Top seeds Spain recovered from dropping the opening match to defeat ninth seeds Romania 3-1 in their first Group A encounter of the Under 15 Boys Teams event at the European Youth Championships in Gondomar. Romania made an excellent start through David TORO, who overcame Alexander MALOV in five games. TORO won the opening game before MALOV fought back to lead 2-1, but the Romanian regained control by taking the final two games 11-7 to secure the first point of the tie. Ladimir MAYOROV quickly brought Spain level with a commanding straight-games victory over Mihai IORDAN, conceding only 15 points. Marcos GOMEZ and MAYOROV then put Spain ahead in the doubles. They defeated Tudor SAFTOIU and TORO in three games, although the Romanian pair pushed them all the way before falling 13-11 in the second game. MAYOROV returned to seal Spain’s victory, beating TORO in straight games to complete the top seeds’ successful start in Gondomar. “We lost the first match, but we did not panic. We know each other very well because we play against each other very often. I am very happy with my performance and with the way I beat TORO. We are going for all the wins here,” said MAYOROV confidently. Last year, Spain, represented by MAYOROV and Tianxiang ZOU, were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Italy. France also made a winning start in Group A by overcoming England 3-2. Noah TESSIER gave France the opening point with a four-game victory over Dimitar DIMITROV. The French player recovered after dropping the second game and held his nerve to claim the fourth 13-11. Nolan JOHNSTON then doubled France’s advantage with a straight-games victory over Pablo RAMIREZ RIOJA. Although RAMIREZ RIOJA pushed him hard in the closing stages, JOHNSTON prevailed 13-11 and 11-9 in the final two games. England responded in the doubles as RAMIREZ RIOJA and Oscar NIKOLLI defeated TESSIER and Quentin SANDONA in three games to reduce the deficit. RAMIREZ RIOJA then levelled the tie by overcoming TESSIER in four games. After taking the opening two games, he recovered from losing the third to send the match to the deciding fifth rubber. JOHNSTON proved the hero for France, dominating DIMITROV in straight games while conceding only ten points to secure a 3-2 victory. In Group B, second seeds Türkiye were pushed all the way by hosts Portugal before prevailing 3-2. Rodrigo ANDRADE gave Portugal the lead with a four-game victory over Emre BUCAK, but Görkem OCAL restored parity by defeating Eric PEREIRA in straight games. ANDRADE and PEREIRA then put the hosts back in front with a 3-1 doubles victory over OCAL and BUCAK. Türkiye fought back once more, with OCAL overcoming ANDRADE in straight games before BUCAK defeated PEREIRA 3-1 in the deciding match. Seventh seeds Austria also made a winning start, beating 14th seeds Denmark 3-1. Sung Bing CHEN and Louis FEGERL established a 2-0 lead with convincing straight-games victories over Julius FREDENSBORG and Noah SIMONI, respectively. Denmark stayed alive when Zacharias AL MOALEM and Elias SKAJEM edged FEGERL and CHEN in a dramatic five-game doubles contest, but FEGERL returned to defeat FREDENSBORG in straight games to secure Austria’s victory. In Group C, third seeds Germany enjoyed a comfortable start, defeating 12th seeds Hungary 3-0. Tien Nghia PHONG opened the tie with a four-game victory over Peter ZUBOR, edging a tight third game 12-10 before closing out the match 13-11 in the fourth. Lukas WANG then doubled Germany’s lead, recovering from losing the opening game to overcome Simon ZSIGMOND in four games. WANG and PHONG completed the sweep with a straight-games doubles victory over ZSIGMOND and ZUBOR. Fifth seeds Czechia also opened with a 3-1 victory over Switzerland. Oliver OLEJNIK and