In the quarterfinal of the Under 15 Girls Singles Event at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava, two-time European U15 Singles champion Hanka KODET of Czechia lived up to expectations in front of the home crowd by defeating seed no. 8 Josephina NEUMANN of Germany in straight games. “It’s a really good feeling, especially because I lost to her in the team event, so there was a lot of pressure on me,” said KODET. “I’m really happy I made it. It was a difficult match, even though the score may not look like it. Despite winning in straight games, I found it tough. In the fourth game, I really wanted to finish the match, so it was very close. Before the match, my coach advised me not to play too much to her backhand, but funnily enough, in the last game I did exactly that—but it worked. To be honest, I’m heading into the final with a clear head and fully focused.” Two French players exceeded expectations and rankings with impressive performances. Just 12 years old, Albane ROCHUT of France (seeded no. 45) stunned Romania’s Patricia STOICA (no. 4 seed) to reach the semifinals. “I’m really happy I won—I still can’t believe it,” said ROCHUT. “The second and third games were the most difficult for me. I didn’t change my tactics during the match, I just played my own game. I’m only 12, so reaching the semifinals is a huge success. This is my first time competing in the U15 category, and it’s incredible that I’ll take home a medal. In the semifinal, I’ll try to play my best table tennis and win for sure!” Lou-Anne BOCQUET of France (no. 41 seed) continued her strong form by defeating Siri BENJEGÅRD of Sweden (no. 5 seed). BOCQUET will face KODET in the semi-final. In the other semi-final, top seed Koharu ITAGAKI of Germany will play against ROCHUT. ITAGAKI secured her place by beating Spain’s Renata SHYPSHA (no. 6 seed).

The penultimate day of play at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava brought intense competition and high-stakes drama, as players battled for places on the medal rostrum in the Singles and Doubles events. With the semi finals and finals ahead, tomorrow’s matches will determine who reaches the top of the podium. In the Under 19 Boys Doubles Event, last year’s champion Iulian CHIRITA of Romania, who previously partnered with Andrei ISTRATE, is now playing alongside Tiago ABIODUN of Portugal. The top seeds were pushed to the limit by Croatia’s Leon BENKO and Ivan HENCL, seeded no. 5. Down 1-2, CHIRITA and ABIODUN stepped up to turn the match around and advance to the semifinals. Dragos BUJOR and Robert Alexandru ISTRATE of Romania (no. 11 seeds) became the first pair to secure a medal. In the quarterfinals, they overcame Connor GREEN of England and Lleyton ULLMANN of Germany (no. 8 seeds) in straight games without alarm. Yoan VELICHKOV of Bulgaria and Julian RZIHAUSCHEK of Austria, seeded no. 15, endured a rollercoaster match against the second seeds Daniel BERZOSA of Spain and Marcel BLASZCZYK of Poland. After taking the first two games, VELICHKOV and RZIHAUSCHEK saw their lead slip away as their opponents leveled the match. However, they withstood the spirited comeback to secure their place on the medal podium. VELICHKOV reflected:“We had a really good start and were 2-0 up, but then they came back to 2-2. I think we could have closed the match a little earlier, but our nerves definitely played a role at that point. We were also a bit lucky, especially in the last game. We knew they were the favourites, but that’s exactly why I told myself and my partner that we had to believe we could beat them.” RZIHAUSCHEK added:“For me, the most difficult and most important game was the first