PHOTO: Studio VUJIČIN Novi Sad is preparing to welcome the first guests for the European Veterans Table Tennis Championships, which will be held from June 15 to 21, 2025, at the Novi Sad Fair. The upcoming tournament is set to be one of the largest sporting events ever hosted in Novi Sad. More than 5,000 visitors are expected, including 2,593 players from 44 countries, competing in 11 age categories, from the youngest group (40–45 years) to the oldest (90+). City Council Member for Sports and Youth, Tatjana MEDVED, attended the press conference ahead of the Championships, joined by members of the Local Organising Committee (LOC). “The European Veterans Table Tennis Championships is the largest event of its kind in Europe, and beyond its sporting importance, it brings significant tourism potential to our city,” said MEDVED. “Novi Sad is becoming the epicenter of table tennis and veterans’ promotion, and we are fully prepared to host the opening ceremony on Sunday at 5:00 PM at the Master Center of the Novi Sad Fair, where 200 participants will perform a rich cultural and artistic program. Once again, Novi Sad has demonstrated the importance it places on sport for all. This year, the city has also become an official candidate for the title of ‘European City of Sport 2026’, and I firmly believe we will win it.” The press conference was also attended by Championship Director Marko JEVTOVIĆ, Championship Manager Dan FRACILE, and Stanislava STANIĆ Dimanić, a former national senior champion. “Accreditations begin on Saturday, and the official opening ceremony will take place on Sunday, featuring some pleasant surprises in the program. The first two days are reserved for the group stage, while Wednesday will traditionally be a rest day. The main draw, along with the consolation competition, will begin on Thursday,” said Dan FRACILE. The Championships will take place in the Master Hall and Hall 1, covering nearly 10,000 square meters, with 150 tables, including warm-up areas in additional halls (2, 3, and 6). During the event, visitors will also have access to catering and entertainment zones located both indoors and in the courtyard of the Novi Sad Fair, spanning over 20,000 square meters. The official ambassador of the Championships is Slobodan GRUJIĆ, a native of Novi Sad and one of the most decorated table tennis players in Serbian history.
ttc berlin eastside Crowned Champions League Women’s Winners for Sixth Time
Photo by: Let’s go Metz/N. MARTINO Germany’s ttc berlin eastside clinched the Champions League Women title for the sixth time in club history. After their 2021 triumph, they returned to the top despite a narrow defeat in the return leg of the final. French side METZ TT, who finished as runners-up in 2023, repeated that success this season. Following a dominant 3-1 victory in the opening leg in Berlin, ttc berlin eastside secured the overall victory after winning two of the first three matches in the return leg in Metz. Mariia TAILAKOVA gave the hosts early hope with a straight-games win over Sabina ŠURJAN, but Xiaona SHAN responded with a commanding 3-0 win over Adina DIACONU to restore Berlin’s lead. In a thrilling five-game encounter, Mia GRIESEL edged out Charlotte LUTZ 6-4 in the decisive game to seal the title for the German side. Although TAILAKOVA later leveled the score with a walkover win against SHAN, and Sarah DE NUTTE defeated Josephina NEUMANN by a single point in the final game, the aggregate victory was already out of reach for the French team. Second Leg Result: METZ TT – ttc berlin eastside 3-2 Opening Leg Result: ttc berlin eastside – METZ TT 3-1
Timo BOLL Becomes Ambassador for German Table Tennis
Even after the end of his active career, Timo BOLL remains closely connected to table tennis in Germany. The former world number one, 174-time national team player, and record European champion will now officially serve as an ambassador for German table tennis. Together with his long-time partners Borussia Düsseldorf and ARAG SE, Boll will work to further develop and raise public awareness of the sport in Germany. On Wednesday, the partnership between BOLL, the German Table Tennis Association (DTTB), ARAG, and Borussia Düsseldorf was officially announced at a media event held at the German Table Tennis Center. As one of Germany’s most successful and respected athletes and a defining figure in international table tennis, Timo BOLL brings decades of experience, authenticity, and influence. In his new role, he will contribute to increasing the sport’s popularity and help promote table tennis as a sport grounded in fair play and suitable for all ages throughout life. Dr. Wolfgang DÖRNER, Chairman of the DTTB Executive Board, emphasized: “Timo BOLL is much more than an outstanding athlete. He stands for fairness, integrity, and open access to sport for all. These are also the values that guide us as a federation. We are very pleased that he will continue to contribute his experience and personality in this new role.” For three decades, Timo BOLL represented German table tennis at the highest level – not only as a successful national team player but also as a team leader, fan favorite at major events, and a respected voice in both domestic and international circles. His new role is seen as a continuation and evolution of this deep-rooted connection. “Table tennis has given me so much throughout my life — now is the right time for me to give something back,” said BOLL. “I want to help make our sport more visible, especially for children, young people, and for those who may not yet have had access to it.”
