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.
Moldova and Serbia take major honours at Balkan Championships in Sarajevo
The 51st Balkan Senior Championships concluded in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, after five days of competition from 15 to 19 September, with Moldova and Serbia among the leading nations across the seven events. Moldova enjoyed an outstanding Men’s competition, taking both the team and Singles titles as well as Men’s Doubles gold. In the Men’s Team event, Moldova defeated Romania 3-1 in the semi-final before overcoming Serbia 3-2 in a closely contested final. Serbia had booked its place in the title match with a 3-1 victory over Greece. Greece secured the bronze medal after defeating Romania 3-2. Moldova’s Vladislav URSU then completed a superb individual campaign by winning the Men’s Singles crown. URSU beat Greece’s Gerasimos CHATZILYGEROUDIS 4-3 in the quarter-final and Türkiye’s Hakan IŞIK 4-0 in the semi-final before defeating compatriot Andrei PUTUNTICA 4-1 in the final. PUTUNTICA had overcome Serbia’s Dimitrije LEVAJAC 4-0 in the other semi-final. URSU and PUTUNTICA also joined forces to claim the Men’s Doubles title. The Moldovan pair defeated the Romanian/Serbian combination of Horia URSUT and Vladimir PANDUREVIĆ 3-1 in the semi-final before recording a 3-0 victory over Greece’s Gerasimos CHATZILYGEROUDIS and Alexandros MADESIS in the final. Serbia’s Dimitrije LEVAJAC and Nemanja ĐILAS reached the semi-finals, where they lost 3-0 to the Greek pair. Serbia celebrated gold in the Women’s Team event. After beating Kosovo 3-0 in the quarter-final and Greece 3-0 in the semi-final, Serbia defeated Romania 3-1 in the final. Romania had reached the title match after a 3-2 semi-final victory over Bulgaria. Bulgaria then beat Greece 3-2 in the contest for third place. Romania’s Adina DIACONU was dominant in the Women’s Singles event. She defeated Türkiye’s Büşra DEMİR 4-0 in the quarter-final and Greece’s Ioanna GERASIMATOU by the same score in the semi-final. In the final, DIACONU continued her unbeaten run through the knockout stage with another 4-0 victory, this time against Serbia’s Reka BEZEG. BEZEG had beaten Romania’s Patricia STOICA 4-0 in the other semi-final. Türkiye took the Women’s Doubles crown through Büşra DEMİR and Aybüke Banu ŞİMŞEK. They defeated Serbia’s Aneta MAKSUTI and Reka BEZEG 3-0 in the semi-final before overcoming Bulgaria’s Maria YOVKOVA and Kalina HRISTOVA 3-1 in the final. YOVKOVA and HRISTOVA had earlier edged Serbia’s Sara RADAK and Maja VANJO 3-2 in the quarter-final and Bianca-Andreea JIFCU and Dimitra TSEKOURA in semis. The Mixed Doubles competition produced another title for Vladislav URSU, this time alongside Bulgaria’s Kalina HRISTOVA. The Moldovan/Bulgarian combination defeated Serbia’s Nemanja ĐILAS and Aneta MAKSUTI 3-0 in the semi-final before beating Serbia’s Dimitrije LEVAJAC and Reka BEZEG 3-1 in the final. LEVAJAC and BEZEG had reached the title match with a 3-2 semi-final victory over Andrei PUTUNTICA of Moldova and Maria YOVKOVA of Bulgaria.
