During the 2024 European Olympic Singles Qualification the ETTU delegation represented by ETTU Vice President Miguel VICENS and Secretary General Pierre KASS received an invitation to the Bosnia and Herzegovina Olympic Committee where they engaged in a productive morning of work. Dr. Sci. Said FAZLAGIC the Secretary General of the BiH Olympic Committee along with Senior Expert Associate for Sport International Relations and Projects Dejana PLANINCIC warmly welcomed the guests who were accompanied by Mirsad PAJEVIC President of the BiH Table Tennis Association. “We are immensely grateful that Sarajevo was able to organize this tournament at such short notice. On behalf of ETTU we express our sincere appreciation to the Association ” stated Vice President Miguel VICENS. ETTU Secretary General Pierre KASS emphasized the excellent collaboration between ETTU and BiHTTA. “We were here last year for the Under 21 European Championships we are now here for the European Olympic Singles Qualification and next year we will come back for the European Teams Championships Stage one. We already feel at home here.” Dr. Sci. Said FAZLAGIC Secretary General of the BiH Olympic Committee commended the outstanding work of Mirsad PAJEVIC President of the BiH TTA. “We fully support the Federation and we have witnessed progress and development in recent years under PAJEVIC’s leadership. Table tennis is improving steadily both in terms of sportsmanship and organization.” PAJEVIC emphasized that hosting such events enables the nation’s players to participate in larger numbers and compete against the best. “We receive support from the Olympic Committee and we are delighted that ETTU has entrusted us with three significant events within a span of 20 months. It is a great recognition of our efforts and evidence that we are moving in the right direction.” The 2024 European Olympic Singles Qualification is currently playing in Sarajevo. You can watch all the matches live on ettu.org and follow the results live here. Pictures you can see here
17-Year-Old Sara Tokic Shines at the Beginning of the European Olympic Singles Qualification
The opening stage of the Women’s event at the 2024 European Olympic Singles Qualification in Sarajevo provided some gripping moments for the favorites. Giorgia PICCOLIN the top seed upheld her status by defeating Slovenia’s Ana TOFANT 4-1. However just one Group below the no. 2 seed Jieni SHAO of Portugal faced intense pressure. Zdena BLASKOVA of Czechia took a 2-1 lead before SHAO staged a comeback to secure the victory. Maria XIAO of Spain experienced a reversal of fortunes at the outset of her match against Karoline MISCHEK of Austria. She initially led 2-1 before MISCHEK rallied to level the score and seize the lead. Despite XIAO’S efforts to even the playing field MISCHEK claimed the decisive seventh game with a score of 11-8. Tatiana KUKULKOVA of Slovakia emerged victorious against Margo DEGRAEF of Belgium while Georgina POTA of Hungary triumphed over Aikaterini TOLIOU of Greece. Fu YU of Portugal also secured a win against Martine TOFTAKER of Norway. Britt EERLAND of the Netherlands faced a tough challenge in her match against Elisavet TERPOU of Greece. The contest went the distance culminating in EERLAND’S triumph. EERLAND’S return to the top circuit in Portugal in November marked her comeback after a two-year hiatus due to maternity leave. In a surprising turn of events 17-year-old Sara TOKIC of Slovenia dealt a blow to Margaryta PESOTSKA of Ukraine a two-time silver medalist at the European Championships and the no. 8 seed. TOKIC required six games to secure victory following in the footsteps of her uncle Bojan TOKIC who enjoyed success as a member of the Slovenian Olympic team on four occasions. Ivana MALOBABIC of Croatia displayed no mercy against Finland’s Marina DONNER clinching a 4-0 victory. Hana MATELOVA of Czechia also notched a straight games win against Tanja HELLE of the Netherlands while Izabela LUPULESKU of Serbia overcame Emina CERIC of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Meanwhile Barbora BALAZOVA of Slovakia required two additional games to defeat Maria YOVKOVA of Bulgaria. You can watch all the matches live on ettu.org and follow the results live here. Pictures you can see here
