The German Table Tennis Federation (DTTB) celebrated its 100th anniversary with a modest yet dignified gala at the German Table Tennis Centre (DTTZ) in Düsseldorf. Guests from sport, politics, and public institutions gathered to honour a century of achievements, milestones, and the people who shaped German table tennis. Among the guests were also the ETTU top representatives, led by ETTU President Pedro MOURA and Secretary General Pierre KASS. “As we reached the 100th anniversary of the German Table Tennis Association, we celebrate not only a century of sporting excellence, but also a federation that has profoundly shaped the identity of European and global table tennis. Germany has produced champions who have inspired generations, advanced our sport, and upheld the highest values of fair play and professionalism,” stated ETTU President MOURA. “The DTTB’s legacy is one of leadership, innovation, and unwavering commitment to progress, qualities that continue to strengthen table tennis across Europe. On behalf of the European Table Tennis Union, I extend my warmest congratulations and look forward to honoring this historic milestone together with the entire table tennis family.” The choice of the DTTZ as the venue underlined the symbolism of the moment: a place where national squad players train daily, and where tradition and future naturally meet. The centre, founded in 2006, stands as a testament to performance, passion, diversity, integration, and the intergenerational spirit of the sport. DTTB President Konrad GRILLMEYER opened the ceremony by reflecting on the long and rich history of the federation, whose founding dates back to 8 November 1925 in Berlin. “This day allows us to look back with pride, not only on historical milestones, but above all on the people who have shaped, carried and loved this sport over generations,” President GRILLMEYER said. Hans Wilhelm GÄB’s contribution to German table tennis spans nearly five decades. GÄB’s vision, persistence, and leadership were key to the creation of the DTTZ and to establishing professional structures that continue to underpin the federation today. GRILLMEYER highlighted his legacy: “Hans Wilhelm GÄB was a stroke of luck for German table tennis; without his vision and dedication, our sport in Germany would look very different today.” From organising the unforgettable 1989 World Championships in Dortmund, highlighted by the World Championship title won by Jörg ROSSKOPF and Steffen FETZNER, to shaping the federation as President, Adviser, and Honorary President, GÄB’s impact remains deeply rooted in the DTTB’s identity. The centenary celebration revisited defining moments of German table tennis. “This century of German table tennis is filled with breakthroughs and successes, setbacks and renewals. When the association was founded in 1925, table tennis was still a young sport: light, elegant and already fascinatingly fast. Progress came quickly. As early as 1926, the DTTB became a founding member of the ITTF. In 1929, Erika METZGER and Mona RÜSTER won Germany’s first World Championship title in women’s doubles. In 1930, Berlin hosted the first of seven World Championships to be held on German soil. The most recent edition took place in 2017, once again in Düsseldorf – another sign of the city’s strong connection to the sport.” President GRILLMEYER also spoke about dark chapters and historical responsibility: “The history of the association was not untouched by the difficult times Germany experienced. National Socialist persecution did not spare table tennis. The exclusion of Jewish athletes was an injustice that obliges the association to this day. Particular remembrance is given to Heinz NICKELSBURG, a leading player of his era who was ostracised and forced into emigration. His story remains a reminder to uphold fairness, openness and respect – the core values of both the sport and society.” DTTB returned through rebuilding, European integration, and the journey back to the top. “After the Second World War, table tennis in Germany began anew. In 1947, the first German Championships were held in Heppenheim, with future President Dr Dieter MAURITZ and Hilde BUSSMANN among the winners. In 1957, the DTTB became a founding member of the European Table Tennis Union. Players such as former World Championship bronze medallist Heinz SCHNEIDER – who represented both the DTTB and later the DTTV, the federation of the former GDR – helped Germany regain its footing internationally. They laid the groundwork for a gradual return to the world’s leading table tennis nations. A milestone came in 1966 with the establishment of the Bundesliga, giving table tennis a performance-oriented national league structure for the first time.” Another defining figure emerged during