The culmination of the celebrations marking 100 years since the beginning of organized table tennis in the former Czechoslovakia was a festive gala evening held at the Belvedere Hotel in Prague on Saturday.
Two hundred guests accepted the invitation to this special occasion, which featured not only an engaging social programme but also a symbolic meeting of generations, bringing together the most successful living players in the history of Czech and Slovak table tennis.
Among the distinguished guests were ETTU President Pedro MOURA, Secretary General Pierre KASS, and Vice Presidents Jaroslaw KOLODZIEJCZYK and Zoran PRIMORAC.
„The Czech and Slovak Table Tennis Federations have shaped the very foundations of our sport in Europe. From the early days of the Czechoslovak pioneers who helped establish the ITTF, to generations of champions and dedicated leaders, their contribution has been extraordinary,“ said President MOURA. „As we celebrate this shared history, we also honour the values that unite us, excellence, teamwork, and innovation. The Czech and Slovak federations continue to inspire Europe with their vision, their development of young players, and their enduring commitment to our sport’s future. It is a privilege for the European Table Tennis Union to celebrate this milestone alongside them.”
The President of the Czech Table Tennis Association Nikolas ENDAL said:
“The almost seventy years of the common history of Czechoslovak table tennis are decorated with dozens of World championship titles, European championship titles and many other successes. After all, Czechoslovakia at that time was one of the founding members of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). For many years, our players were among the most successful in the world. After the division of the Federation in 1993, we each went our own way, but we have remained in a very close and friendly relationship with our Slovak partners. We cooperate, share experiences, give each other advice and symbolically we even received a beautiful gift. Last year, the Czech Republic’s Hana MATELOVÁ and the Slovak Barbora BALÁŽOVÁ won the gold medal in doubles at the European Championship. The legacy of mutual cooperation is one of the main motives of our celebration of 100 years of our common journey.”
Significant figures from the Czech and Slovak history of the sport filled the hall: European champions, World Championship medallists and other distinguished personalities. Among them were Jaroslav STAŇEK, Eliška KREJČOVÁ, Milan ORLOWSKI, Josef DVOŘÁČEK, Petr KORBEL, Iveta VACENOVSKÁ and Hana MATELOVÁ.
The event was also attended by Jiří KEJVAL, President of the Czech Olympic Committee, Ondřej ŠEBEK, Chairman of the National Sports Agency, and many other special guests.
The official programme symbolically lasted 100 minutes, featuring historical photographs and applause for several legends who received commemorative medals. Most importantly, the evening offered a chance to share memories and celebrate the enduring friendship and legacy of table tennis in the former Czechoslovakia now proudly continued by the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
