The city of Cluj-Napoca is set to become the centre of European table tennis from 17 to 21 June as it hosts the ROMSTAL European Under 21 Championships.
“Romania has a strong tradition in table tennis, building on the great legacy of Angelica ROZEANU, Ella CONSTANTINESCU and Maria ALEXANDRU, to name just a few amazing athletes from the Romanian ‘Walk of Fame’. The Romanian Table Tennis Federation has carried and built on this legacy, and each generation of new athletes has honoured it through their achievements,” said Beatrice ROMANESCU, ITTF Executive Vice President, Romanian Table Tennis Federation Marketing Manager and Tournament Director.
Cluj-Napoca has become one of the most experienced hosts of major European table tennis events. The city previously welcomed the European Under 21 Championships in 2022, the European Youth Championships in 2018 and the European Team Championships in 2021.
The ROMSTAL European Under 21 Championships will be staged at the BT Arena, one of Romania’s premier sports venues, where Europe’s most talented young players will compete for titles in Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles.
Romania’s position as a trusted organiser of major international competitions is the result of years of work and a rich sporting tradition. Reflecting on this journey, ROMANESCU highlighted the steady growth of the federation’s organisational capabilities over the past two decades.
“We have come a long way. We started rather small, back in the early 2000s, with the Balkan Championships in Buzău. It was a difficult start, but the investment paid off. Less than a decade later, in 2012, we were organising the European Mixed Doubles Championships and several other competitions.”
She described the 2018 European Youth Championships in Cluj-Napoca as a turning point for Romanian table tennis.
“That year started a strong annual series of major sporting events. Many will remember the European Youth Championships as a landmark event, with two fantastic weeks of table tennis and the presence of many guests from both ETTU and ITTF.”
Since then, Romania has hosted a major European championship almost every year, including the European Team Championships in 2021, the European Under 21 Championships in 2022, the Europe Youth Top 10 in 2023 and the European Under 13 Championships in 2024.
Last year, Romania once again demonstrated its organisational strength when it hosted the World Youth Championships, bringing the event back to the country for the first time since the 1953 World Championships in Bucharest.
“I would say it was one of the best editions ever organised at this level, and many people in a position to properly assess such competitions share that opinion,” ROMANESCU noted.
“The credit goes to the small but extremely hard-working team of the Romanian Table Tennis Federation led by President Cristinel ROMANESCU. This valuable team has gone from strength to strength, year after year.”
Romania will also be strongly represented on home soil. In the men’s event, local hopes will centre on top seed Iulian CHIRITA, Darius MOVILEANU and Andrei ISTRATE. CHIRITA returns after reaching last year’s final in Bratislava, while MOVILEANU arrives as one of the most decorated players in the field after claiming Men’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles gold medals at the 2025 edition.
The host nation also boasts a strong women’s contingent led by Bianca MEI ROSU and Alesia Sofia SFERLEA, while wildcard Patricia STOICA will have the opportunity to compete in front of home supporters.
For ROMANESCU, however, the significance of the event extends beyond the immediate battle for medals.
“Here we are now back in Cluj for a new edition of the Under 21 European Championships. The protagonists of this challenge will be the best young athletes in Europe. This is really big, because we are talking about tomorrow’s generation of senior players in table tennis!”
The championships will feature extensive coverage, including two days of live television on TVR Sport and five days of live streaming, ensuring fans across Europe can follow the action from Cluj-Napoca.
“I am very much looking forward to a spectacular and exciting display: two days of live TV on TVR Sport, five days of live streaming, a plethora of shiny medals, and plenty of youthful power and enthusiasm.”
With a passionate crowd expected throughout the week, Europe’s brightest young talents preparing to compete, and Romania once again ready to showcase its renowned hospitality and organisational expertise, Cluj-Napoca is preparing for another memorable chapter in its rich table tennis history.
“We are ready to welcome everyone most warmly, with great hospitality arrangements and services, venue access, networking opportunities – you name it. We have the ambition to make these championships a memorable celebration of European table tennis. And you can be part of it.”