this era: Eberhard SCHÖLER. The defensive specialist captivated audiences in the late 1960s with his unique style and earned silver at the 1969 World Championships in Munich – generating unprecedented attention for the sport. As sports director and vice president, he shaped the association for 26 years with clarity and dedication. Together with Hans Wilhelm GÄB, he laid the professional foundation that continues to support German table tennis success today. The era of the “Golden Girls” in the late 1990s, followed by the emergence of Timo BOLL—whose achievements across Olympic Games, World and European Championships set new standards, ushered in a new era. The continuing success of German players including Dimitrij OVTCHAROV, Dang QIU, Patrick FRANZISKA, Benedikt DUDA, and the women’s team featuring Ying HAN, Sabine WINTER, Annett KAUFMANN, and Nina MITTELHAM further reinforced Germany’s status on the world stage. Beyond elite sport, the anniversary highlighted the social dimension of table tennis. More than 540,000 members in 9,000 clubs now play under the DTTB umbrella, with numbers rising for the third consecutive year. Millions more play recreationally across schoolyards, parks, pools, and public spaces. “Table tennis connects people, regardless of age, origin, language or religion. It creates encounters that might never happen elsewhere,” GRILLMEYER emphasised. The DTTB reaffirmed its commitment to the values that have guided the federation for a century: fairness, openness, inclusion and respect. It also reaffirmed its love for table tennis at every level. The DTTB is the home of sport for all. The “Mini Championships” have been a perennial favourite among DTTB campaigns since 1983 and
Team Titles Decided in Beočin as JOOLA Europe Youth Series Serbia Open Continues With Singles Events
The JOOLA Europe Youth Series – Serbia Open continued in Beočin with the completion of all team events in the Under 13 and Under 15 categories, before the focus shifted to the singles programme. You can see pictures here. The U15 Girls Teams event concluded with strong performances from the leading contenders, as Spain 1, Croatia 1, and Spain 2 secured the top three positions after a demanding round-robin phase. The duo of Teresa CARRASCO VIEITO and Celia VALPUESTA guided Spain 1 to the top of the standings, finishing with an impressive 6–1 record and the highest points total in the group. The Spanish pairing displayed consistency throughout the stage, registering six 3–0 wins and one 1–2 defeat. Their only defeat came against Croatia 1. Top seeds Croatia, represented by Karla IVČIĆ and Sara RIVETTI, delivered a flawless performance on court with a perfect 7–0 match record. Despite winning all their matches, Croatia finished second due to the points allocation system (3:0 win – 3 points, 2:1 win – 2 points, 1:2 loss – 1 point, 0:3 loss – 0 points). The Spanish second team, featuring Aina CASANOVAS, Oumnia EL MOUHMOUH, and Ariadna ARNAU, secured third place with a positive 5–2 record. The U15 Boys Teams group stage concluded with outstanding performances from the Spanish squads, as Spain 1 secured the top place, followed closely by Spain 2 and Serbia 1. Top seeds Spain 1, represented by Ekain GÓMEZ and Alexander MALOV, delivered a flawless group campaign, finishing with ten wins from ten matches and collecting a group-leading 28 points. The Spanish second team, featuring Roger QUESADA, Francisco SERRANO, and Antoni RUSCALLEDA, completed the group in second position with 25 points. They collected nine victories. Seeded second, Serbia with David ČAPANDA, Branko DRAGOLJEVIĆ, and Marko MIHAJLOV accumulated 24 points with seven wins and three defeats. In the U13 Girls Teams event, Spain 1, Romania 1, and Denmark 1 emerged as the top three teams. Spain’s top girls’ team, represented by Ana CHEN HU and Carmen GÓMEZ, dominated the group phase with an excellent 7–2 match record and a total of 22 points. Seeded first, Romania’s Teodora SARDENI and Bianca Stefania TOMA claimed second place with a powerful 8–1 campaign and 22 points. Their only loss came against the Spanish leaders. The Danish pair Andrea GREGERSEN and Chelinda VOONG finished third with seven wins, two defeats, and 19 points. Only the Under 13 Boys Teams event concluded with knockout matches. Spain captured the title after a strong 3–1 victory over Moldova/Romania in the final, while Croatia secured the bronze medal after prevailing in the match for third place against Spain 2. Spain’s team of Marcos GÓMEZ, Luca ROMERO, and Victor DOBATO overcame Nicolae BUCUR and Denis FONARIUC by 3–1. Croatia’s pair of Šimun MILOŠEVIĆ and Ivan SMILJANIĆ claimed the bronze medal after a solid performance in the match for third place against Spain’s Daniel CASQUERO and Lucas PARDO.
