The powerhouse of TTC Neu-Ulm will challenge the hosts of the Final 4 tournament 1 FC Saarbrücken TT right from the start of the competition. Dimitrij OVTCHAROV Truls MOREGARDH and Quadri ARUNA will face the hosts in the semifinal on Sunday April 31st. TTC Neu-Ulm remains undefeated in this Champions League season losing only two individual matches in the duel against Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki on their way to the Final Four. “This will be a very interesting event. For the first time in history the Final Four will be played in this format. For us this is the last chance to win the title and the first game against Saarbrücken will be very difficult as the matches will be played at their home. The importance of this match is felt by all players so we will try to give 120% to reach the final. All other teams are also very strong. This is only one or two games where anything can happen. We are looking forward to this tournament ” said coach Dimitrij MAZUNOV. World No. 11 Dimitrij Ovtcharov was cautious with the expectations. “There are four strong teams including ourselves with all having extremely strong lineups pretty equal in strength and the daily form will decide between victory and defeat among the three teams. Obviously Wiener Neustadt is a bit of an underdog but there’s nobody to underestimate and surprises can happen very quickly ” said OVTCHAROV. Speaking of the teams Dimitrij said “Saarbrucken is the reigning Champions League winner and a clear leader of the German league standings having two very strong players: Darko JORGIC and Patrick FRANZISKA and three other good players in position three. MURAMATSU was one of the best players last year in the German League. Düsseldorf of course has a very strong lineup with Timo and Dang Anton… Our aim is of course to fight for the title for the club and for the players in the club. It is one of the most important events for us this season ” stated OVTCHAROV. Quadri Aruna added “Winning against LIM from Korea in Singapore gave me huge confidence ahead of the Champions League Final Four. It’s going to be a great event in Saarbrücken probably one of the strongest Champions Leagues ever with four strong teams. I really hope and pray that we have our best days there.” For all those unable to attend the Final 4 in person the matches will be broadcast live via ettu.tv except in some specific countries due to exclusive broadcasting agreements. Please refer to the list of channels below for viewing options in your country: France (DROM-COM) Monaco Andorra and Mauritius at L’Eqipue live 2: L’equipe Germany Austria Switzerland: Sportdeutschland.tv Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Georgia Kazakhstan Kirgizstan Moldova Russia Tajikistan Turkmenistan Ukraine and Uzbekistan: V Broadcasting
ETIVAL ASRTT reached the final stage of the Champions League Women
ETIVAL ASRTT secured their place in the final of the Champions League Women where they will meet the reigning champions KTS Enea Siarkopol Tarnobrzeg. The French side recorded a victory against SKST Plus Hodonín in the opening leg in Czechia but in the return leg ETIVAL lost after a full five matches. After almost three hours of play Marie MIGOT failed to close the match at 2-1 and lost in the decisive fifth match against Natalia PARTYKA. Natalia lost the opening match against Jieni SHAO but the Portuguese player could not stop Sakura MORI. MORI recorded two wins tonight also beating MIGOT. In the middle Camelia IACOB overcame Karin GROFOVA. In both legs the atmosphere was fantastic. “In Czechia we had two very close matches. The atmosphere in Hodonin was amazing. 600 people came and I know a lot of people there. It was amazing ” said MIGOT. “I am proud of my performance and win over MORI. Jieni played a fantastic match against PARTYKA also very close.” MIGOT then continued with impressions from the second match. “At home Camelia played at a superb level tactically fantastic. It was a turning point; we needed that win. I was not at the top of my game. I am a little sick but we did it. Here also was great. It was full 400 people so warm so nice; we are all so happy with the success. It was like the handball match. Also I have to congratulate the team of Hodonin; they made this semi-final great too. And they also lost their luggage but despite this misfortune they put up a great fight.” ETIVAL ASRTT – SKST Plus Hodonín 2-3 Jieni SHAO – Natalia PARTYKA 3-0 (11-7 11-6 11-5) Marie MIGOT – Sakura MORI 0-3 (6-11 5-11 4-11) Camelia IACOB – Karin GROFOVA 3-0 (12-10 11-6 11-5) Jieni SHAO – Sakura MORI 1-3 (3-11 11-6 6-11 7-11) Marie MIGOT – Natalia PARTYKA 2-3 (7-11 11-6 13-11 9-11 3-6) SKST Plus Hodonín – ETIVAL ASRTT 1-3 Sakura MORI – Marie MIGOT 2-3 (11-2 10-12 7-11 11-7 2-6) Natalia PARTYKA – Jieni SHAO 2-3 (8-11 8-11 11-8 11-8 0-6) Karin GROFOVA – Camelia IACOB 3-0 (11-2 11-5 11-7) Sakura MORI – Jieni SHAO 1-3 (7-11 11-3 9-11 9-11)
KS DARTOM BOGORIA Grodzisk Mazowiecki in the final
