ETTU Executive Board awards 2023 European Team Championships to Sweden

The ETTU Executive Board has awarded the 2023 European Team Championships to the vibrant, multicultural city of Malmö in Sweden.

"We are very happy to be going back to Sweden and the city of Malmö for ETTU's most prestigious event, the European Championships, after an absence of 33 years. But today, our Executive Board was confronted with an exceptionally difficult decision, as we received excellent presentations from both the Sweden National Association and the Belarus National Association, two of our most prestigious European event organisers. Saying this, we really hope to have a marquee event in Malmö in 2023 and also that Belarus National Association is back bidding to host future European Table Tennis events," stated ETTU Deputy President Pedro Moura.

The competition venue, Malmö Arena, was built in 2008 and has hosted the Eurovision Song Contest 2013, Junior Ice Hockey World Championships 2014 and Handball World Championships 2011 among others. Malmö Arena has 12.400 seats, 58 lounges/skyboxes and 3.200 restaurant seats. The venue is normally used for ice hockey which means the floor measures 60 x 30 meters.

For the European Championships ´23 the ice will be melted, a wooden sub floor installed and then a red table tennis carpet will be used. This model was also used during the World Championships 2018 in Halmstad in both venue B and C which means that the organizers have great knowledge of this type of set up. The maximum lux capacity in the venue is 2.800.

The light will be enhanced with light rigs to create the best possible sports presentation.

"The European Championships is one of the finest and most acclaimed table tennis events in the world. To host such an event is a great responsibility. With a bid built on the pillars of great tradition, organizational knowledge and passion for the sport of table tennis, Malmö 2023 is the future made perfect. For you, for us and for everyone. Welcome," the Sweden Table Tennis Association stated in their bid.

The organisation has great experience in sport presentation and will use the same companies as those that were used during the WTTC 2018 in Halmstad. As an example of the level of sport presentation in 2018 STTA, Bornan IT, a company that has worked with the Olympic Games said: "The level of presentation here was higher than it was during the Olympic Games".