one. When you’re not the favourite, it’s really important to take that opening game.” VELICHKOV continued: “To be honest, the third game was the hardest for me. When you feel you can win, it actually becomes more difficult, especially when you know they’re the no. 2 seeds. They won that game, but it didn’t change our mindset. We stayed focused throughout the match.” RZIHAUSCHEK concluded:“I think now we can beat anyone, we work really well together. Our goal is to win. We actually won a medal together in U15 a few years ago, but this will be our first in the U19 category. I’m really happy and proud of us.” Meanwhile, Rafal FORMELA and Alan KULCZYCKI of Poland (no. 17 seeds) overcame Brin VOVK PETROVSKI and Miha PODOBNIK of Slovenia (no. 16 seeds) to claim their spot in the semifinals. In the Under 19 Girls Doubles Event, Ulyana MIASHCHANSKAYA and Lizaveta TSIMASHKOVA (AIN) nearly produced a huge upset. Seeded no. 51, they held three match balls at 2-0 (10-7) against the top seeds Leana HOCHART and Nina GUO ZHENG of France. However, the French pair managed to recover and narrowly escape defeat, advancing to the medal round. Veronika MATIUNINA of Ukraine and Matilde PINTO of Portugal (no. 4 seeds) ended the remarkable run of Poland’s Zofia SLIWKA and Oliwia WATOR. The Polish duo, seeded just no. 56, made a stunning push to the quarterfinals before being stopped by the strong Ukrainian-Portuguese combination. No. 2 seeds Bianca MEI ROSU of Romania and Sara TOKIC of Slovenia needed only three games to dispatch another Polish pair, Natalia BOGDANOWICZ and Katarzyna RAJKOWSKA (no. 6 seeds), and reach the semifinals. Anna HURSEY of Wales and Mia GRIESEL of Germany, seeded no. 3, came through a thrilling five-game battle against Maria BERZOSA of Spain and Lilou MASSART of Belgium (no. 5 seeds). Earlier in the day, HURSEY had staged a dramatic singles comeback from 0-3 down, and she once again endured a full-distance match alongside GRIESEL—this time coming back from a two-game deficit to secure a spot in the medal round. In the Under 15 Girls Doubles Event, the 2023 champions and top seeds Koharu ITAGAKI and Josephina NEUMANN of Germany will face last year’s runners-up, Renata SHYPSHA of Spain and Siri BENJEGÅRD of Sweden, for a place in the final. In the other semifinal, Alexia NODIN and Lou-Anne BOCQUET of France will meet Laurynne CABARDO and Angelina BEBAWY of Sweden. While the progress of the German and Spanish pairs was expected, the lower half of the draw produced some surprises. CABARDO and BEBAWY (no. 8 seeds) first defeated Switzerland’s HU and WU (no. 13 seeds), before taking down Gioia Maria PICU and Manon LOTH of Italy—the pair that had earlier eliminated second seeds Hanka KODET of Czechia and Lana BENKO of Croatia. In the Under 15 Boys Doubles Event, the top three seeded pairs all secured their spots on the medal podium. Last year’s bronze medalists and current top seeds, Danilo FASO and Francesco TREVISAN of Italy, overcame Germany’s Lukas WANG and Tien Nghia PHONG. In the semifinals, they will face Hungary’s Mark GERGELY and Lenard SZABO (no. 3 seeds). In the bottom half of the draw, second seeds Görkem ÖÇAL and Kenan KAHRAMAN of Turkey defeated Italy’s Giulio and Pietro CAMPAGNA. Their semifinal opponents will be Louis FEGERL of Austria and Ladimir MAYOROV of Spain (no. 12 seeds), who pulled off a notable upset by defeating England’s no. 4 seeds Abraham SELLADO and Kacper PIWOWAR. For Ladimir MAYOROV, this marks a milestone, his first medal at the European Championships in the Under 15 category. The Spanish talent, who turns 12 tomorrow, already holds two bronze medals from the Under 13 European Championships.

