The Finnish Table Tennis Championships for individuals will take place on March 23rd-24th at the Vuores House in Tampere. Over the weekend champions will be crowned in men’s and women’s singles and doubles as well as mixed doubles.
In men’s singles Benedek OLÁH has been the dominant force for nearly a decade. Since 2011 OLÁH has clinched the championship 11 out of the 12 times he has participated in the national championships. The toughest competition for the Rio Olympian is expected to come from young talents such as Alex NAUMI Aleksi RÄSÄNEN and Sam KHOSRAVI. Our more experienced players like Toni SoIne and junior player Lassi LEHTOLA will also be in contention.
“I hope Valasti will play. The national championships wouldn’t be the same without Pasi’s ‘snuffle’. It’s always nice to come to Finland to compete. My goal is to win two championships but I don’t feel any pressure about it. I don’t need to prove anything to anyone anymore. We will see some new faces at least in the quarterfinals ” says OLÁH.
The favorite in women’s singles also comes from the list of reigning champions. 41-year-old Marina DONNER is aiming for her fourth consecutive title in Tampere. She won’t have an easy path as Maria GIRLEA Ramona BETZ and Jannika OKSANEN have shown good form throughout the season.
“My goal is to secure a medal – any color will do. This way I don’t put too much pressure on myself. Of course I want to defend my title as I’m in good shape. Hopefully there will be tough matches ” DONNER anticipates.
The competitions begin on Saturday at 10:00 AM and on Sunday at 9:30 AM with the finals scheduled to start at 3:00 PM. Ruutu and ISTV will stream the finals on their platforms. Esko HEIKKINEN will be the commentator with Pasi VALASTI providing expert analysis.
Link to livestream: https://www.is.fi/aihe/live/