ETTU Opens Application Process for Hosting 2028 European Events
The European Table Tennis Union has officially released the hosting documents for all major European events scheduled in 2028. Member Associations are invited to submit their applications, with all relevant materials now available at the following link: The package includes the official application form as well as the directives for organisers for each event. Application Deadline Member Associations wishing to host an ETTU event in 2028 are kindly reminded that the deadline for submitting completed applications is: Monday, 2 March 2026 EVENTS OPEN FOR APPLICATION 2028 European Individual Championships 2028 European TOP 16 Cup 2028 European U21 Championships 2028 European Youth Championships 2028 European U13 Championships 2028 Europe Youth Top 10 The ETTU looks forward to receiving your hosting applications.
JOOLA Europe Youth Series – Serbia Open Commenced in Beočin
The 2025 JOOLA Europe Youth Series – Serbia Open officially commenced in Beočin, Serbia, bringing together Europe’s most promising young table tennis talents across the Under-13 and Under-15 categories. You can see the pictures from Day one here. Competition began on today with group stages in all team events. Singles events start on Friday with qualification rounds, before three days of main-draw action culminate on Sunday. Mixed doubles will also run from Friday to Sunday, completing an intensive five-day programme. In the Under-15 Boys’ Teams event, Spain enters as the top-seeded squad, with Serbia leading the host nation’s challenge as the no. 2 seed. Croatia follows as the third seed. In the Under-15 Girls’ Teams, Croatia, Serbia and Spain form the top three seeded teams. In Under-13 Boys’ Teams, Spain, Montenegro and Croatia lead the list, while in the Under-13 Girls’ Teams, Romania, Spain and Serbia head the seeding. According to the seeding lists, Spain’s Alexander MALOV is the top seed in U15 Boys’ Singles, followed by Czechia’s Ondrej MORAVEK and Serbia’s David ČAPANDA. In U15 Girls’ Singles, Czechia’s Adela BRHELOVA stands as the no. 1 seed, closely followed by Austria’s Sophia PICHLER and Slovakia’s Barbora Melisa GUASSARDO. Slovakia’s Filip NAGY holds a commanding lead in U13 Boys’ Singles, ahead of Spain’s Marcos GOMEZ and Montenegro’s Milan VUČETIĆ. In U13 Girls’ Singles, Slovakia’s Barbora Melisa GUASSARDO is the top-ranked player, followed by Czechia’s Adela BRHELOVA and Croatia’s Sara RIVETTI.
Doubles Events Conclude at European Para Championships 2025
The 2025 ITTF European Para Championships in Helsingborg (20–25 November) concluded with an outstanding show of a world-class performances. The Championships not only celebrated medal winners but also the spirit of Para table tennis, unity, inclusion, and high-performance competition at its finest. Below are the full doubles results from Helsingborg. Men’s Doubles Class MD4 Men’s Doubles Class MD8 Men’s Doubles Class MD14 Men’s Doubles Class MD18 Men’s Doubles Class MD22 Women’s Doubles Class WD5 Women’s Doubles Class WD10 Women’s Doubles Class WD14 Women’s Doubles Class WD20 Mixed Doubles Class XD4 Mixed Doubles Class XD7 Mixed Doubles Class XD10 Mixed Doubles Class XD14 Mixed Doubles Class XD17 Mixed Doubles Class XD20 Mixed Doubles Class XD22
European Para Champions crowned in Helsingborg
The individual events at the ITTF European Para Championships 2025 in Helsingborg concluded with the doubles events taking the stage. After five days od matches the medal winners are. Men’s Singles Class 1 Men’s Singles Class 2 Men’s Singles Class 3 Men’s Singles Classes 4–5 Men’s Singles Class 6 Men’s Singles Class 7 Men’s Singles Class 8 Men’s Singles Class 9 Men’s Singles Class 10 Men’s Singles Class 11 Women’s Singles Classes 1–2 Women’s Singles Class 3 Women’s Singles Classes 4–5 Women’s Singles Class 6 Women’s Singles Class 7 Women’s Singles Class 8 Women’s Singles Class 9 Women’s Singles Class 10 Women’s Singles Class 11
Marcozzi Cagliari Claim Their First Italian Men’s Super Cup