Noah TESSIER and Lou-Anne BOCQUET of France are the newly crowned champions in the Under 15 Mixed Doubles event at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava. In the final, they overcame Germany’s Lukas WANG and Koharu ITAGAKI with a confident 3-1 victory. The bronze medals were awarded to Francesco TREVISAN of Italy and Hanka KODET of Czechia, and to the Swedish duo Emil ELLERMANN and Siri BENJEGÅRD. The French pair beat several notable opponents on their way to the title, and in the final, they showed remarkable composure and control throughout the match. “For both of us, this is our first EYC and actually the first time we’ve played mixed doubles together, so to be honest, we didn’t expect to win a medal at all. We still can’t believe we made it,” they shared. “The tactic in this match was to target forehand shots against ITAGAKI and use more spin against both of them.” Coach Vivien SAUVAGE praised the pair’s chemistry: “They had a preparation camp before the EYC, and even back then, my coaching colleagues and I could already see that they made a great pair. We told them they could win!” In the semi-final, the top seeds Francesco TREVISAN of Italy and Hanka KODET of Czechia were upset by TESSIER and BOCQUET. KODET, last year’s runner-up with Jan SKALDA and now paired with TREVISAN, entered the tournament with high expectations, but the French duo, seeded only no. 43, handled the pressure and produced a standout performance. TESSIER said: “We’re really happy to beat the number one seeds. We played really well, it was a close match, 3-2. Honestly, I had no expectations before this tournament. It’s my first EYC. We’re a good team, we complement each other well. BOCQUET has really good serves, we earned a lot of points from them. I have a strong forehand, and we combined our strengths to win. We didn’t expect anything from the final, just wanted to enjoy it and go for the win.” In the other semi-final, WANG and ITAGAKI defeated Sweden’s ELLERMANN and BENJEGÅRD in a less dramatic fashion. “Our opponents played really well. There were a lot of long rallies,” said ITAGAKI. “Our tactic was to keep the ball short and play smart, without rushing. We tried to vary the rhythm throughout the match. We had no expectations for the final, they’re both really strong players. We just wanted to enjoy the moment and give our best.” Final Semi-finals

Daniel BERZOSA of Spain and Veronika MATIUNINA of Ukraine clinched the title in the Under 19 Mixed Doubles event at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava. Silver medalists are Iulian CHIRITA of Romania and Anna HURSEY of Wales. The bronze medals went to Tiago ABIODUN of Portugal and Bianca MEI ROSU of Romania, as well as to Samuel ARPAS of Slovakia and Maria BERZOSA of Spain. The final began with early dominance from the Romanian-Welsh pair, but BERZOSA and MATIUNINA quickly shifted momentum in their favor. While the next two games were closely contested, the eventual champions elevated their performance in the deciding game. “We lost the first game 3-11—they were just killing every ball. But the most important thing was that we stayed focused the whole time and continued to play our game. We stayed active and fought for every point, and it worked. In the last game, we played really well, placed every ball on the table, we knew it was our last chance to win the gold,” explained MATIUNINA. BERZOSA added: “I think we were calmer than them—they seemed more nervous, and the pressure was on their side. Our tactic was to receive short balls because in the first game they killed everything. That was the key. We entered this final with one goal, to win, and we made it happen.” The semifinals featured a historic moment for the European Youth Championships: the first-ever mixed doubles match between a brother and sister. Reigning champions BERZOSA and MATIUNINA narrowly defeated Samuel ARPAS and Maria BERZOSA 3-2 in an emotionally charged encounter. “In the beginning, it was mentally hard, because BERZOSA was playing against his sister,” said MATIUNINA. “I asked him how he felt before the match and he said he was okay, but I knew it would be difficult for him—they are really close. It was a nervous match, but we managed to win 3-2, and I’m really happy. Every game was tough, but the last one was the most important. We were leading, they came back, and at that point, it was all about staying focused.” BERZOSA added: “It was the strangest match of my life, to be honest. Of course, I wanted to win, but it was hard. I had to respect my partner Veronika and our coach, so I gave it my all, even though it was against my sister. I think we both played our best, and the winner is the winner.” Veronika concluded: “For the final, we just wanted to do our best. We knew our opponents were strong and had great results, but I believe Daniel and I form a really good mixed doubles team, especially