Pavel SIRUCEK created the biggest upset of the opening rounds in Sarajevo
The 2024 European Olympic Singles Qualification kicked off today amidst fervent anticipation in Sarajevo Bosnia and Herzegovina. The opening day saw action-packed matches in both the Men’s and Women’s events as players vied for a coveted spot in the upcoming Olympic Games. In the men’s event Czechia’s Pavel SIRUCEK emerged as an early standout defying the odds by clinching a remarkable victory over the leading contender of Group E. SIRUCEK’S performance set the stage for an enthralling competition ahead. Eduard IONESCU of Romania the No. 5 seed faced an unexpected defeat at the hands of SIRUCEK. Despite a valiant effort IONESCU fell short losing the last two games 11-9 after a tense 3-2 battle. While SIRUCEK’S triumph marked the morning’s biggest upset most of the other favorites in the Men’s Event enjoyed a smooth start to their campaign. Alvaro ROBLES of Spain who topped Group 1 showed his prowess by overcoming Vladislav URSU of Moldova in a hard-fought encounter securing a 4-2 victory. Similarly Ovidiu IONESCU of Romania displayed his skill and determination by outplaying Ibrahim GÜNDÜZ of Türkiye also claiming a 4-2 win. Austria’s Daniel HABESOHN and Slovakia’s WANG Yang demonstrated dominance in their respective matches securing straight games victories against Tamas LAKATOS of Hungary and Anton LIMONOV of Ukraine. In other matches Milosz REDZIMSKI of Poland delivered a commanding performance dispatching Loic STOLL of Switzerland in straight games. Meanwhile Martin ALLEGRO the No. 7 seed was pushed to the limit by Alex NAUMI of Finland but ultimately emerged victorious after a grueling contest. Among the favorites who secured wins in the opening round were Mihai BOBOCICA of Italy Panagiotis GIONIS of Greece Paul DRINKHALL of England Andreas LEVENKO of Austria and Lubomir PISTEJ of Slovakia. You can watch all the matches live on ettu.org and follow the results live here.
Sports Center Gargzdai and N.Z. Crowned Lithuanian Champions
In their respective Women’s and Men’s leagues Sports Center Gargzdai and N.Z. have been newly crowned Lithuanian champions. Sports Center Gargzdai hailing from Gargzdai claimed victory in the women’s group of the season with a hard-fought 5:4 win over Red Black from Kaunas. The third-place honor was secured by Vilnius University’s women’s team. 1st place Sports Center Gargzdai – Aukse GECEVICIUTE Andzelika PETRAUSKIENE Brilita JUREVICIUTE Kornelija SCIGLAITE. 2nd place Red Black – Karina IVANAUSKAITE Kristina TAURIENE Sabina MUSAJEVA Monika MAZUR. 3rd place Vilnius University – Medeine STANKEVICIUTE Meida SEREIKAITE Viltaute ADAMONYTE Elze DANILKEVIČIUTE. N.Z. representing Vilnius emerged as the champions of the top division in the men’s league after enduring battles against the Rytas-1 team from Vilkaviškis. A team from Brones Balaisienes in Vilnius clinched third place by defeating Naminiai Jolantos sakociai from Kaunas with a score of 5:2. 1st place N.Z. – Vilius SAMAKALJEVAS Klaidas CEPAITIS Amirreza ABBASI Ehsan SHAFREH Eligius KLARENBEEK Mohamed Javad SOHARABI. 2nd place Rytas-1 – Vytautas RYBAKAS Edvinas TAMOSIUNAS Karolis KASPARAITIS Ignas NAVICKAS. 3rd place Brones Balaisienes – Valdas MARTINKUS Ernestas MINCEVICIUS Ignas SISANOVAS Konstantin ORESKIN.
Spin 2012 Sarajevo and Mostar Reign Supreme: Undefeated Champions of Bosnia and Herzegovina
For the 11th time Stonoteniski klub Spin 2012 Sarajevo has emerged victorious securing yet another title in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Similarly in the men’s National Championships Stonoreniski klub Mostar has clinched the coveted title. Led by the skilled guidance of coach Amela MUJEZINOVIC the formidable lineup of Emina HADŽIAHMETOVIC Harisa MEŠETOVIĆ Enra SUBAŠIĆ and Ana SLADOJE remained undefeated throughout the season showcasing their dominance on the table tennis court. Meanwhile in Mostar a stellar performance led by coach Toni VRANIC propelled Lorencio LUPULESKU Luka MATKOVIĆ Dario PEJIĆ and Marko ŠIMUNOVIĆ to the championship with the team remaining unbeaten in their pursuit of glory.