After two leg of straight matches semi-final duels KS DARTOM BOGORIA Grodzisk Mazowiecki secured their place in the final of the Europe Cup Men. In an all-Polish ultimate stage they will meet KS Dekorglass Dzialdowo. Just like in the opening leg French A.S PONTOISE-CERGY TT played with their B team making the path to the final much easier for Poland’s club. Now BOGORIA is already focused on the next stage to be played in April. “The final will be very tough. Dzialdowo is one of the best teams in Europe not only in Poland. With Jonathan GROTH who is currently ranked 28th in the world Jakub DYJAS and Kaii KONISHI they are extremely dangerous. We have had many tough games and great battles against them and I am sure it will be a very interesting final for the spectators. Also it is very important for Polish table tennis that the two clubs from here are in the final and I hope we will be the ones to lift the trophy ” said GIONIS. This season KS DARTOM BOGORIA Grodzisk Mazowiecki won twice in the Polish League. “Next game will be much more difficult ” added GIONIS. KS DARTOM BOGORIA Grodzisk Mazowiecki – A.S PONTOISE-CERGY TT 3-0 Panagiotis GIONIS – Thomas LAROCHE 3-0 (11-7 11-8 11-8) Marek BADOWSKI – Rafael CABRERA 3-0 (11-6 11-5 11-5) Takuya JIN – Adam CHOLLET 3-0 (11-4 11-7 11-4) Opening leg A.S PONTOISE-CERGY TT – KS DARTOM BOGORIA Grodzisk Mazowiecki 0-3 Rafael CABRERA – Takuya JIN 1-3 (9-11 6-11 11-8 6-11) Dany LO – Panagiotis GIONIS (7-11 4-11 7-11) Thomas LAROCHE – Michal GAWLAS 0-3 (4-11 9-11 7-11)
The draw for the Europe Trophy Grand Final
The Europe Trophy Grand Final for Men and Women will be held in Novi Sad from 31st May to 2nd June . The draw for the both events was held today.
Frane KOJIC: No one expected but we dreamed about F4
The biggest upset of the 2023/24 edition of the Champions League Men was created by Austria’s Solex Consult TT Wiener Neustadt. The team had to navigate through both stages to reach the semi-finals. In Saarbrücken they will face Borussia Düsseldorf in the semi-final. “It is a success of enormous scale. No one expected something like that. But we hoped and dreamed about it. That is why we are in the sport to make our dreams come true. I have to give great credit to our coach Martin DOPPLER who was telling us from the first day that we are worthy of the Final Four and that we can reach it. From the first point played in Stage one in Dubrovnik he believed in us ” said Croatia’s player Frane Kojic. KOJIC continued to talk about the club’s journey to the Final 4. “In Stage two we had a little help of luck. French GV Hennebont decided not to go with their top stars Liam PITCHFORD and Kristian KARLSSON so it eased our way.” While they gained some ease on one side challenges arose on the other. “We faced a great obstacle against KS Dekorglass Dzialdowo in the return leg. After the defeat in Austria they strengthened their lineup with Zhou Yu of China. They thought it would help them pass through. Ivor Ban destroyed their plans by beating the Chinese player. Then again Jakub Dyjas was not playing in the return leg… A lot of things came together in that puzzle that led us to the Final tournament ” admitted KOJIC. Croatia’s player added that everyone needs a stroke of luck when facing giants with much bigger budgets. Continuing with the matter of budget he said: “It will be the same story now in the Final Four where we will face clubs with much bigger budgets results and traditions of playing in the biggest competitions. We are very proud that we will represent Wiener Neustadt among all these giants at such an important tournament.” KOJIC expressed his satisfaction with the fact that the match will be played in Germany. “We all know that Germany has a great base of fans and I am happy that we will play in a great atmosphere. I have no doubts the venue in Saarbrücken will be full. We do not have an everyday opportunity to play in front of two or three thousand people.” Speaking of the semi-final adversary Borussia Düsseldorf KOJIC said: “We did not have any preferences before the draw. All three clubs are giants. We have nothing to lose. I only regret that Jin Ueda is not with us anymore. He had a great influence on our success and played an important role in our passage to the Final 4. Due to some procedural errors he was not able to play for his club TSV Bad Königshofen in Germany. He was not registered for the first part of the season and was looking for an alternative club he could play for from September to December. We knew he would leave us after three months ” explained KOJIC. Speaking of his current form KOJIC said: “Currently I am in Croatia and in the recent past I was not very active in the WTT tournaments. I was focused on the club’s duties in leagues and European competitions.” Frane KOJIC was one of the members of the Croatian team which secured a place at the team event at the Olympic Games. They played at the World Championships recently held in Busan before being halted by the team of Portugal. “We made our way to the Last 16 and gained a ticket for the Olympics ” specified