Dear friends
2021 has been a year we will not forget.
There have been so many unforgettable moments which have showcased the best of European table tennis. On the world’s biggest stages our athletes have demonstrated that they can go head-to-head with the best players from around the world. And our young stars have shown just how bright the future is for our continent and how much potential we have not yet realised.
It is our mission to fulfil this potential and to elevate European table tennis to the level we all know it belongs.
We made important steps on this journey this year. At the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships European athletes won 1 gold 1 silver and 2 bronze medals. At the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 it was 1 silver and 1 bronze. And at the ITTF World Youth Championships our future European stars won 3 gold 8 silver and 11 bronze medals.
At all of these events we saw the results of the progress we are making away from the field of play. But we know we can do better and at the ETTU we are committed to the development of our sport throughout Europe. We are grateful that despite the challenges we all faced the competitions could go ahead as planned. Thanks to the hard work of the organisers our athletes were given the platform they deserved to shine and demonstrate what they are capable of.
We believe strongly in the importance of hosting sports events safely during this time not just for our athletes but also for the fans and all those watching around the world. Table tennis has an immense power to inspire entertain and bring joy when it is needed most.
It was for this reason we also worked hard within Europe to host as many events as safely as possible this year. We were treated to so many excellent European competitions in 2021. From the 2021 GAZPROM European Table Tennis Championships 2020 LIEBHERR ITTF European Championships (individual) and 2021 POMEGRANATE Europe Top 16 Cup at senior level through to the 2021 GAZPROM European Youth Championships. We must thank our sponsors for their support and ensuring we could finance all the necessary COVID-19 health protocols so we could deliver our event programme and also for giving us a chance to provide prize money on all our major events.
Away from the field of play we continued to reform and improve our organisation. Our Executive Board met regularly throughout the year. We launched our new logo and visual identity to reflect the modern dynamic and forward-thinking organisation we have become. This new visual identity is now something we all recognise as it was used across our events this year and is more flexible and attractive for our commercial partners and audiences.
There is no doubt 2021 has been a successful year and that working to overcome our common challenges we have grown closer together. But we must always set new targets and be ambitious about what we can achieve.
As we look to 2022 we have another exciting year ahead and another year which will require all of us to contribute if we are to be successful.
Events are still to be added to our schedule but there are already so many to look forward to. Our men’s and women’s Europe Cup and European Champions League will continue at full steam before we will again host the Europe Top 16 in February. We will also see table tennis make its debut at the European Championships in Munich in August. This prestigious event will provide a strong platform to elevate table tennis in Europe and attract even more people to our sport.
At the ETTU we will continue to work with you all next year to enhance the development of our sport in Europe and build on the progress we have made to date. We will be increasing the number of staff within the ETTU to strengthen our operational capacity and allow us to provide more assistance to you the National Associations and LOCs. Under the new leadership of President Petra Sörling we will also maintain positive relations with the ITTF and ensure European interests are represented internationally.
There is much to look forward to and working as one team united by our common goals I am confident 2022 can be one of our most successful years yet.
I thank you all again for your dedication and support this year and wish you warmest season’s greetings.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Sincerely yours
Igor Levitin
