The 2019 STAG European Youth Championships, 7-16 July, Ostrava ,
European Youth Championship returns to the Czech Republic after six years, again in Ostrava, the host of the 2013 EYCH. Team events will start this Sunday, July 7th, in the RT Torax Arena.
Six years ago, host player Tomas POLANSKY and Romania’s Adina DIACONU stole the show by winning three gold medals in cadet events, while now host nation hopes that Simon BELIK could follow in POLANSKY’s footsteps. Czech players had many successes on their soil in the past, including 1999 EYCH in Frýdek-Místek (only 18 km from Ostrava) when Iveta VACENOVSKA took silver in Cadet Girls Singles.
„We believe that a lot of children and parents will come to see the top youth table tennis, they will find their favourites and cheer for them. We would like to thank in this way to the Moravian-Silesian Region and to the Statutory City of Ostrava for their support of this Championship. There was a European Championship of adults held in Ostrava in 2010 and three years later a Junior Championship and both of them were ranked very highly by all the attendees when it comes to the organization. I believe that everybody will be satisfied this year as well and battles for the medals will offer a great show, “stated few weeks ago director of the Championship and the Vice-Chairman of the Czech Table Tennis Association Nikolas ENDAL.
Two French boy’s teams won gold ten years ago in Prague, Romania clinched Junior Girls title, while Germany was the best Cadet Girls team in 2009. That championship launched some new rising stars, like Simon GAUZY (Cadet Boy winner) and Petrissa SOLJA (Cadet Girl winner).
Czech capital hosted European Youth Championships three times in the past (first one in 1965), with memorable 2005 edition, when Dimitrij OVTCHAROV (Junior Boys), Daniela DODEAN (Junior Girls) and Paul DRINKHAL (England) won gold, while four different countries climbed at the highest spot on the podium: France (JBT), Spain (JGT), England (CBT) and Russia (CGT). Two compatriots faced one another three times in the gold medal contest: OVTCHAROV vs. BAUM (Germany – they met once again in senior 2011 European Championships final), DODEAN vs. SAMARA (Romania) and DRINKHALL vs. KNIGHT (England).
Czech city of Frýdek-Místek hosted European talents twice in four years: 1996 and 1999. Denmark’s legend Michael MAZE was the singles winner in both occasions, in 1996 Cadet Boys and 1999 Junior Boys. Magnus MOLIN from Sweden beat Germany’s Timo BOLL in the 1996 Junior Boys final.
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