Ondrej MORAVEK both recorded convincing singles wins to put Czechia firmly in control. Switzerland responded through Arthur LOUSTALOT and Charlie HURTADO, who edged MORAVEK and OLEJNIK in a dramatic five-game doubles encounter. After recovering from 2-1 down, the Czech pair held a 9-4 lead in the deciding game but were unable to convert it. Martin MERKER, coach of the Czech Under 15 boys’ team, reflected on the performance: “It was an important start to the tournament and it is good that we won. It is a great shame that the boys did not extend their lead in the fifth set after leading 9-4. Doubles is very important in this competition, and I believe they will learn from it. Ondra MORÁVEK is not yet playing at the level I expected, but I am pleased with how he improved in his second singles match. Hopefully, next time he will be even better.” MORAVEK quickly put the disappointment behind him, returning to defeat LOUSTALOT in straight games and secure the tie for Czechia. In Group D, fourth seeds Poland opened with a 3-1 victory over Ukraine. Hubert KWIECINSKI put Poland ahead with a dominant straight-games win over David DROBOV, but Volodymyr NEVIZHYN levelled the tie by defeating Jakub TURECKI in four games. KWIECINSKI and TURECKI restored Poland’s advantage with a 3-1 doubles victory over NEVIZHYN and Mark VORONOI, before KWIECINSKI completed the win by edging NEVIZHYN in a hard-fought five-game encounter. Sweden produced one of the opening day’s standout results by sweeping Italy 3-0. Emil ELLERMANN and Erik KOGERFELT both recorded convincing straight-games victories in the singles before combining to overcome Tommaso SIMI and Pietro CAMPAGNA in a thrilling five-game doubles contest to complete the clean sweep.

The wait is almost over. On Friday, the 2026 European Youth Championships get underway in Gondomar, Portugal, where Europe’s brightest young table tennis talents will compete for ten days of action in one of the flagship events on the ETTU calendar. The opening five days will be dedicated to the team events before the focus switches to the singles, doubles and mixed doubles competitions from 15 to 19 July. A total of 39 associations will compete in the Under 19 Boys Teams, while 34 nations have entered the Under 19 Girls Teams and Under 15 Girls Teams, with 37 teams contesting the Under 15 Boys event. The team competitions promise compelling storylines across all four categories. In the Under 19 Boys, Romania arrives chasing an unprecedented fifth consecutive European title, but hosts Portugal will hope home support can help them go one better than last year’s silver medal. France, Poland, Slovakia and Spain are also expected to be among the leading contenders. France begin the Under 19 Girls event aiming for a third successive crown, while Romania, Poland and host nation Portugal all look capable of mounting a serious challenge. Last year’s finalists Ukraine, despite entering as the tenth seeds, remain one of the teams to watch. The Under 15 competitions signal the arrival of Europe’s next generation of stars. Germany seek a fourth consecutive Under 15 Girls Team title despite a refreshed squad, while Czechia, Poland, France and Romania headline a highly competitive field. In the Under 15 Boys event, the picture is even more open. Defending champions Italy have undergone major changes, leaving top seeds Spain, Türkiye, Germany and Poland among the favourites to battle for gold. Several players also arrive in Gondomar full of confidence after impressive performances at the recent European Under 21 Championships in Cluj-Napoca. Danilo FASO, Bianca MEI ROSU, Tiago ABIODUN, Robert ISTRATE, Leana HOCHART, Koharu ITAGAKI and Natalia BOGDANOWICZ are among the names looking to continue their excellent form on the youth stage. The Multiusos de Gondomar is no stranger to major table tennis events, having previously hosted the Europe Top 16 Cup, the European Under 21 Championships and the ITTF World Team Olympic Qualification Tournament. Now, another generation of Europe’s future stars is ready to write its own chapter in the venue’s history. As the first balls are struck on Friday morning, history, home hopes and the pursuit of European glory will combine to launch what promises to be another unforgettable edition of the European Youth Championships