TT Saint-Quentin clinched their 1st French Championship title
TT Saint-Quentin is the new national champion after a series of 14 victories in one of the toughest national team competitions in Europe. They beat strong teams such as Metz Étival Saint-Denis and Entente Saint-Pierraise. In 2017 they came 2nd at the end of the season and lost twice in the semi-finals in 2021 and 2022. This time they did not fail and players and supporters were very happy to celebrate their title in their brand new venue. This season they lost in the quarter final of the Champions Legue Women against Linz AG Froschberg at the very last game of the golden match. Away match (1st leg): Saint-Pierraise – TT St-Quentin: 1-3 Camille LUTZ (TTSQ) – Océane GUISNEL N°27 11-3 11-8 17-15 Stéphanie LOEUILLETTE N°29 – Daniela MONTEIRO-DODEAN (TTSQ):12-10 14-12 11-6 Polina MIKHAILOVA (TTSQ) – Lucie GAUTHIER N°51: 5-11 11-9 11-5 11-9 Linda BERGSTRÖM (TTSQ) – Océane GUISNEL N°27: 11-6 11-13 15-13 9-11 11-6 Home match (2nd leg) : TT St-Quentin – Saint-Pierraise: 3-0 Camille LUTZ (TTSQ) – Océane GUISNEL N°27: 11-4 11-8 12-10 Polina MIKHAILOVA (TTSQ) – Stéphanie LOEUILLETTE N°29: 8-11 11-9 11-9 12-10 Linda BERGSTRÖM (TTSQ) – Lucie GAUTHIER N°51: 11-8 9-11 5-11 11-6 11-9
European Olympic Singles Qualification Seedings Released with PICCOLIN and ROBLES topping the list
The seedings for the 2024 European Olympic Singles Qualification to be held from 15th to 19th May in Sarajevo Bosnia-Herzegovina have been published following today’s release of the latest ITTF rankings. The total number of competitors is 79 with 36 women and 43 men. Of the six continental quotas allocated to Europe five will be determined through this tournament while the sixth will be decided based on rankings as of 11th June 2024. In the women’s seedings Italy’s Giorgia PICCOLIN leads the list after a remarkable jump of 40 places in the rankings following her quarterfinal performance in Saudi Smash. She is followed by Jieni SHAO of Portugal at the second position trailed by Maria XIAO of Spain Tatiana KUKULKOVa of Slovakia Georgina POTA of Hungary Fu YU of Portugal Britt EERLAND of the Netherlands Margaryta PESOTSKA of Ukraine Ivana MALOBABIC of Croatia Barbora BALAZOVA of Slovakia Hana MATELOVA of Czechia and Izabela LUPULESKU of Serbia. In the men’s event Spain’s Alvaro ROBLES leads the pack followed by Ovidiu IONESCU of Romania Daniel HABESOHN of Austria Yang WANG of Slovakia Eduard IONESCU of Romania Milosz REDZIMSKI of Poland Martin ALLEGRO of Belgium Mihai BOBOCICA of Italy Panagiotis GIONIS of Greece Paul DRINKHALL of England Andreas LEVENKO of Austria and Lubomir PISTEJ of Slovakia. The top 12 players will be placed at the top of their respective groups. Players from the same National Olympic Committee (NOC) will be distributed across different groups. The top two finishers from each group will advance to Stage 2 where 24 players will compete. Stage 2 will feature a direct knockout draw spanning four rounds taking place on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th May in the morning. The finalists from Stage 2 will automatically secure spots at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with no final match played. Stage 3 will consist of five rounds of knockout matches. This stage will feature players who did not qualify from Stage 2. The two finalists from Stage 3 along with the winner of the match between the semi-final losers will also earn places at the Paris Olympics. Again no final match will be played. Stage 3 matches are scheduled for Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th May. Please see the System of play Entries list and Schedule here
Baltais LA and Salaspils GTK Dominate Latvian Teams Championships 2023/2024