Iceland Seeks New National Team Head Coach to Lead Development and Growth
The Icelandic Table Tennis Association (Borðtennissamband Íslands) is inviting applications for the position of Senior National Team Head Coach, with an optional broader role as National Head of Development overseeing both senior and youth programs. “This is a unique opportunity to make a lasting impact on a growing table tennis nation with strong potential. The selected candidate will be instrumental in shaping the future of Icelandic table tennis, helping elite players progress on the international stage while supporting the next generation through structured training systems, camps, and competitions both domestically and abroad.” Key Qualifications: Role Details: Start date: August or September 2025 Position: Half-time to full-time, depending on the candidate’s availability Location: Iceland (with opportunities to travel for international events) Application Deadline: June 20th, 2025 Please send your motivation letter and CV to: bordtennis@bordtennis.is
KAUFMANN and STUMPER Crowned New German Singles Champions
The 2025 German singles champions are Annett KAUFMANN and Kay STUMPER. While KAUFMANN successfully defended her title from last year, STUMPER claimed his first national singles crown. The 18-year-old KAUFMANN defeated Sabine WINTER in the final, earning a measure of revenge after losing to her in the 2023 final. STUMPER prevailed in a thrilling seven-game battle against Fanbo MENG. In both the 2023 German Nationals final and a Bundesliga clash earlier this season, WINTER had emerged victorious. But in Erfurt, it was KAUFMANN who had the final word, claiming her second national singles title. “It was my goal, but I knew it would be very difficult. It could just as easily have gone Sabine’s way,” said KAUFMANN. “After my defeat in the final in 2023, this is my little revenge. This title means a lot to me—just to prove to myself that even when Sabine is there, someone who has knocked me out many times, I can still win, both through my game and my mental strength.” WINTER started strongly, taking the opening game 11-4, while KAUFMANN initially struggled to find her rhythm. But the defending champion turned the match around with composure and confidence. “I’ve been lucky enough to play a lot against pimples and anti-topspin rubbers since I was a child, so I’m always happy when I get to face that type of material,” KAUFMANN explained. “So I definitely prefer Sabine with anti-spin rubbers than with offensive ones.” The men’s singles final between Kay STUMPER and Fanbo MENG was a nail-biter from start to finish. STUMPER led 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2, but MENG continued to battle back. The fourth game, which MENG won 20-18, was especially dramatic. Ultimately, the match went to a deciding seventh game. STUMPER surged ahead 6-0, but the gap narrowed, and in the end, just two points separated them—Stumper held his nerve and claimed victory. “I’m overjoyed and can’t quite believe it yet,” said the new champion in his first reaction. STUMPER had previously reached the podium in 2024, earning bronze, but this time he went all the way. “I’m just incredibly exhausted right now. It’s been a long tournament, and the final was physically demanding,” the 23-year-old said. “Now I’m just really happy I managed to win.” Tears of joy marked the conclusion of the women’s doubles final, as Kathrin MÜHLBACH and Sabine WINTER reclaimed the title they had first won 15 years ago. In a tense and high-quality match, they edged past the rising duo of Josephina NEUMANN and Koharu ITAGAKI, 3-2. In the men’s doubles, André BERTELSMEIER and Wim VERDONSCHOT captured their first senior national title, marking a milestone in their careers. Tanja KRÄMER, aged 45, added the only missing piece to her collection by winning the mixed doubles title. Already a former singles champion and three-time doubles winner, she partnered with Tobias HIPPLER to claim victory. The pair first overcame Lisa WANG and Cedric MEISSNER, then defeated NEUMANN and Kirill FADEEV in the final. For HIPPLER, this was a second mixed doubles title—his first came in 2021 with Franziska SCHREINER. Held in Thuringia’s capital from June 6–9, the TT Finals are one of the premier events on Germany’s table tennis calendar. The tournament showcases the nation’s top players in both the men’s and women’s competitions, along with youth players (ages 15 to 19), masters athletes, and lower-tier performance classes. More than 1,000 participants competed during the long Whitsun weekend at the Erfurt Exhibition Centre, making it a true celebration of table tennis across all levels.