The Under 19 Girls Team event promises another fascinating battle at the 2026 European Youth Championships in Gondomar, with defending champions France returning in pursuit of a third consecutive European crown. Yet, with Romania, Portugal, Poland and several other ambitious nations fielding talented line-ups, the road to gold is expected to be anything but straightforward. France arrive as the team to beat after successfully defending their title in Ostrava last year, overcoming Ukraine in a hard-fought final to retain the European crown. Their victory added to the title won in 2024 and reinforced France’s status as one of Europe’s leading forces in the category. The championship-winning squad featured Nina GUO ZHENG, Leana HOCHART, Alexia NODIN and Jade HUYNH, with HOCHART producing victories in the final against Olha PONKO and Veronika MATIUNINA. GUO ZHENG, then only 15 years old, also played a pivotal role with a crucial success over Daria KOVALOVA as France completed another memorable campaign. Ukraine, represented by Veronika MATIUNINA, Olha PONKO, Daria KOVALOVA, Alina OVRIAKH and Veronika VASYLENKO, claimed silver, while Portugal, represented by Júlia LEAL, Matilde PINTO and Mariana SANTA COMBA, and Spain, with María BERZOSA, Camila Renata MOSCOSO, Mariona MUNNÉ, Sofía COUCE and Irina GIMENO FONT, shared the bronze medals. As the competition moves to Gondomar, France once again head the seeding list. GUO ZHENG, HOCHART, HUYNH and NODIN return with the experience of defending champions and will be aiming to extend France’s remarkable run. Second seeds Romania look well equipped to challenge for the title with Andreea BAIASU, Bianca MEI ROSU, Alesia Sofia SFERLEA, Maria STOIAN and Patricia STOICA. Poland, seeded third, rely on Natalia BOGDANOWICZ, Matylda HADRYS, Karolina HOLDA, Katarzyna RAJKOWSKA and Zofia SLIWKA, while hosts Portugal complete the top four seeds with Leonor GOMES, Júlia LEAL, Beatriz PINTO, Joana PINTO and Mariana SANTA COMBA hoping home support can inspire a deep run. Spain, seeded fifth, field María BERZOSA, Sofía COUCE, Irina GIMENO FONT, Camila MOSCOSO and Renata SHYPSHA, while sixth-seeded Germany are represented by Rhea Zhu CHEN, Koharu ITAGAKI, Lorena MORSCH, Elisa NGUYEN and Lisa-Sophie WANG. Austria complete the top seven with Julia DUR, Elina FUCHS, Mariia LYTVYN, Sophia PICHLER and Nina SKERBINZ, while Belgium round out the top eight through Kathe DE MEYER, Lilly LAFFINEUR, Lessia LEWYCKYJ, Lilou MASSART and Lotte NUYTTENS. Further down the draw, last year’s finalists Ukraine, represented by Daria KOVALOVA, Alina OVRIAKH, Olha PONKO, Tetiana PUKALO and Veronika VASYLENKO, remain one of the most dangerous unseeded teams despite starting as the tenth seeds. Hungary and Italy also possess the quality to challenge for the latter stages, while Serbia, Bulgaria and Türkiye will all be aiming to upset the established order. With reigning champions eager to extend their dominance, hosts dreaming of a breakthrough on home soil and a host of talented challengers ready to seize their opportunity, the Under 19 Girls Team event is set to deliver another thrilling chapter in the history of the European Youth Championships.ampionships.