with him being left-handed, which is a big advantage in doubles.” The match between the BERZOSA siblings was the first of its kind at the EYC. However, there have been two previous mixed doubles finals between twin sisters: in 2001, Gaby ROHR (GER) and Benjamin RÖSNER lost to Meike ROHR and Christian SÜSS; and in 1990, Tatjana KULAGINA (URS) and Vladimir SAMSONOV defeated twin sister Ekaterina and Evgeny FADEEV. Second seeds ABIODUN and MEI ROSU were eliminated in the semifinals by CHIRITA and HURSEY, who played confidently and tactically sound. “It was a really tough match against Tiago and Bianca, they are a very good doubles team,” said CHIRITA. “We knew from the start that we had to play really well and put pressure on them, and we did that. We fought for every point, and I’m very happy we managed to win. It’s our first mixed doubles appearance at the EYC, and I hope there are many more to come. We were well prepared, Anna’s coach John advised us to use more spin and stay close to the table, and we followed that plan. For the final, it was a new match, and we knew we had to stay focused and review our tactics. I truly believed in our team, because we were ready.” Final Semi-finals

The eighth day of play at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava welcomed the top 16 seeds into the singles stage across all four categories, bringing a wave of excitement, intense rallies, and several early upsets. In the Under 19 Girls’ Singles Event, a few notable names made an unexpected exit. The highest-ranked player to fall in the Round of 64 was Lilou MASSART of Belgium, the no. 9 seed, who was defeated by Lizaveta TSIMASHKOVA (AIN), seeded only 98th. Marziyya NURMATOVA of Azerbaijan is also out, while no. 50 seed Hannah SILCOCK of Jersey advanced with a strong performance. Karolina HOLDA of Poland, seeded no. 10, narrowly escaped elimination after a dramatic seven-game duel against Irina GIMENO FONT of Spain (no. 48). “I started the match really well and was leading 3-1, but then GIMENO FONT started playing much better. She kept the ball on the table, and we had a lot of long rallies, some over 20 balls. That was the toughest part for me,” said HOLDA. “In the last game, she had two match points at 10-8, but I stayed focused and just tried to play my best table tennis. The key was to stay calm and play every ball to the table. Honestly, I perform better under pressure, it really helped me win this one.” Julia LEAL of Portugal (seeded no. 35) added to the list of surprises by eliminating Germany’s no. 13 seed, Lorena MORSCH. In the Under 19 Boys’ Singles Event, Uros NINKOVIC of Serbia (no. 67 seed) advanced to the Round of 32 for the first time by defeating Portugal’s Clement LAINE. “We played a year and a half ago in Varazdin, and I lost. I learned my lesson, and this time I got my revenge,” said NINKOVIC. “He beat me 3-1 after I had a 1-0 lead and match point at 10-9. That loss stayed with me.” NINKOVIC will now face another familiar name: England’s Connor GREEN. “He beat me twice in the team event. I’m pretty sure he has a game plan for me,” he added. Serbia finished 19th in the team event in Ostrava. Several other seeded players exited earlier than expected. Tom CLOSSET of Belgium (no. 10) lost 0-4 to Denmark’s Dominykas SAMUOLIS. Sweden’s William BERGENBLOCK (no. 13) fell 2-4 to Martin FROSETH of Norway. Itay AVIVI of Israel overcame France’s Nathan PILARD, and no. 14 seed Rafael KONG of Portugal was defeated by Luxembourg’s Aaron SAHR (no. 56). In the Under 15 Girls’ Singles Event, the Round of 64 brought its share of surprises. Croatia’s Lena BENKO (no. 9 seed) was eliminated by Italy’s Manon LOTH (no. 55) in five games. Poland’s Lena PUZIO (no. 64 seed) also exceeded expectations by defeating Czechia’s Simona HOLUBOVA (no. 24 seed) in straight games. Austria’s no. 3 seed Mariia LYTVYN faced tremendous pressure but recovered from a 1-3 deficit to beat Poland’s Aleksandra NAWROCKA (no. 51). Türkiye’s Enya HU, seeded no. 16, found herself in even deeper trouble, trailing 0-3 against Gali BEZALEL of Israel (no. 90), before dramatically turning the match around to win. Top two seeds, Germany’s Koharu ITAGAKI and Czechia’s Hanka KODET, safely secured their places in the Round of 32. In the Cadet Boys’ Singles Event, there were no surprises among the top-ranked players. Danilo FASO of Italy and Gorkem OCAL of Türkiye advanced with solid performances. However, Germany’s no. 8 seed Lukas WANG suffered an early exit after a tight seven-game battle against Bulgaria’s Viktor DIMITROV (no. 72). Tianxiang ZOU of Spain (no. 63) delivered a standout performance by defeating Slovakia’s Filip NAGY (no. 20 seed) in straight games. Meanwhile, Israel’s Lion Koren SEREF showed great composure to neutralize the defensive style of Sweden’s Albin INGESTROM, winning in straight but hard-fought games to eliminate the no. 12 seed.