Saint-Denis 93 TT Joined SKST Plus Hodonín After Dramatic Golden Match
The final lineup for the Europe Cup Women was determined after thrilling golden matches, where both hosts came back from opening-leg defeats. Saint-Denis 93 TT joined Czech side SKST Plus Hodonín in the ultimate stage of the continental competition. FIBRAIN KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszów had defeated Saint-Denis 93 TT in the opening leg of the semifinal, continuing what had already been a dream season for the Polish club. However, in the return leg, Hsing-Yin LIU was unstoppable, securing wins over Zuzanna WIELGOS, Fen LI, and Katarzyna GRZYBOWSKA-FRANC in the golden match. Agathe AVEZOU also remained unbeaten, having defeated Katarzyna GRZYBOWSKA-FRANC and clinching a narrow but decisive victory against Zuzanna WIELGOS in the third duel of the golden match. In the other semifinal, last week, SKST Plus Hodonín bounced back from a straight-match defeat in Hungary to earn a 3-1 win at home against Budaörsi Sport Club, forcing a golden match and eventually advancing to the final. Saint-Denis 93 TT -FIBRAIN KU AZS POLITECHNIKA RZESZOW 3-1 Hsing-Yin LIU – Zuzanna WIELGOS 3-0 (11-9, 11-7, 11-4) Prithika PAVADE – Fen LI 0-3 (6-11, 7-11, 9-11) Agathe AVEZOU – Katarzyna GRZYBOWSKA-FRANC 3-1 (11-7, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6) Hsing-Yin LIU – Fen LI 3-2 (11-9, 4-11, 7-11, 11-3, 6-3) Golden match Saint-Denis 93 TT -FIBRAIN KU AZS POLITECHNIKA RZESZOW 2-1 Hsing-Yin LIU – Katarzyna GRZYBOWSKA-FRANC 11-2 Prithika PAVADE – Fen LI 5-11 Agathe AVEZOU – Zuzanna WIELGOS 12-10 Opening leg FIBRAIN KU AZS POLITECHNIKA RZESZOW – Saint-Denis 93 TT 3-1 Fen LI – Hsing-Yin LIU 3-0 (11-4, 11-9, 11-9) Zuzanna WIELGOS – Prithika PAVADE 3-0 (14-12, 11-7, 11-5) Katarzyna GRZYBOWSKA-FRANC – Agathe AVEZOU 1-3 (7-11, 11-5, 8-11, 9-11) Fen LI – Prithika PAVADE 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-4)
Ina Jozepsone reelected as the President of the Table Tennis Federation of Latvia
On June 8, the annual General Assembly of the Table Tennis Federation of Latvia took place at the sports facilities of the O. Kalpaks Folk Applied Art Primary School in Riga. The agenda of the meeting included the approval of the TTF of Latvia Council meeting minutes from June 15, 2024, presentation and discussion of reports from the President, Vice Presidents, and the Audit Committee on the activities and results of 2024, approval of the 2024 annual report, as well as elections for the positions of President, Board Members, and Audit Committee members. For the position of President, there was only one candidate – Ina JOZEPSONE. Members unanimously re-elected Mrs. JOZEPSONE for another term. There were thirteen candidates for the eight available positions on the Board: Davis AVDJUKEVICS, Janis AVDJUKEVICS, Vadims BEREZKOVS, Baiba BOGDANOVA, Egmonts CILDERMANIS, Nauris KARELIS, Genadijs KARTUZOVS, Aleksandrs MASKALONOKS, Kalvis SILJANIS, Eduards SPAGIS, Guntis SENHOFS, Viktors TOLKACEVS, and Sandijs VASILJEVS. “Before the vote, Genadijs KARTUZOVS requested to speak, during which he officially withdrew his candidacy. We extend our sincere thanks to Mr. KARTUZOVS for his many years of dedicated service on the TTF of Latvia Board” announced TTF Latvia. Following the vote, the newly elected Board Members are: Immediately after the General Assembly, the first meeting of the newly elected Board was held. During this session, Mr. Vadims BEREZKOVS and Sandijs VASILJEVS were appointed Vice Presidents, and Mr. Eduards SPAGIS was appointed Secretary General. The newly elected Audit Committee consists of:
All-Czech Final: El Nino Praha to Face HB Ostrov for Europe Cup Men’s Title
