With the final matches between Bursa BSB and Ankara Tigem S.C ETTU Cup will come to Turkey for the 3rd time. Fenerbahce has won this cup in 2012 and 2013 Bursa BSB was the runner-up in 2016’s final event.
It will be fifteenth time that the clubs of same country meets in final stage. German clubs has played against each other 9 times and Hungarian clubs met in the decisive round 5 times before.
Turkish TTA President Mr Kerim KOC has stated “The ETTU Cup will be in Turkey for the 3rd time. The level of women table tennis in Turkey has raised a lot. We have gained many successful results. Fenerbahce has won ETTU Cup twice and Champions League once. Bursa has also played at final last year. Melek HU has become European Champion in 2016. I believe that these successes will be an example for other women table tennis clubs.”
European champion Melek HU was very optimistic:
“Our team has been active in recent years in ETTU club competitions. We have been in final before we reached it again this year and I feel confident. My team mates also hope we will win this cup. I should also add that I am really very glad to have a Turkish duel in the final it will be very nice.
Young Simay KULAKCEKEN from Bursa also underlined the pleasure of playing in all-Turkish final.
“I can not wait to play in these final matches. As a Turkish player I really could not dream any better final than a Turkish duel and it is really important for me to have such experiences at my age. I’m happy to witness this level of success yet I hope better ones are waiting for us.”
Coach Mehmet ASLAN said: “We have worked really hard during the whole season for this competition. Now there are just 2 matches left. I would like to thank our club’s managers and club president. They have been investing in table tennis really much in recent years and we are glad that we have taken attention of many people not only in Bursa but also in the whole country and even in Europe.”
Tigem has begun to play in ETTU Cup on 2nd stage beating DT Diggeleng (3-0) ASD Tennistavolo Norbello (3-0) Irun Leka Enea (3-1) and lost to ACD de Sao Joao (2-3). Then Tigem has played against Novi Sad on the 3rd stage. Tigem has beaten Novi Sad in Serbia with a score of 3-2 and on the 4th stage Tigem has beaten TTC Moravsky Krumlov 3-0.
In the quarter final Tigem has beaten TuS Driburg in Turkey 3-1 and lost in Germany with a score of 2-3. After this score Tigem has reached the semi-final. In this stage Tigem has played against TTC Kazan from Russia and beat Kazan 3-1 in Ankara and 3-2 in Russia.
Bursa BSB has begun to season in Champions League they became 3rd in the league and went onto their way with ETTU Cup beginning from the quarter final. Bursa has lost their first match to Budaorsi 2i Sport Club 3-2 then won the second match 3-1 and reached to the semi final. In the semi final Bursa has taken the revenge of 2016 and beaten Lille Metropole 3-2 in Lille and 3-1 in Bursa.
The first match of final will be played in Ankara – Mamak Sport Hall on 5th May 2017 and second match will be played in Bursa – BUSKI Sport Hall on 12th May 2017.