Kojic. In the Austrian Bundesliga the competition is much fiercer than in previous years. “This year we clinched the National Cup and in the League we are currently third in the standings before the start of the playoffs. This year the League improved in terms of quality. This is my eighth season in the Austrian League and I can say that I have never faced such fierce competition. In the past no matter which club I was playing for we were not under pressure to lose our spot in the top four and play off. The league is much stronger now. Now we have five or six clubs fighting for the four positions and in the past 10 days we have had four very important rounds in the League. I played well and currently in 2024 I have only one defeat in both the Cup and League. So I am very satisfied with my play. And of course the club always aims for titles in the Cup and League. The hardest competition is coming from Wels.” For all those unable to attend in person the matches will be broadcast live via ettu.tv except in some specific countries due to exclusive broadcasting agreements. Please refer to the list of channels below for viewing options in your country: France (DROM-COM) Monaco Andorra and Mauritius: L’equipe Germany Austria Switzerland: Sportdeutschland.tv Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Georgia Kazakhstan Kirgizstan Moldova Russia Tajikistan Turkmenistan Ukraine and Uzbekistan: V Broadcasting
International Eurotalents Selection Camp in Havířov
The International Eurotalents Selection Camp for players born in 2012 and younger is currently underway at the National Training Center in Havířov from March 24 to 31. Twenty-eight male and twenty female players from sixteen European countries are participating. Leading the camp is head coach Renáta ŠTRBÍKOVÁ assisted by Marek ČIHÁK with Hungarian coach Zoltán BATORFI joining for the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU). Additionally coaches from individual nations are present totaling almost twenty coaches dedicated to nurturing young talents. Zoltán BATORFI commends the Eurotalents Camp program organized by ETTU emphasizing its excellence but suggesting the need for more frequent camps. He notes the disparity in training facilities across European countries highlighting the importance of such camps particularly for nations lacking adequate training centers. With forty-eight participants in Havířov logistical demands are significant such as the requirement for twenty-four tables for a two-day tournament. Despite the challenges BATORFI praises the organization and training opportunities provided at the Havířov center. He lauds the excellent conditions including the modern hall quality food accommodation and the competent coaching and support staff. Overall he expresses his fondness for Havířov and its status as one of the top training centers in Europе. You can see the pictures here
Borussia Düsseldorf Aims for Seventh Champions League Title in F4
For the first time the Champions League semi-finals and final will adopt a Final Four format taking place in the Saarlandhalle in Saarbrücken. On Easter Sunday March 31st the two semi-final matches will kick off followed by the final on Easter Monday April 1st. Borussia Düsseldorf will commence the first semi-final on Sunday at 1:00 PM while defending champion 1. FC Saarbrücken TT will take the stage at 5:00 PM. Borussia Düsseldorf will go head-to-head against SolexConsult TT Wiener Neustadt in the Champions League semi-final on March 31 marking the only non-German club left in the competition. It seems to be a relatively favorable draw for the team guided by coach Danny HEISTER. The Viennese outfit may not feature star-studded names but possesses players with a strong fighting spirit. They secured their berth in the Final Four with narrow victories in thrilling matches during their group stage. Conversely the state capital’s team has yet to suffer a single defeat in the Champions League. “It will undoubtedly be a highly exciting and compelling event. The teams are evenly matched and I anticipate witnessing top-class table tennis. This compact two-day event promises to be worthwhile for spectators ” remarked European Champion Dang QIU currently on duty in the Incheon WTT Champions of 2024. En route to the Final Four Borussia Düsseldorf overcame Portugal’s Sporting Clube de Portugal and Austria’s SPG Felbermayr Wels both times securing 3-0 victories. Last year the semi-final and final matches involving Borussia were incredibly tense. They narrowly lost the semi-final first leg against TTC Neu Ulm 2-3 but rallied back to win the return leg at the ARAG CenterCourt 3-2. The first Golden Match in the history of the Champions League tipped in favor of Düsseldorf. In the final however the tables turned and the Saarlanders celebrated victory after the Golden Match. Head coach Danny HEISTER emphasized that reaching the final is the minimum goal for 2024. After clinching the German Cup it could be the second title of the season. “It’s a new format and certainly very exciting. I don’t see a clear favorite. Saarbrücken might capitalize on their home advantage. Our initial objective is to secure a spot in the final and then we’ll take it from there ” stated Borussia Düsseldorf Manager Andreas PREUSS. For all those unable to attend in person the matches will be broadcast live via ettu.tv except in some specific countries due to exclusive broadcasting agreements. Please refer to the list of channels below for viewing options in your country: France (DROM-COM) Monaco Andorra and Mauritius: L’equipe Germany Austria Switzerland: Sportdeutschland.tv Armenia Azerbaijan Belarus Georgia Kazakhstan Kirgizstan Moldova Russia Tajikistan Turkmenistan Ukraine and Uzbekistan: V Broadcasting