In the eighth edition of the Italian Men’s Super Cup, two Sardinian teams met for the first time in the competition’s history. Marcozzi Cagliari triumphed over Tennistavolo Sassari in a dramatic 36–45, 45–44, 45–38 victory and received the trophy from FITeT Deputy Vice President Carlo BORELLA and Councillor Raffaele CURCIO. This marks the sixth major title in Marcozzi’s history, following four Italian Championships (1990, 1992, 2000, 2001) and last year’s Italian Cup. As in the women’s event, the Super Cup used the relay format, with pairs of players alternating every five points and each set played to 45. Marcozzi led by Rares SIPOS (ROU), Jeet CHANDRA (IND), and Carlo ROSSI and Federico VALLINO COSTASSA (ITA), mounted multiple comebacks to overcome Sassari’s lineup of Santiago LORENZO, John OYEBODE, Andrea PUPPO, and Marco CAPPUCCIO. Coach Massimo FERRERO described the match as an emotional ride: “It was like a roller coaster. We lost the first game, but recovered in the final points and gained confidence. In the second, we started behind again but came back and took the lead for the first time. We prevailed at ‘sudden death’ and everything reopened. At that point we believed even more. We fought hard in the third game too, again coming from behind. The guys all played well at key moments and took control. Even in the toughest moments we stayed in the match. In the end, team spirit won out.” FERRERO then analysed the individual performances: “VALLINO COSTASSA replaced CHANDRA in the first game and fought hard. In the second, he made way for ROSSI, who was excellent against PUPPO, and in the third he secured the decisive lead against OYEBODE. SIPOS pushed a comeback in the first game, then clearly beat PUPPO again in the second and gave us momentum against LORENZO. CHANDRA closed both the second and third games. His game is risky — he makes mistakes, but to stay aggressive he needs to be ahead. We know him well; he performs best under pressure. We knew this would be his match, and it was.” FERRERO emphasised the importance of the achievement: “We are happy to bring the second Super Cup to Cagliari, after the women’s title recently won by Quattro Mori. We really care about this trophy it is the sixth in our club’s history. After the four league titles won with my father Fabio on the bench, this is my second as coach, following last year’s Italian Cup. And I’m only 35, there’s time.” Tennistavolo Sassari – Marcozzi Cagliari 36–45, 44–45, 38–45 First Game Second Game Third Game
Jack HUNTER-SPIVEY Elected to ETTU Athletes’ Commission as Para Representative
Jack HUNTER-SPIVEY of England has been elected as the Para-athlete representative on the ETTU Athletes’ Commission, following voting held during the 2025 European Para Championships in Helsingborg. In a closely contested election, HUNTER-SPIVEY received 44 votes, narrowly finishing ahead of Martin PERRY of Scotland, who collected 43 votes. HUNTER-SPIVEY’s accomplishments include winning a bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games (held in 2021), a silver medal at the 2023 European Championships, and a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. “As a full-time wheelchair user, disability inclusion is not just a passion, it’s a lived experience. I regularly deliver talks and keynote speeches to some of the world’s leading companies, advocating for greater inclusivity and accessibility, and sharing insights on how we can collectively build a more inclusive world for disabled people. Last year, I was also voted in as an athlete representative for British Para Table Tennis. Within this role, I have been a voice for the athletes within the BPTT squads,” stated HUNTER-SPIVEY. The Para representative completes the composition of the ETTU Athletes’ Commission for the 2025–2029 term. The Commission, which serves as the official voice of athletes within European table tennis, now consists of five elected members—four from the able-bodied athlete elections and one from the Para table tennis community. The able-bodied athletes were elected earlier this year during the voting process connected to the 2025 European Team Championships in Zadar, as well as the online voting for Associations that competed in Stage 1 in Sarajevo. The elected members are: Together with newly elected Para representative Jack HUNTER-SPIVEY, they will serve throughout the 2025–2029 term. Acting as a direct link between players and the ETTU leadership, the Athletes’ Commission ensures that athletes’ voices, concerns, and perspectives are incorporated into key decisions shaping European table tennis. It plays a vital role in strengthening athlete representation and providing guidance on matters affecting competition, welfare, development pathways, and the overall future direction of the sport. With all five members now elected, the Commission is fully prepared to begin its work for the upcoming cycle.