Two clubs from Czechia will decide the winner of the Europe Cup Men this season, as SF SKK EL NINO PRAHA joins HB Ostrov z.s. in the final. In the second leg of the semi-final, ASC Grünwettersbach prevailed against SF SKK EL NINO PRAHA with a 3-2 win, but it was not enough to overturn the 1-3 defeat from the opening leg in Germany. David REITSPIES was the key figure for the Prague side, recording two points: “It’s an unbelievable achievement for our club to reach the final of the Europe Cup. We are also in the final of the Czech league, and we didn’t expect such a great season before it started. Today, I won both matches 3:2, so they were extremely tight. Playing a fifth set to only six points is very tough, but I felt quite comfortable and managed to win both. In the final, we’ll have a Czech derby against Havlíčkův Brod, and we will give our best to win the trophy.” For ASC Grünwettersbach, all three players — Léo DE NODREST, Guilherme TEODORO, and Rafael TURRINI — contributed with one win each. SF SKK EL NINO PRAHA – ASC Grünwettersbach 2-3 Opening leg ASC Grünwettersbach – SF SKK EL NINO PRAHA 1-3
ŠURJAN Shines as ttc berlin eastside Take First-Leg Advantage in Champions League Final
In Germany, ttc berlin eastside secured a 3-1 victory in the opening leg of the Champions League Women’s final against Metz TT. With two matches going the full distance, it was a night of suspense and momentum swings — but the standout performer was Sabina ŠURJAN, who delivered two crucial wins for the home side. ŠURJAN began in superb style, winning the first two games against Charlotte LUTZ, but the French player fought back to level the score. At the end of the fourth game, trailing 6-10, ŠURJAN showed great composure to close the gap, but LUTZ held firm to push the match into a decider. In the final game, however, the Serbian took full control and dominated from start to finish to seal the win.“Until 2-0, I was very confident, but after I stopped to play, I was very passive. And that’s why it came to 2-2. So, after 2-2, I changed the approach and started to play more aggressive again. I think that was the key. And, of course, because of the atmosphere in the venue,” said ŠURJAN. In the second match, Adina DIACONU notched her ninth Champions League victory this season, overcoming Xiaona SHAN in four games. Before this encounter, DIACONU had suffered only one defeat in the entire campaign — against China’s HE Zhuojia, who also represents the Berlin club. The evening featured another five-game thriller as Mia GRIESEL overcame Mariia TAILAKOVA. The Metz player took the opening game, but GRIESEL responded strongly by taking the next two. TAILAKOVA fought back to level, but GRIESEL stayed composed in the decider to win. In the final match, ŠURJAN returned to the table and outplayed DIACONU in straight games, capping a brilliant night and securing Berlin’s 3-1 lead ahead of the return leg.“Mia played tactically perfectly against TAILAKOVA. She really fought strong. Concerning my match against Adina, everything fell into place,” SURJAN added. This season, the two teams already met twice in the group stage, with ttc berlin eastside emerging victorious on both occasions — 3-1 and 3-0. The second leg is scheduled for 12 June in France. ttc berlin eastside – METZ TT 3-1
Champions League Women’s Final: ttc berlin eastside Host Metz TT in Opening Leg Tonight
Two of Europe’s top clubs go head-to-head tonight as ttc berlin eastside welcomes Metz TT for the first leg of the Champions League Women’s final, with the action streamed live on YouTube. Berlin’s road to the final was dramatic. Trailing 1-3 after the first leg against reigning champions KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL Tarnobrzeg, the German sideand five times champions produced a clean 3-0 win in Poland to force a golden match. With the same line-ups, Xiaona SHAN and Sabina SURJAN delivered in style, winning the first two matches to eliminate Tarnobrzeg and book Berlin’s spot in the final. Backed by experience, Berlin is looking to reclaim the Champions League crown. Fresh off a commanding performance in the second leg of their all-French semifinal, Metz TT, the runners up in 2023, are entering their first Champions League final in top form. After a narrow loss in the opening match against Saint-Quentin TT, the French side responded with a dominant 3-0 win at home. Adina DIACONU continued her remarkable season, defeating Camille LUTZ to secure her eight win in the competition. Charlotte LUTZ showed mental strength to turn the tables on Linda BERGSTRÖM, while Mariia TAILAKOVA added the finishing touch with a victory over Polina MIKHAILOVA.