In Memoriam: Peter ENGEL
The European table tennis community mourns the passing of former German international and highly respected coach Peter ENGEL, who died on Friday at the age of 72. Born on 13 January 1954, ENGEL represented Germany 40 times between 1975 and 1983, competing at two World Championships and three European Championships. At national level, he became German Singles champion in 1984, having previously won the German Doubles title alongside Jochen LEISS in 1978. He was also a five-time German team champion and enjoyed success in European club competition, including winning the European Champions Cup with ATSV Saarbrücken in 1986. Following his playing career, ENGEL dedicated more than three decades to coaching and player development across Europe and beyond. ENGEL served as national coach of the Netherlands from 1994 to 2000 before moving to Spain, where he played an important role in the development of a generation of young players, including Galia DVORAK, Sara RAMIREZ and Marc DURAN. He later coached the Spanish women’s national team from 2009 to 2012. ENGEL’s international coaching career also took him to India before he returned to Germany, where he continued working with young players. In 2020, he became national coach of Luxembourg. Most recently, he remained actively involved in the sport as coach of TTG Bingen/Münster-Sarmsheim in the German Women’s Bundesliga. Throughout his long career as a player and coach, Peter ENGEL made a significant contribution to table tennis, sharing his knowledge and experience with generations of players in numerous countries. The European Table Tennis Union extends its sincere condolences to his family, friends and the entire table tennis community. PHOTO: Manfred Schillings
SIP and SALPIN Crowned Champions as Belgium Open 2026 Concludes in Pepinster
The Belgium Open concluded at the Hall Sportif du Paire in Pepinster, with Martin SIP and Anaïs SALPIN claiming the Men’s and Women’s Singles titles after four days of competition. The 2026 edition, staged from 17 to 20 September, recorded an increase in participation compared with the previous event. Players and coaches expressed their satisfaction with the organisation, while the competition format, which provided participants with the opportunity to play a large number of matches, was particularly well received. In the Men’s Singles, Martin SIP of Czechia claimed the title after a five-game battle against Germany’s Lleyton ULLMANN. ULLMANN made the stronger start and took the opening game 11-8, before SIP responded emphatically with an 11-3 win in the second. ULLMANN moved ahead again after edging the third game 12-10, but SIP turned the match around, winning the fourth and fifth games 11-5, 11-5 to seal a 3-2 victory. Earlier in the semifinals, SIP produced a straight-games 3-0 victory over Lowis VOGLER, while ULLMANN booked his place in the title match by overcoming Nikon SHUTOV 3-0. In the Women’s Singles, Anaïs SALPIN of France completed her campaign with a 3-0 victory over Katsiaryna BARAVOK of Belarus. SALPIN controlled the opening stages of the final, taking the first two games 11-5, 11-5. BARAVOK provided stronger resistance in the third, but SALPIN held firm to close out the contest 12-10 and secure the title. SALPIN had earlier ended the run of Portugal’s U21 champion Matilde PINTO with a 3-1 victory in the semifinal. In the other semifinal, BARAVOK advanced to the title match after beating Veronika VASYLENKO 3-0. The host nation also had reason to celebrate in the Women’s Singles, with Belgium’s Lilou MASSART securing third place. The Belgium Open 2026 once again offered players valuable competitive opportunities through its progressive knock-out format, with matches determining final positions throughout the field. The positive feedback from players and coaches, together with the increase in participation for the second edition, marked another step forward for the event in Pepinster.
Portugal’s LAINE and PINTO Claim U21 Titles at Belgium Open 2026
Portugal enjoyed a double success in the U21 events at the Belgium Open 2026 in Pepinster, with Clément LAINE and Matilde PINTO taking the titles in the respective Boys’ and Women’s Singles events. In the U21 Boys’ Singles, Portugal’s Clément LAINE claimed the title with a 3-1 victory over Belgium’s Per GEVERS in the final. LAINE made a strong start, taking the opening game 11-6, before GEVERS responded by winning the second 11-7. The Portuguese player regained control and closed out the contest with 11-4 and 11-9 wins to secure the title. Earlier in the semifinals, LAINE recorded a straight-games 3-0 victory over Denmark’s Johan ENGBERG HAVSTEEN, while GEVERS secured his place in the final by overcoming Switzerland’s Noé KEUSCH 3-1. Portugal celebrated again in the U21 Women’s Singles, where Matilde PINTO produced a convincing performance in the final to beat England’s Hannah SILCOCK 3-0. PINTO prevailed 11-8 and 11-9 in the opening two games before completing the victory 11-4 in the third. PINTO had faced a much tougher challenge in the semifinal, where Lithuania’s Lukrecija JUCHNAITE pushed her to five games before the Portuguese player prevailed 3-2. In the other semifinal, SILCOCK booked her place in the title match with a 3-1 victory over Ukraine’s Olha PONKO. The senior finals are now set after the conclusion of the Men’s and Women’s Singles semifinals. In the Women’s Singles, Belarus Katsiaryna BARAVOK advanced to the final with a commanding 3-0 victory over Ukraine’s Veronika VASYLENKO. In the other semifinal, Anaïs SALPIN of France ended the run of U21 champion Matilde PINTO, beating the Portuguese player 3-1. In the Men’s Singles, Martin SIP of Czechia secured his place in the final with a straight-games victory over Swiss Lowis VOGLER. Lleyton ULLMANN of Germany was equally successful in the other semifinal, overcoming Nikon SHUTOV of Belarus 3-0.