Top seeds in the Under 19 Mixed Doubles event, Daniel BERZOSA of Spain and Veronika MATIUNINA of Ukraine, successfully progressed to the quarterfinals at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava. On the seventh day of play at the RT Torax Arena, the Spanish-Ukrainian duo overcame Portugal’s Rafael KONG and Mariana SANTA COMBA. “We were prepared for this match, and we had a tactic on how to play against them,” said BERZOSA. “The first game was the most important and the most difficult. We were leading quite comfortably at 8-4, but then we were down 8-9. Still, we continued to fight, every game matters, so we just kept pushing. The beginning of this tournament was tough for us; it always is.” MATIUNINA added: “In the first round we played against the Czech pair ŠČIBRÁNIOVÁ and MAKARA, they were really good, and we were under pressure. Maybe that’s why we almost lost that match. But we’ve played mixed doubles together before, so we know how to work as a team, and I think that experience really helped us. We were champions last year, so of course there’s pressure—but we’re trying to do it again.” In the lower half of the draw, second seeds Tiago ABIODUN of Portugal and Bianca MEI ROSU of Romania defeated Leon BENKO of Croatia and Nina SKERBINZ of Austria. Samuel ARPAS of Slovakia and Maria BERZOSA of Spain also advanced, following a tight victory over David SZANTOSI of Hungary and Mia GRIESEL of Germany. ARPAS reflected: “I felt really bad before the match because I had just lost in the doubles with my partner LEI, we were seeded third and went out in the first round. That loss really hurt. But I tried to move on and focus on the mixed doubles. The Spanish coach helped us a lot with the strategy—he told us to play more long balls, and it worked throughout the match. The first game was crucial, we were leading all the way, but it got tight at 10-10. We managed to win it 14-12, and that made the difference. In the next round, we play BRHEL and DAVIDOV. I think it’s not the hardest possible opponent, but we won’t underestimate them. We’ll do everything we can to win a medal!” Maria BERZOSA added: “We knew it would be a tough match because they were the favorites. In the second game, we were up 10-8 but lost it 10-12. Still, we felt confident, and we came back to win the match.” In the quarterfinals, BERZOSA and MATIUNINA will face Ivan HENCL of Croatia and Lilou MASSART of Belgium, while ARPAS and Maria BERZOSA will meet Stepan BRHEL of Czechia and Elinor DAVIDOV of Israel. Should both Maria and Daniel BERZOSA win their respective matches, the siblings could face each other in the semifinals, a potential showdown that adds an exciting twist to the tournament narrative.

Hanka KODET, last year’s runner-up alongside Jan SKALDA, reached the quarterfinal of the Under 15 Mixed Doubles event at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava, this time partnering with Italy’s Francesco TREVISAN. In the Round of 16, top seeds TREVISAN and KODET overcame Hungary’s Lenard SZABO and Szonja SZÖGI in straight games. “Before the match we were a little bit scared, but once we started playing, we calmed down,” said KODET. “We had a strong start, although the first game was tight at 8-8. I think winning that first game was key. After that, the second and third games were smoother, we played our own game. Honestly, we didn’t follow any specific tactic; we just knew the players from singles, combined our strengths, and focused on doing our best. Being seeded no. 1 doesn’t affect us, we’re just trying to stay focused and win.” Second seeds Lukas WANG and Koharu ITAGAKI of Germany found themselves 1–2 down against Türkiye’s Kenan KAHRAMAN and Ayten Ceren KAHRAMAN before turning the match around to secure a victory. However, the third seeds Danilo FASO (Italy) and Josephina NEUMANN (Germany) were knocked out. The Swedish duo Emil ELLERMANN and Siri BENJEGÅRD created a major upset, ending the favorites’ run. Last year, BENJEGÅRD (then partnered with Adam WALLIN) lost to FASO and Koharu ITAGAKI in the Round of 16, but this time the tables turned. “I think we had really good teamwork and a clear tactic,” said ELLERMANN. “We knew they were strong, they won team gold here, so we were nervous. But we focused on enjoying the game and gave it our best. They made some unforced errors, and we tried to play short and open the game early. Our coach told us to just have fun and play—and we followed that advice. And we won!” he said with a laugh. BENJEGÅRD added, “We also had incredible support from the crowd, which I think put extra pressure on our opponents. That helped us a lot. In the next round, we just want to stay focused and enjoy every ball.” Spain will be represented in the quarterfinals by Ladimir MAYOROV and Renata SHYPSHA. Meanwhile, Czech duo Ondrej MORAVEK and Laura MARSICKOVA, the U13 silver medalists at the 2024 European Championships in Bucharest, eliminated Alexander MALOV and Jiaqi GUO. France’s Noah TESSIER and Lou-Anne BOCQUET also progressed with a win over Czech pair Oliver OLEJNIK and Adela BRHELOVA.