KS DARTOM BOGORIA Grodzisk Mazowiecki was on speed lane in France
In the initial leg of the Europe Cup Men Polish team KS DARTOM BOGORIA Grodzisk Mazowiecki secured a swift victory over French opponents A.S PONTOISE-CERGY TT. The second team of the hosts couldn’t mount any pressure on the Polish side. “We were aware beforehand that Pontoise would be facing us with their second team. The first team wasn’t available and the younger players didn’t present the same level of challenge. On one hand it made our path to the final easier but on the other hand it’s not ideal for the semi-final for ETTU the spectators or for the sport itself. Everyone deserves a competitive match. In such circumstances with a very weak opponent we simply needed to maintain our focus ” explained GIONIS. Poland’s KS Dekorglass Dzialdowo has already secured their place in the final. A.S PONTOISE-CERGY TT – KS DARTOM BOGORIA Grodzisk Mazowiecki 0-3 Rafael CABRERA – Takuya JIN 1-3 (9-11 6-11 11-8 6-11) Dany LO – Panagiotis GIONIS (7-11 4-11 7-11) Thomas LAROCHE – Michal GAWLAS 0-3 (4-11 9-11 7-11)
ETIVAL ASRTT secured opening leg win in Czechia
The first leg of the Champions League Women’s semi-final ended in favor of French team ETIVAL ASRTT. Despite a valiant effort from SKST Plus Hodonín in Czechia the visitors emerged victorious. Both opening matches featuring Sakura MORI against Marie MIGOT and Natalia PARTYKA versus Jieni SHAO went full distance. The only victory for the Czech team came from Karin GROFOVA in her match against Camelia IACOB. However Jieni SHAO secured the decisive win over Sakura MORI in her second exit to the table. “The 3-1 victory sets us up well for the second leg. We started with great focus because Hodonín boasts a quality team. The first singles match was crucial with Marie MIGOT narrowly clinching victory in the fifth game. I’m particularly pleased that SHAO Jieni secured two points ” stated Etival ASRTT coach Jerome HUMBERT. MIGOT expressed delight with the crowd and atmosphere in Czechia but admitted needing time to adjust to the conditions. “Here in the hall the balls and especially the tables are different from what I’m used to practicing on. In the first game I felt that the ball wasn’t moving as I expected. I had to adjust my tactics to find my rhythm. The atmosphere in the hall was a great boost; I’m not fond of empty stands and small venues. The audience was fantastic. As for the fifth game I thrive in those situations. This year I’ve played three fifth games and won all three. It’s about finding the right mindset and going for the win. A net or two might happen but a player mustn’t lose focus ” explained Marie MIGOT. Reigning champions KTS Enea Siarkopol Tarnobrzeg have already secured their spot in the final. SKST Plus Hodonín – ETIVAL ASRTT 1-3 Sakura MORI – Marie MIGOT 2-3 (11-2 10-12 7-11 11-7 2-6) Natalia PARTYKA – Jieni SHAO 2-3 (8-11 8-11 11-8 11-8 0-6) Karin GROFOVA – Camelia IACOB 3-0 (11-2 11-5 11-7) Sakura MORI – Jieni SHAO 1-3 (7-11 11-3 9-11 9-11)
EOC executive committee awards 2027 European Games to Istanbul
The European Olympic Committees (EOC) Executive Committee (ExCom) at the meeting held on March 20th unanimously awarded the 4th edition of the European Games in 2027 to Istanbul. The carefully-considered decision was taken after EOC Sport Director Peter BRÜLL presented a detailed evaluation report to the ExCom. The report follows an evaluation visit to Istanbul by a delegation of EOC experts in early March. The EOC experts looked at all aspects of the city’s capabilities to host the Games including venues transport security accommodation and athlete facilities. Further building on the success of Kraków-Malopolska 2023 the EOC and the Istanbul team resolved to ensure an even higher proportion of the competitions serve as qualification events for the Olympic Games LA 2028. This would enable future Turkish Olympians to qualify on home soil supported by a home audience that includes friends and family. Istanbul’s venue plan for the European Games 2027 would see no additional construction beyond the venues either already built or already planned for the city. The Executive Committee’s decision will be presented to the EOC General Assembly in Bucharest in June for final approval and signing of the relevant contracts.
