Over the weekend of March 23rd and 24th 2024 the Grünfeld Sports Center in Rapperswil-Jona hosted the 90th Swiss Championships. In the spotlight were 114 of the country’s most talented players offering spectators a top-notch spectacle where passion and athletic excellence took center stage. Once again this year the final saw an electrifying duel between Barish MOULLET and Elias HARDMEIER. MOULLET was determined to reclaim the title from his rival but his path to the final was not without obstacles: in epic encounters against Elia SCHMID in the quarterfinals which ended 4-3 (11-9 11-5 8-11 11-5 8-11 4-11 11-7) and in the semifinals against Yanick TAFFÉ which also ended 4-3 (9-11 11-9 5-11 16-14 11-8 9-11 11-3) MOULLET had to repeatedly prove his endurance. However even more intense was the rematch in the final against Elias HARDMEIER. Almost the entire course of last year’s edition was repeated: Barish MOULLET quickly took the lead and won the first three sets convincingly (11-3 11-6 11-9). However Elias HARDMEIER showed extraordinary resilience and responded to every challenge with unwavering determination even saving match points. He won the next games (16-14 11-8 11-8) and forced the match into a decisive seventh game. In the final game the two protagonists delivered an intensely breathtaking spectacle and a showdown that matched their exceptional level. After over an hour of play and with the score at 7-10 against him Barish MOULLET finally managed to turn the tide and claim the title of Swiss Singles Champion for the second time in his career. The final score was thus 4-3 (11-3 11-6 11-9 14-16 8-11 8-11 13-11). In the women’s competition all eyes were on Rachel MORET who was expected to secure her tenth title. However reality had a surprise in store this year. Until the final MORET sailed smoothly through the main draw without dropping a single set. But when she faced Fanny DOUTAZ in the final things took an unexpected turn. DOUTAZ brilliantly took the first game and continued to play strongly ultimately leading 3-1 in sets. However MORET managed to capitalize on the opportunities and took the game to the decisive seventh and final set. When Fanny DOUTAZ trailed by two points her coach Michel MARTINEZ called a timeout – this turned out to be a stroke of luck as DOUTAZ subsequently managed to turn the situation around and once again take the lead. In this thrilling situation Rachel MORET also decided to take her timeout to strategically prepare for the final few rallies. The final rallies were back and forth and to the surprise of most Fanny DOUTAZ ultimately won the last rally crowning herself Swiss champion with a final score of 4-3 (11-8 6-11 13-11 11-5 1-11 6-11 11-8). Thus DOUTAZ broke MORET’S dominance who had secured the title since 2016 (with the exception of 2022 due to her participation in the WTT Smash). The dynamic duo of TTC Rio-Star Muttenz consisting of Cédric TSCHANZ and Pedro OSIRO who clinched the first place last year faced the pair of Barish MOULLET/Gaël VENDÉ the 2020 champions in the final. It goes without saying that the encounter of these top pairs captivated the attention of all spectators. The Neuchâtel duo finally won 3-2 (11-7 4-11 11-6 11-13 11-6) with the tension reaching its peak in the final game. The relentless duo of DOUTAZ/MORET crushed all competition in this event. Even in the final opponents TULLII/MAURER could not withstand enough resistance despite winning the first set. The game ended with a 3-1 victory (6-11 11-8 11-8 11-5). There is no doubt that the pairing of Rachel MORET and Fanny DOUTAZ will remain unbeatable for a long time to come. The defending champions Rachel MORET and Nicolas CHAMPOD aimed to mark their names on the tournament’s winner’s list for the fifth time. They faced the Geneva duo of Fanny DOUTAZ and Yoan REBETEZ. Despite their experience and merits MORET and CHAMPOD were challenged by tough opponents who cleverly seized their chances to secure victory. The game ended with a narrow score of 3-0 (11-8 11-9 11-9) in favor of DOUTAZ/REBETEZ sealing Fanny DOUTAZ’S hat-trick in this edition – a remarkable achievement that will go down in the history of the Swiss Championships.