ETTU Europe Cup 2025/26: Stage 2 Draw Held in Luxembourg
The draw for Stage 2 of the 2025/26 ETTU Europe Cup in both the women’s and men’s competitions was conducted today in Luxembourg. The teams advancing from Stage 1, together with those joining from the Champions League, have now learned their opponents on the road to the knockout phase. In the women’s event, two groups of five teams were formed, while the men’s competition features four groups, promising high-level matches across Europe.
PERSSON and PRIMORAC at Stone Racket of Istria 2026 in Vrsar
From March 4 to 8, 2026, the town of Vrsar will once again welcome the Stone Racket of Istria, an international veterans’ table tennis tournament for players aged 40 and above. Just like last year, the organizers are making sure this will be much more than just a tournament. One thing is already certain – visitors to the Saline Sports Hall will once again enjoy a legendary table tennis showdown between Swedish great Jörgen PERSSON and Zoran PRIMORAC, now the President of the Croatian Table Tennis Association and Vice President of the European Table Tennis Union. In their playing days, even the Chinese were not guaranteed victories when facing PERSSON, PRIMORAC, and the top European stars of their era. The magnitude of their achievements is best shown by the fact that together they have collected over 60 medals from major international events – including Olympic Games, World Championships, and European Championships. These two icons in 2025 will treated the Vrsar crowd with an unforgettable spectacle. Before the match, PRIMORAC humorously announced he was seeking “revenge” for the 2008 Olympic Games quarterfinal, and the audience was in for a true show: rallies with two balls at once, mock medical time-outs, a stethoscope check to “see if the heart was still working,” and PRIMORAC’S improvised doctor routine that had the crowd in stitches. The result? PRIMORAC got his revenge. “We’ve played plenty of exhibition matches during our careers and I’m good at them,” said PRIMORAC with a smile. “What’s best is that we still have more tricks up our sleeves, we’ve only shown 50 percent so far. We saved something for 2026! Table tennis is perfect for this kind of fun. The crowd in Vrsar was fantastic last year – we broke the ice, people laughed, cheered, and truly enjoyed it. This year, we’re preparing something a bit different. The conditions for veterans here are unmatched – Maistra and STK Vrsar did an amazing job. This could easily become the most beautiful veterans’ tournament in Europe. Will the great Swede strike back? PERSSON has already promised his own revenge, but that won’t be the only surprise – organizers are teasing another major project that remains under wraps for now. The Stone Racket of Istria is open to players aged 40 to 80+, featuring singles and doubles events (men and women). Last year’s edition gathered participants from 12 countries, and that number is expected to grow in 2026. “Just like last year, the event offers a rich off-court program, including organized trips and experiences across the stunning Istrian region. The unique trophies are made of authentic Vrsar stone. The concept is simple: play + fun + experience. Participants will compete, but also enjoy everything Istria has to offer. It’s all about the experience,” said Bernard MUSULIN, Head of Destination Product Development at Maistra. A major new feature in 2026 will be the “Zoran PRIMORAC Table Tennis Masterclass”, a special training camp held March 1-4, 2026, just before the tournament. Participants will have the opportunity to learn directly from the legend himself, alongside four professional coaches, with limited spots available. Once again, Vrsar is set for a true table tennis spectacle – a celebration of sport, friendship, and unforgettable experiences. Fans will have the chance to witness two living legends in action, and all additional information can be found on the official website www.stoneracketistria.com and the tournament’s social media pages.
