European Universities Championship in Olomouc
For the second time in history the Czech Republic hosts the European Universities Table Tennis Championship. The premiere took place in 2007 in Ostrava now the venue is the Olomouc Sports Hall of Palacký University and the date is 20th to 25th June.
Olomouc will play university students from all corners of Europe. The entries has been eventually closed at twenty men´s and twelve women´s teams.
“I am very pleased by the interest shown from Universities across the whole Europe. In the men´s category we even had to reject few contestants“ said Vít RATAJSKÝ Chairman of the Commission of Table Tennis of the Czech Association of University Sports (ČAUS) unsuccessfully hiding his satisfaction over the number of participants.
The biggest foreign team is coming from Poland where the university sport and table tennis in particular is extremely popular. In the Polish team we can find very famous names already engaged in the national team. Olomouc will welcome Piotr CHODORSKI Robert FLORAS Pawel FERTIKOWSKI and Sandra WABIKOVÁ. Traditionally high quality is linked to the university teams from Russia or Turkey. The long list will not miss the defenders of titles in singles from EUC 2015 in Geneva Czech Michal BENES and Anna BLAZHKO from Russia.
Academic table tennis enjoys more popularity among young people throughout the world. For example the EUC winners list includes table tennis players who are rank among the top hundred in the World. The most famous is Kirill SKACKOV Russia who clinched six medals for Orenburg State University four of them were gold.
The last European Universities Championship held in Geneva in 2015 ended up with a great success of the Czech universities table tennis. Michal BENEŠ won in Switzerland two gold medals when he triumphed in men´s singles and together with Ondřej BAJGER he won also the title in doubles. The collection of “Czech” medals was eventually supplemented with BAJGER’S bronze in singles.
The 8th European Universities Championship in Olomouc will introduce four Czech universities: the host – Palacký University in Olomouc and Technical University of Ostrava will introduce themselves in the men´s category while women´s competitions will be attended by table tennis players from Palacký University in Olomouc and University of Economics Prague.
“In the Czech Republic in recent years the interest in university table tennis has increased. That is good news. I´m glad that it is also manifested in the number of applications from the Czech Republic to the European Universities Championship in Olomouc “ says Vít RATAJSKÝ who is at the top of the organisational committee of the European Universities Championship the organisation of which guarantees Palacký University in Olomouc.
The programme of the 8th EUC in Olomouc consists of six events. The first three days of the tournament will belong to teams on Saturday and Sunday on program are – men´s singles women´s singles men´s doubles and women´s doubles.
Schedule of the European Universities Championship 2017 in Olomouc
Wednesday 21 June
Opening ceremony
Introductory team competitions
Thursday 22 June
Team Competitions (continued)
Friday 23 June
Team Competitions (finals)
Saturday 24 June
Individual & Doubles Events
Sunday 25 June
Individual & Doubles Events
Award and Closing ceremony
History
2007 – Ostrava 2008 – Latina (Italy) 2009 – Niš (Serbia) 2010 – Kazan (Russia) 2011 – Madeira (Portugal) 2013 – Zonguldak (Turkey) 2015 – Geneva (Switzerland).
Events and Title holders
Men´s Team: Rzeszow University of Technology (Poland). Women´s Team: Institute of Economics Management and Law Kazan (Russia). Men’s Singles: Michal BENES (Technical University of Ostrava). Women’s Singles: Anna BLAZHKO (Institute of Economics Mgmt and Law Kazan – Russia). Men’s Doubles: Bajger / Benes (Technical University of Ostrava). Women’s Doubles: Lebedeva / Blazhkova (LAW Kazan – Russia).
For complete information on the 8th European Universities Championship in table tennis in Olomouc see: http://tabletennis2017.eusa.eu/