Home advantage, unfinished business and history on the line. The ingredients are all in place for a captivating Under 19 Boys Team competition at the 2026 European Youth Championships in Gondomar. Portugal will look to turn last year’s silver medal into gold in front of their own supporters, but standing in their way is defending champion Romania, a team seeking an unprecedented fifth consecutive European title. With France, Poland, Slovakia, Spain and several other contenders fielding strong line-ups, the fight for the crown promises to be one of the most competitive events of the Championships. Last year in Ostrava, Romania completed a dramatic campaign by defeating Portugal in a thrilling final to secure a fourth consecutive European title. The triumph matched the four-title winning streaks previously achieved by Germany (1995–1998) and the Soviet Union (1975–1978), leaving only France’s record of five straight championships standing above them. Despite being seeded only fifth in 2025 and introducing several new faces, Romania once again proved their championship pedigree. Led by Iulian CHIRITA alongside Dragoș BUJOR, Robert Alexandru ISTRATE and Luka OPREA, they navigated a demanding knockout draw before edging Portugal in one of the most memorable finals of recent years. Romania have now remained unbeaten in the Under 19 Boys Team event since Belgrade 2022 and will be determined to make history in Gondomar by capturing an unprecedented fifth consecutive title. This year, however, the challenge looks stronger than ever. Top seeds France arrive with Nathan DOUSSINET, Nathan LAM, Antoine NOIRAULT and Nathan PILARD, while second seeds Poland field a talented squad led by Marcel BLASZCZYK, Samuel MICHNA, Jan MRUGALA Mateusz SAKOWICZ and Patryk ZYWORONEK. Slovakia, bronze medallists a year ago, return as the third seeds with Damian FLORO, Samuel ARPAS, Pavol KOKAVEC and Jakub HOLUBCIK once again leading their challenge, while Spain complete the top four seeds. Defending champions Romania begin this year’s event seeded ninth, with Robert ISTRATE now leading a new generation that also includes Mihai NAGY, Robert PODAR, Andrei TIBIRNA and Luca TRASCU. They will once again rely on their trademark fighting spirit as they attempt to continue an extraordinary winning run. Hosts Portugal, seeded tenth, will also attract plenty of attention. After reaching their first-ever Under 19 Boys Team final last year, Tiago ABIODUN returns to spearhead another ambitious squad, joined by Guilherme CARDOSO, Carlos GONÇALVES, Lourenço SARDINHA and Dinis YE. Playing in front of home fans, Portugal will be eager to take one step further after last year’s silver medal. Several other nations look capable of mounting a serious challenge. Italy, led by Danilo FASO, Hungary with Balázs LEI, Austria featuring Julian RZIHAUSCHEK, Belgium with Matt CLOSSET, Sweden, Czechia and Switzerland all possess the quality to upset the favourites, while Germany, despite starting from Stage 2, will also be looking to re-establish themselves among Europe’s elite. With established stars, emerging talents and a packed field of ambitious teams, Gondomar promises another unforgettable chapter in the rich history of the European Youth Championships. Whether Romania can complete a historic five-title streak or a new champion emerges will be one of the biggest stories of the week.

The Under 15 Boys Team competition is set to usher in a new generation of European stars at the 2026 European Youth Championships in Gondomar. While defending champions Italy no longer feature the squad that retained the title in Ostrava, the race for gold promises to be one of the most open events of the Championships, with several ambitious nations boasting talented young line-ups. Italy successfully defended their title last year after overcoming first-time finalists Türkiye in a thrilling final. It marked back-to-back European crowns for the Italians, whose previous triumph before their recent resurgence had come back in 1993. The championship-winning team featured Danilo FASO, Francesco TREVISAN, Giulio CAMPAGNA and Pietro CAMPAGNA, while silver medallists Türkiye were represented by Kenan KAHRAMAN, Görkem ÖÇAL, Kuzey GÜNDOĞDU and Ahmet ŞAHAN. Germany, represented by Jonas RINDERER, Lukas WANG, Samuel KUHL and Tian Nghia PHONG, and Poland, with Jan MRUGALA, Mateusz WISNIEWSKI, Piotr LACKI and Hubert KWIECIŃSKI, completed the podium with bronze medals. A year later, the landscape has changed significantly, with many of last year’s protagonists having moved into the Under 19 category. Top seeds Spain lead this year’s field with Marcos GOMEZ, Alexander MALOV, Ladimir MAYOROV and Roger QUESADA, while second-seeded Türkiye once again look among the strongest contenders with Emre BUCAK, Görkem ÖÇAL, Ali Enes SEREN and Kaan TUNA. Germany, seeded third, rely on Jonathan KRAFT, Kirill MANALAKI, Tien Nghia PHONG and Lukas WANG, while fourth seeds Poland are represented by Olaf GLANERT, Hubert KWIECIŃSKI, Ignacy SŁAWIŃSKI and Jakub TURECKI. Czechia, Sweden, Austria and France complete the top eight seeds. Czechia field Richard FEBER JR., Vojtěch LASTOVKA, Ondřej MORÁVEK and Oliver OLEJNÍK, Sweden are represented by Emil ELLERMANN, Joel ISAKSSON and Erik KOGERFELT, Austria by Benjamin BIAN, Sung Bing CHEN, Louis FEGERL and Joshua SAMS, while France arrive with Tim ESCUDIER, Nolan JOHNSTON, Quentin SANDONA and Noah TESSIER. Defending champions Italy begin their title defence as the fifteenth seeds with Pietro ANDREOLI, Pietro CAMPAGNA, Tommaso SIMI and Jan SLAVEC. Although only one member of last year’s winning squad returns, the Italians have shown repeatedly that they know how to rise to the occasion in this competition. With a fresh generation eager to make its mark, traditional powerhouses seeking to establish new dynasties and several emerging nations ready to challenge, the Under 15 Boys Team event promises to produce another memorable chapter in the European Youth Championships.