The defending champions had reason to celebrate at the National Championships in Bruck/Mur: Andreas LEVENKO emerged victorious in the final against Simon PFEFFER with a 4-3 win while LIU Yuan secured gold in the women’s singles with a 4-1 victory over Karoline MISCHEK. Maciej KOLODZIEJCZYK emerged as the most successful medalist triumphing in mixed doubles with Anastasia STERNER in doubles with Andre KASES and also claiming bronze in singles. In the women’s doubles Nicole GALITSCHITSCH and talent Nina SKERBINZ surprised. Andreas LEVENKO jubilantly secured his second national champion title but had to go the full distance twice: in the quarterfinals the ÖTTV team player narrowly escaped defeat against LIU Zhenlong after trailing 2-3 clinching the seventh set with a close 12-10 victory. The final against Simon PFEFFER was even more dramatic. The Vorarlberg native fought back from a 2-3 deficit to force a decider leading 5-2 but ultimately succumbed to a 9-11 defeat. “Today I learned once again that determination is key ” breathed Andreas LEVENKO after clinching his second title. In the absence of Sofia POLCANOVA—who is preparing for the WTT Champions Tournament in Korea (27-31.3.) in China—LIU Yuan successfully defended her title in the women’s singles. The Linz native defeated Karoline MISCHEK 4-1 in the final just like last year. Prior to that the 38-year-old eliminated Anastasia STERNER with the same score. “I mainly focused on the player from Linz. The journey to gold was tough ” said LIU after claiming her fourth overall title. STERNER in addition to her bronze in singles celebrated mixed doubles gold with Maciej KOLODZIEJCZYK. In the women’s doubles she and Molei FANG (NÖ) settled for silver after a 1-3 defeat against Nicole GaLitschitsch (St)/Nina SKERBINZ (NÖ). “For me this title is the highlight of my career ” beamed the local alongside 14-year-old Nina SKERBINZ. Maciej KOLODZIEJCZYK won two golds and one bronze. Prior to the mixed doubles title he claimed his first gold in doubles with Andre KASES (B). His Wels clubmate Petr HODINA secured bronze in doubles with Linz’s LIU Zhenlong and at 15 became Austria’s youngest male national championship medalist. National Championships in Bruck/Mur Women’s Singles Final: Liu Yuan (OÖ) – Karoline Mischek (OÖ) 4:1 (6 5 3 -8 6) Semifinals (all semifinal losers win bronze): Karoline Mischek (OÖ) – Selina Leitner (S) 4:0 (1 2 6 12) Liu Yuan (OÖ) – Anastasia Sterner (OÖ) 4:1 (1 1 -9 9 7) Men’s Singles Final: Andreas Levenko (OÖ) – Simon Pfeffer (V) 4:3 (-8 6 12 -7 8 -9 9) Semifinals: Andreas Levenko (OÖ) – Alexander Chen (NÖ) 4:2 (8 -5 7 6 -6 7) Simon Pfeffer (V) – Maciej Kolodziejczyk (OÖ) 4:3 (8 -7 8 -5 6 -9 6) Women’s Doubles Final: Nicole Galitschitsch (St)/Nina Skerbinz (NÖ) – Anastasia Sterner (OÖ)/Fang Molei (NÖ) 3:1 (5 10 -11 9) Semifinals: Anastasia Sterner (OÖ)/Fang Molei (NÖ) – Ines Diendorfer (OÖ)/Karoline Mischek (NÖ) 3:0 Nicole Galitschitsch (St)/Nina Skerbinz (NÖ) – Liu Yuan/Celine Panholzer (OÖ) 3:2 Men’s Doubles Final: Maciej Kolodziejczyk (OÖ)/Andre Pierre Kases (B) – Simon Pfeffer (V)/Michael Trink (S) 3:0 (5 5 8) Semifinals: Kolodziejczyk (OÖ)/Andre Kases (B) – Mathias Habesohn/Alexander Chen (NÖ) 3:1 Simon Pfeffer (V)/Michael Trink (S) – Petr Hodina/Liu Zhenlong (OÖ) 3:0 Mixed Doubles Final: Anastasia Sterner/Maciej Kolodziejczyk (OÖ) – Celine Panholzer (OÖ)/Andrea Pierre Kases (B) 3:2 (-11 7 -6 7 8) Semifinals: Anastasia Sterner/Maciej Kolodziejczyk (OÖ) – Molei Fang/Alexander Chen (NÖ) 3:0 Celine Panholzer (OÖ)/Andrea Pierre Kases (B) – Nina Skerbinz/Patrick Skerbinz (NÖ) 3:0