The Latvian Teams Championships for the 2023/2024 season concluded at the Sport Hall of O.Kalpaks Riga Folk-Art Primary School on May 11th. In the Men’s Teams final Team Baltais LA emerged victorious against Salaspils GTK 1 with a score of 4:1. Team Baltais LA comprised of players Daniel LINDSÖ Daniels KOGANS Arturs SPALIS Kirils JAHONTOVS Andrejs CEMIRTANS Maksim VUHKA and Matiss BURGIS showed outstanding performance throughout the season. Salaspils GTK 1 was represented by Valdas MARTINKUS Arturs REINHOLDS Dainis REINHOLDS Aleksandrs MASKALONOKS Emils LUTINSKIS and Maris KUDA. In a tightly contested match for the bronze Team Baltais narrowly secured victory with a score of 4:3 against Team GTK Salaspils. The Baltais team led by Arturs RUDNIKOVS Aleksandrs PAHOMOVS Vitalijs GLAZUNOVS Ilmar VUHKA and Kirils TERENTJEVS demonstrated resilience. Team GTK Salaspils represented by Edvinas TAMOSIUNAS Gints EIHMANS Reinis KASPARANS and Sergejs KUCEBA fought valiantly but fell short. In the Women’s Teams final Salaspils GTK triumphed over Bauska 1 with a score of 3:0. Salaspils GTK led by Baiba BOGDANOVA Melanija BIRZNIECE and Ilva BALTUTE displayed dominance on the court. Team Bauska 1 was represented by Daniela KUCINSKA Eliza KUCINSKA and Linda LADUSE. The battle for the 3rd place was equally intense with Riga Technical University edging past Team Saldus TIKSC/Jurmala with a score of 3:2. Team Riga Technical University featuring players Liana ZELTINA Sanita SVEILE Viktorija MAJOROVA and Diana AFANASJEVA showcased strategic prowess. Team Saldus TIKSC/Jurmala was represented by Daina ROCANE Ieva VEJA Liza IVANOVA Vera ERIKSONE and Skaidrite ZAGERE.
Slovak Table Tennis Association to Host European Under 21 Championships 2025
The Slovak Table Tennis Association will be the organizer of the European Under 21 Championships 2025. The Championships will also be part of the celebration of 100 years since the establishment of organized table tennis in the Czechia and Slovakia. “ETTU is delighted to include two of its most significant 2025 youth events in the celebrations commemorating 100 years of the table tennis national associations of both Czechia and Slovakia. The Slovakia Table Tennis Association a longstanding member of ETTU is renowned for its reliability in organizing table tennis events. We are highly confident that the 2025 Under 21 European Championships will be another outstanding ETTU competition ” said ETTU Acting President Pedro MOURA. The tournament will take place at the ice stadium – TIPOS Arena. In the TIPOS Arena there will be the main hall with 8 or 9 tables and a practice hall with 12 tables. “Preparations for this important event started two years before the planned event. After the good experience from 2015 when Slovakia hosted the European Youth Championships we chose a similar model ” explained Slovakia’s TTA President Anton Hamran. The European Under 21 Championships 2024 were held in Skopje with Milosz Redzimski of Poland and Veronika Matiunina of Ukraine clinching the title.
Estonian Teams Champion is Team FORUS – Maardu LTK
The Estonian Teams Championships League – Meistriliiga – concluded in a thrilling finale at TalTech University Sports Center on May 4th. The men’s Meistriliiga for the 2023/2024 season was claimed by Team FORUS – Maardu LTK who demonstrated their dominance in the series final with a convincing 4-1 victory over Viimsi PINX. This marked Maardu LTK’s 4th title in the Meistriliiga. Representing Team FORUS – Maardu LTK throughout the season were Aleksandr SMIRNOV Aleksandr LUŠIN Artjom HIISKU Sergei DANILOV Lauri LAANE Artjom PUTŠKOV Vladislav URSU Otto TENNILÄ and Andrei BUKIN. The bronze medals went to last year’s champions TalTech Sports Club who secured third place by defeating Tartu SS Kalev 4-1 in the third-place match. In the 2023/2024 season a total of 8 teams participated in the Championships. In addition to the top 4 LTK Sakala/EHL PROFILES SPINMASTER Viimsi Table Tennis Club and Kalev/Radiaatorikeskus were also present.