The Team Events at the 2025 European Youth Championships in Ostrava concluded with a medal distribution across 12 nations. France emerged as the most successful country with two medals, including one gold and one silver, followed by Italy and Germany, each also securing a gold and a bronze. Romania defended their legacy with a gold, while Portugal added both silver and bronze to their collection. Here’s the full medal tally: Country Gold Silver Bronze Total France 1 1 0 2 Italy 1 0 1 2 Germany 1 0 1 2 Romania 1 0 0 1 Portugal 0 1 1 2 Ukraine 0 1 0 1 Türkiye 0 1 0 1 Slovakia 0 0 1 1 Hungary 0 0 1 1 Spain 0 0 1 1 Poland 0 0 1 1 Czechia 0 0 1 1 Under 19 Boys Under 19 Girls Under 15 Boys Under 15 Girls 1 Romania (ROU)2 Portugal (POR)3 Slovakia (SVK)3 Hungary (HUN)5 France (FRA)5 Poland (POL)7 Spain (ESP)7 Czechia (CZE)9 Norway (NOR)9 Sweden (SWE)11 Italy (ITA)11 Belgium (BEL)13 Switzerland (SUI)13 Israel (ISR)15 Austria (AUT)16 Slovenia (SLO)⬇️17 England (ENG) ⬆️18 Bulgaria (BUL)19 Serbia (SRB)19 Lithuania (LTU)21 Türkiye (TUR)21 Croatia (CRO)23 Estonia (EST)23 Denmark (DEN)25 Netherlands (NED)25 Germany (GER)27 Luxembourg (LUX)27 Greece (GRE)29 Montenegro (MNE)30 Finland (FIN)31 Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH)32 Ukraine (UKR)33 Moldova (MDA)34 Ireland (IRL)35 Azerbaijan (AZE)36 Scotland (SCO)37 Malta (MLT)39 Cyprus (CYP)39 Iceland (ISL) 1 France (FRA)2 Ukraine (UKR)3 Portugal (POR)3 Spain (ESP)5 Hungary (HUN)5 Germany (GER)7 Austria (AUT)7 Romania (ROU)9 Bulgaria (BUL)9 Türkiye (TUR)11 Slovakia (SVK)11 Belgium (BEL)13 Italy (ITA)13 Poland (POL)15 Croatia (CRO)16 Greece (GRE) ⬇️17 Serbia (SRB) ⬆️18 Czechia (CZE)19 Lithuania (LTU)20 Luxembourg (LUX)21 Moldova (MDA)22 Denmark (DEN)23 Sweden (SWE)24 Norway (NOR)25 Israel (ISR)25 England (ENG)27 Netherlands (NED)27 Wales (WAL)29 Estonia (EST)29 Azerbaijan (AZE)31 Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH)31 Switzerland (SUI)33 Latvia (LAT)33 Ireland (IRL)35 Scotland (SCO) 1 Italy (ITA)2 Türkiye (TUR)3 Germany (GER)3 Poland (POL)5 Romania (ROU)5 France (FRA)7 Spain (ESP)7 Denmark (DEN)9 Hungary (HUN)9 Switzerland (SUI)11 Ukraine (UKR)11 Portugal (POR)13 England (ENG)13 Czechia (CZE)15 Sweden (SWE)16 Slovenia (SLO) ⬇️17 Austria (AUT)⬆️18 Israel (ISR)19 Slovakia (SVK)19 Luxembourg (LUX)21 Bulgaria (BUL)21 Serbia (SRB)23 Belgium (BEL)23 Greece (GRE)25 Cyprus (CYP)25 Moldova (MDA)27 Lithuania (LTU)27 Latvia (LAT)29 Norway (NOR)29 Scotland (SCO)31 Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH)31 Netherlands (NED)33 San Marino (SMR)33 Croatia (CRO)35 Andorra (AND)35 Finland (FIN)37 Estonia (EST)37 Ireland (IRL)39 Malta (MLT)39 Iceland (ISL) 1 Germany (GER)2 France (FRA)3 Czechia (CZE)3 Italy (ITA)5 Poland (POL)5 Romania (ROU)7 Spain (ESP)7 Portugal (POR)9 Türkiye (TUR)9 Croatia (CRO)11 Ukraine (UKR)11 Sweden (SWE)13 Greece (GRE)13 Hungary (HUN)15 Austria (AUT)16 Belgium (BEL) ⬇️17 Israel (ISR) ⬆️18 Lithuania (LTU)19 Switzerland (SUI)19 Slovakia (SVK)21 Moldova (MDA)21 Estonia (EST)23 Luxembourg (LUX)23 Slovenia (SLO)25 England (ENG)25 Serbia (SRB)27 Latvia (LAT)27 Bulgaria (BUL)29 Iceland (ISL)29 Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH)31 Scotland (SCO)31 Montenegro (MNE)33Norway (NOR)