Benedek OLÁH and Marina DONNER retained their singles titles at the Finnish Championships held in Tampere. It was OLÁH’S 12th first-place finish and DONNER’S fourth consecutive victory. In the men’s singles final Rio Olympian defeated Alex NAUMI 4-1 (11-5 11-7 11-9 5-11 11-3). Taking bronze were father and son – Mika and Aleksi RÄSÄNEN. “I didn’t feel any pressure to play and I felt sharp. I managed to return Alex’s serves well and knew what he was attempting overall. It depends a lot on the juniors how long I can continue standing on that highest podium. I’ll play for as long as my body holds up ” 32-year-old OLÁH said. In the women’s singles final Ramona BETZ gave Marina DONNER a tough time but the experienced Åland resident’s routine secured the title. Eventually DONNER won 4-1 (11-9 7-11 11-8 1—9 11-9). “Both matches of the final day (semifinal 4-3 against Jannika OKSANEN) were tough. My tactic was to serve short and then attack aggressively myself. I’m really pleased with my two titles even though we couldn’t repeat the victory in the mixed doubles ” DONNER (41) smiled. Finnish Championships’ medalists Men’s singles Benedek OLÁH SeSi Alex NAUMI KoKa Aleksi RÄSÄNEN PT Espoo ja Mika Räsänen PT Espoo Women’s singles Marina DONNER HIK Ramona BETZ LiPi Maria GIRLEA PT Jyväskylä ja Jannika Oksanen PT 75 Men’s doubles Benedek OLÁH / Toni SOINE SeSi / PT Espoo Aleksi RÄSÄNEN / Sam KHOSRAVI PT Espoo / Pars Lassi LEHTOLA / Arttu PIHKALA PT Espoo ja Alex NAUMI / Samuli SOINE KoKa / TIP-70 Women’s doubles Marina DONNER / Maria GIRLEA HIK / PT Jyväskylä Ella KELLOW / Mia KELLOW OPT-86 / TIP-70 Polina LEVKINA / Eleonoora ROOSIOKS PT Espoo ja Anne STENBERG / Oksana RUOTSALAINEN PT 75 Mixed doubles Sam KHOSRAVI / Ramona BETZ Pars / LiPi Arttu PIHKALA / Ella KELLOW PT Espoo / OPT-86 Johan PETTERSSON / Marina DONNER HIK ja Samuli SOINE / Jaimielee ENRIQUEZ TIP-70

Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS and Konstantina PARIDI are the Greek champions in singles for 2024. In a highly successful event held at the indoor gym “Olympian Nikos Grammatikos” in Salamina the Olympiacos athlete secured the national title in the men’s competition for the third consecutive year. In the final he defeated Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS of Panathinaikos 4-2. In the women’s competition a player from Panathinaikos experienced the joy of winning the most prestigious event for the second time since 2022. In the final she defeated Elisavet TERPOU of Panathinaikos 4-1. Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS and George KONSTANTINOPOULOS of Panathinaikos won the gold medal in men’s doubles while Katerina TOLIOU and Konstantina PARIDI of the same club claimed the top spot in women’s doubles. As of Saturday Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS and Elisabeth TERPOU had secured the national title in mixed doubles. The co-organizers HTTF and the municipality of Salamina achieved excellent results in the three-day event undoubtedly one of the best in history. With decisive support from the municipality and local companies in organizing and presenting events benefits and actions that promoted the sport and enhanced the prestige of the Greek Championships. With a prize money of 1 000 euros for the winners of the singles event for the first time in history with the global originality of creating trophies from recycled plastic balls along with other innovations charity and entertainment activities and of course the participation of 78 athletes providing a rich spectacle and intense competitions in the pursuit of medals. The event was covered with daily live streaming and