The Under 15 Girls Team competition heads to European Youth Championships in Gondomar with Germany once again carrying the status of favourites after building an impressive dynasty in recent years. Chasing a fourth consecutive European title, the defending champions will face strong opposition from a talented field led by Czechia, Poland, Sweden, France and several emerging nations eager to end Germany’s reign. Germany completed a golden hat-trick in Ostrava last year by capturing their third successive Under 15 Girls Team title. The triumph added to an already remarkable history in the event, with previous European crowns coming in 1994, 1998, 1999, 2009, 2012 and 2021. The victorious squad featured Josephina NEUMANN, Koharu ITAGAKI, Amelie Guzi JIA and Anna WALTER. In the final, NEUMANN and ITAGAKI led the way as Germany defeated France, represented by Lou-Anne BOCQUET, Lisa ZHAO, Eva LAM and Albane ROCHUT, to retain the title. Bronze medals were shared by Czechia, represented by Adéla BRHELOVÁ, Hanka KODET, Simona HOLUBOVÁ and Laura MARSICKOVÁ, and Italy, with Manon LOTH, Sofia EPISCOPO, Gioia Maria PICU and Matilde BUZZONI. A year later, Germany once again arrive among the favourites, although with a refreshed line-up. Third seeds, they are represented by Chenhao CHEN, Amelie Guzi JIA, Lotta ROTHFUSS and Anna WALTER, with two members of last year’s championship-winning team returning to defend the title. Top seeds Czechia lead this year’s draw with Adéla BARTOVÁ, Adéla BRHELOVÁ and Laura MARSICKOVÁ, while second-seeded Poland field Lucja KOBOSZ, Aleksandra NAWROCKA, Lena PUZIO and Natalia WSZOŁEK. No. 4 seeds Sweden rely on Siri BENJEGÅRD, Alicia ENBOM and Nike LUNDQVIST. France, seeded fifth, continue to look among the strongest challengers with Chloé HUANG, Eva LAM, Albane ROCHUT and Lisa ZHAO, while Romania, the sixth seeds, rely on Nadalia IONAȘCU, Maya MADAR, Kariss ȘERBAN and Bianca TOMA. Türkiye, represented by Belinay DAVUŞ, Ceren KAHRAMAN, Elvin KALE and Ela Su YONTER, are seeded seventh, followed by Croatia with Karla IVČIĆ, Lucija NOVAK and Sara RIVETTI. Spain, Portugal and Italy all possess the quality to challenge for the latter stages. Spain field Eloisa BARREDA, Teresa CARRASCO VIEITO, Esther HASEK and Mireia PARAU, hosts Portugal are represented by Núria MADEIRA, Maria RUIVO, Irina SILVA and Matilde SOUSA, while Italy arrive with Claudia BERTOLINI, Alice BORSANI, Matilde BUZZONI and Carolina ROSSI.