In a breathtaking final of the Under 19 Boys Event, Romania clinched their fourth consecutive gold medal at the European Youth Championships in Ostrava. By doing so, they equaled the winning streaks of Germany (1995–1998) and the USSR (1975–1978), falling just one title short of France’s record five consecutive wins (2008–2012). Despite fielding a rejuvenated squad and being seeded only at position no. 5, Team Romania, composed of Iulian CHIRITA, Dragoș BUJOR, Robert Alexandru ISTRATE, and Luka OPREA, overcame all opponents on their way to the top. Silver medalists Portugal were represented by Tiago ABIODUN, Clément LAINE, Rafael KONG, and Tiago OLHERO. Bronze medals were awarded to Slovakia (Damian FLORO, Samuel PALUSEK, Samuel ARPAS, Jakub HOLUBCIK) and Hungary (Balázs LEI, Dávid SZÁNTÓSI, Balázs POÓR, Georgiosz KIZÁKISZ). This was Portugal’s first-ever final in this category; their only previous medal came in 2002 with João MONTEIRO and Tiago APOLÓNIA, when they took bronze. Romania has remained unbeaten in the team event since Belgrade 2022, and their legacy stretches back to their first title in 1958. In the final, team leader Iulian CHIRITA secured two key wins, over Clément LAINE and Tiago ABIODUN. The second match had the crowd in Torax Arena on the edge of their seats, but it was the deciding match between BUJOR and LAINE that delivered an unforgettable finish. Both players put on a show of quality and power in one of the most dramatic matches of the tournament. CHIRITA explained: “I played against LAINE five months ago, he was very aggressive in the first balls, but I discussed tactics with my coach and managed to win. For me, this is my fourth title, so I had the experience to play without pressure, while for him it was his first final, so of course, there were differences. My second match was against ABIODUN. It was really tough, and we were down 1-2 in matches, so I knew I had to play safely. Tiago played really well, but I just focused and took it point by point, I’m really happy I managed to win both of my matches.” For ISTRATE, debuting in the U19 category, it was a steep challenge — but one he embraced with pride: “This was my first European Youth Championships in U19. Romania now has four titles, and I’ve won my first, I’m so happy. Last year, I lost in the U15 final. I didn’t expect such a big difference between U15 and U19, but it really is much harder. I did my best and managed to win some important matches, even though I couldn’t beat KONG in the final. My biggest win here was definitely against LAM from France, I won 3-2, and that victory helped us beat France. Against KONG, there was a lot of pressure and the atmosphere was incredible. I played my best, but he played better.” After his spectacular performance, BUJOR admitted: “To be honest, I can barely talk, it was the hardest match of my life against LAINE, and I still can’t believe I won. I went into the deciding match very nervous. There was a lot of pressure. But I did an amazing job. I’m so proud I could win the deciding match in the deciding game. I also thank Clément for playing an incredible match. We had so many insane rallies. This was a huge experience for me. That last game, at 2-2, was just insane. I won 18-16, he had four or five match points. It was crazy. But I did it, and I’m really happy and proud of my teammates.” Romania’s road to the title included victories over Slovakia, France, and Italy in the knockout stage. Portugal reached the final by defeating Hungary, Czechia, and Belgium. Romania – Portugal 3-2 SEMI FINAL Romania – Slovakia 3-1 Portugal – Hungary 3-0