reporting from the gre78 YouTube channel as well as by a professional photographer. The KONSTANTINOPOULOS brothers secured 7 gold medals in the doubles setting a national record. They surpassed two legendary twins Kostas PRIFTIS and Dimitris ZIKOS from the past and Ioannis VLOTINOS and Ioannis KORDOUTIS from recent history who each had 6 titles. SGUROPOULOS and KONSTANTINOPOULOS were rivals in the final in 2019 in Chania and now the four-time European champion of singles Under 18 and Under 21 got the… rematch. KONSTANTINOPOULOS was also one of the prominent figures of the championship with two gold medals and three finals. PARIDI also celebrated two trophies. In doubles she secured her fourth title with TOLIOU. The heartfelt applause for the athlete and coach of Pera Athens Olga GEORGOPOULOU was the most poignant moment of the championship. The international athlete from Salamina is undergoing a serious health challenge; she competed after 1.5 years and at the end of the semi-final in the women’s doubles she received a standing ovation and was embraced by her teammates coaches and referees. The municipality of Salamina posthumously honored former men’s national coach Nikos KOSTOPOULOS who was also the first official coach of the local Telamonas team in the 1980s. Additionally the municipality of Salamina and HTTF recognized former international female athletes with their own history in the sport. Maria KALOGIANNI and Maria ILIAKI were honored on the first day of the games while Andriani DOUMENI and Archontoula VOLAKAKI were honored on the last day. Present at the opening and closing ceremonies was the leading representative of Greek table tennis the legendary Kallinikos KREANGA. Finals Men’s singles: SGUROPOULOS – K. KONSTANTINOPOULOS 4-2 games (5-11 12-10 11-7 6-11 12-10 11-8) In women’s singles: PARIDI – TERPOU 4-1 games (6-11 11-8 11-6 11-2 11-2) Men’s doubles: K. KONSTANTINOPOULOS/G. KONSTANTINOPOULOS – RINIOTIS/STAMATOUROS 3-1 games (9-11 11-6 11-3 14-12). Women’s doubles: TOLIOU/PARIDI – PAPADIMITRIOU/SOFRA 3-0 games (12-10 12-10 13-11) Mixed doubles: K. KONSTANTINOPOULOS/TERPΟU – STAMATOUROS/PAPADIMITRIOU 3-2 games (15-13 7-11 7-11 11-9 11-8) MEN’S SINGLES: Ioannis SGUROPOULOS (Olympiacos SPF) Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS (Panathinaikos AO) Giorgos STAMATOUROS (Olympiacos SPF) -Tasos RINIOTIS (Olympiacos SPF) WOMEN’S SINGLES: Konstantina PARIDI (Panathinaikos AO) Elisavet TERPOU (Panathinaikos AO) Malamatetenia PAPADIMITRIOU (Olympiacos SPF) -. Katerina TOLIOU (Panathinaikos AO) MEN’S DOUBLES: George KONSTANTINOPOULOS/Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS (Panathinaikos AO) Tasos RINIOTIS/Giorgos STAMATUROS (Olympiacos SPF) Stathis MANOLOPOULOS/Dimitris KORDOUTIS (OEA Rethymnon/ASEA Kefalonia & Ithaca) -. George KOSMAS/Ilias MICHAILIDIS (DAO Tavros/Aris Nikaias) WOMEN’S DOUBLES: Katerina TOLIOU/Konstantina PARIDI (Panathinaikos AO) Malamatetenia PAPADIMITRIOU/Elena SOFRA (Olympiacos SFP/YMCA Thessaloniki) Chrysi FOTIADOU/Ioanna GERASIMATOU (Sarisses Florina/AEK) -. Olga GEORGOPOULOU/Demitra-Thomais TSEKOURA (AS Pera Athens) MIXED DOUBLES: Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS/Elisabeth TERPOU (Panathinaikos AO) George STAMATOUROS/Malamatenia PAPADIMITRIOU (Olympiacos SPF) Gerasimos HADJILIGEROUDIS/Ioanna GERASIMATOU (AO Tatavla/AEK) -. George KONSTANTINOPOULOS/Dimitra-Thomais TSEKOURA (Panathinaikos AO/AS Pera Athens)  

