerland are key markets for our sport, with a strong table tennis tradition and a highly engaged fan base. Through this long-term partnership, more fans will be able to follow our major European events and experience the quality, excitement and stories behind our competitions. We are very pleased to welcome Dyn as a strong media partner and look forward to working together to further strengthen the profile of European table tennis,” said ETTU President Pedro MOURA. The partnership will begin with the 2026 European Individual Championships, which will be staged at Arena Stožice in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from 11 to 18 October. Europe’s leading players will compete for titles in Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles. Table 1 will be produced with seven cameras and Table 2 with four cameras. At the European Individual and Team Championships and the Europe Top 16 Cup, Dyn will show matches featuring German players and teams, with the possibility of adding selected top matches without German participation. The partnership will continue in 2027. The Europe Top 16 Cup will return to Montreux, Switzerland, from 28 to 31 January, while the 2026-2027 ETTU HYLO® Champions League Men quarter-finals will be played over two legs on 12-13 January and 5-6 March. The club season will reach its decisive stage in May. The 2027 ETTU Champions League Women Final 4 will be held on 1-2 May, followed by the 2026-2027 ETTU HYLO® Champions League Men Final 4 in Saarbrücken, Germany, on 8-9 May. Later in the year, Porto, Portugal, will welcome the 2027 European Team Championships Final Stage from 17 to 24 October. Twenty-four men’s and 24 women’s national teams will compete for the European titles. The agreement extends into 2028, including the Europe Top 16 Cup and the ETTU Champions League Men Final 4. Chief Operating Officer at Dyn Marcel WONTORRA said: “We want to tell the story of the fascination of table tennis in its entirety, from the big matches to the people and stories behind the table. With ‘Timo Boll – Der letzte Aufschlag’ and ‘Blau & Schwarz’, we have shown how important this close connection is to us. We are therefore delighted to expand our live sports programme with Europe’s top competitions and to offer our fans even more world-class table tennis live on Dyn in the future.” The new agreement further strengthens the visibility of ETTU competitions across key European markets and forms part of ETTU’s wider strategy to expand access to top-level European table tennis through established broadcast and digital partners. ETTU has also secured media partnerships through 2028 in other major markets, including its renewed agreement with L’Équipe in France. About Dyn Dyn consists of the two sister companies Dyn Sport and Dyn Media. Dyn Sport provides a new media home for millions of sports fans in Germany. With high-quality production standards, creative editorial formats and extensive marketing support, the streaming platform increases the visibility and appreciation of handball, basketball, volleyball, table tennis and hockey. Dyn holds a diverse portfolio of rights covering national and international women’s and men’s competitions and broadcasts more than 3,000 live matches per season. As a technology company, Dyn Media operates the platform, manages live and on-demand production, and develops editorial and technological solutions for leagues, federations, rights holders and media brands. Dyn received a SportsPro OTT Award 2024 in the “Best New Platform” category and was named “Medium of the Year” at the HORIZONT Sportbusiness Award 2025. Dyn Move Your Sport Dyn aims to promote the positive values of sport, such as team spirit, solidarity and fair play, throughout society, as nowhere else are these values conveyed so directly. Dyn Move Your Sport is activated and implemented together with Dyn’s partner leagues.
European Games 2027: Table Tennis Qualification System Published
With 266 days to go until the 4th European Games in Istanbul (16–27 June 2027), the qualification system for table tennis is now available. The table tennis competition runs from 16 to 22 June. The system was agreed between the European Olympic Committees (EOC) and the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU). See the document here. 192 athletes, 96 men and 96 women, will compete in three events: men’s singles, women’s singles and mixed team. This is the largest table tennis participation in the history of the European Games, up from 152 athletes in Kraków 2023. Mixed team The mixed team event appears on the European Games programme for the first time. Sixteen teams will compete, from which twelve qualify directly: the host team and the top 11 NOCs in the European Mixed Team Ranking published on 6 November 2026. The remaining four places will be decided at a qualification event in Istanbul from 9 to 12 February 2027. Each team has three men and three women, plus one reserve per gender. The European Mixed Team Ranking was introduced for this pathway, combining each association’s best-placed men’s and women’s singles players, its positions in the European team rankings, and its best men’s, women’s and mixed doubles results at the most recent European Individual Championships. The full method is explained here. Singles Each singles event has 64 players. Every NOC with a qualified mixed team receives two places per gender, given to its two highest-ranked players on the ETTU European Singles Ranking of 9 April 2027. A further 31 places per gender go to the best-ranked players on the same ranking who are not already qualified, with a maximum of two per NOC. One universality place per gender will be allocated by the EOC together with ETTU. Los Angeles 2028 The mixed team gold medallists in Istanbul qualify directly for the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.
