STAG European Youth Championships
National Youth Team of Greece had a busy week in Peace and Friendship Stadium before the start of the STAG European Youth Championship in Guimaraes and had great a company to work with. Τhe athletes of the Romanian national junior team were in Athens from last Monday and joined Greeks at the training.
Leading European players Kristian PLETEA and Rares SIPOS who are in positions 1 and 2 respectively in the European ranking Under 18 and 4 and 11 in the World ranking list were present. SIPOS will play in Doubles with Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS as they did in the European Championship Under 21 last season. With the Greek athletes of the national youth and national men team were also Florin SPELBUS and Dragos OPREA while the boys were accompanied with the federal coach of the team Mandaline IONASCU.
Coach Kostas VATSAKLIS welcomed the Romania’s players and coaches at the STIGA Area. The national coach said that it is a great opportunity for the Greek players to play with them at the trainings.
The president of Greek Table Tennis Federation Manolis KOLYMBADIS also greeted members of the Romanian national junior team and thanked for the visit to Athens. Thir presence were helpful in the preparation of Greek internationals players.
The Romanians also visited the capital’s sights and went to beach. They had arrived in Athens via Thessaloniki with a mini van of the Romanian Federation and reside in Kastela. Recently before this year’s national women’s team matches in the STIGA Area Elisabeta SAMARA had mini preparations whilst Bernadette SZOCS was there in a recovery period after injury.