The Latvian National Championships were held last weekend at the Sport Hall of O. Kalpaks Riga Folk-Art Primary School. Arturs REINHOLDS was crowned men’s singles champion for the 5th time while Sabina MUSAJEVA clinched gold in the women’s singles for the 3rd time. Men’s Singles 1st place – Arturs REINHOLDS 2nd place – Olegs KARTUZOVS 3rd place – Daniels KOGANS 3rd place – Aleksandrs MASKALONOKS Women’s Singles 1st place – Sabina MUSAJEVA 2nd place – Margarita SMIRNOVA 3rd place – Ieva LEPSE 3rd place – Aleksandra JERSOVA Men’s Doubles 1st place – Olegs KARTUZOVS / Aleksandrs MASKALONOKS 2nd place – Daniels KOGANS / Andrejs CEMIRTANS 3rd place – Arturs SPALIS / Emils LUTINSKIS 3rd place – Sandijs VASILJEVS / Viktors TOLKACEVS Women’s Doubles 1st place – Sabina MUSAJEVA / Margarita SMIRNOVA 2nd place – Baiba BOGDANOVA / Polina STASEVSKA 3rd place – Daniela KUCINSKA / Eliza Paula KUCINSKA 3rd place – Liana ZELTINA / Aleksandra JERSOVA Mixed Doubles 1st place – Arturs REINHOLDS / Baiba BOGDANOVA 2nd place – Daniels KOGANS / Aleksandra JERSOVA 3rd place – Olegs KARTUZOVS / Sabina MUSAJEVA 3rd place – Arturs SPALIS / Linda LADUSE

Tomislav PUCAR (GSTK Zagreb) and Hana ARAPOVIĆ (Mladost) have once again become the national champions in Croatia both claiming their third consecutive titles in Vrsar. PUCAR secured victory in the final with a 4-0 win against Andrej GAĆINA (STK Zagreb) marking his best performance of the tournament. PUCAR and GAĆINA have faced each other in several finals before with the 37-year-old from Zadar emerging victorious on every official occasion. However this time in Vrsar the nine years younger PUCAR from Pula seized his moment currently being the highest-ranked Croatian table tennis player on the world ranking list. This marks PUCAR’S third consecutive title while GAĆINA boasts 11 titles! “The last two I won against Filip ZELJKO. It’s tough to play against someone you train with every day. We know each other inside out all the tricks serves receptions… But I’m glad I came out on top this time; I’ve lost about 3-4 finals to him before. I had two tough matches against BAN and BENKO both had the upper hand at some point. It wasn’t easy but such matches can be tricky when it comes to younger guys. They have nothing to lose just to be heroes and they improve every day. I’m glad I managed to overcome all that and I hope it stays that way in the future. I feel sorry for GAĆINA’S injury; I hope he recovers soon ”highlighted PUCAR. As for the final match PUCAR dominated from the start quickly taking a 3-0 lead. In the fourth set GAĆINA felt discomfort in his leg with which he has been struggling for some time and decided not to take any risks thus conceding the match. In the women’s final we witnessed a repeat of last year’s showdown but this time it was much more uncertain. Ivana TUBIKANEC (Sveta Nedjelja) led 3-1 holding all the cards in her hands but she lacked the finishing touch. Hana ARAPOVIĆ (Mladost) managed to pull herself out of the abyss equalizing at 3-3 and then dominating in the decisive set for her third consecutive title. “Tubikanec played very well; she outsmarted me tactically and at that moment I didn’t have the right answer. Then I changed my tactics although the fifth and sixth sets were also tight. Of course I’m satisfied; I managed to turn the match around win the title again and I’m especially pleased that we regained the mixed doubles title ” said Arapović who won everything she played for in Vrsar. In addition to defending the individual title she also won the mixed doubles title and in the junior category she clinched all three champion titles. TUBIKANEC reached the final for the second consecutive year and this time added a silver medal from the doubles. In the men’s doubles the new national champions are Luka LOZUŠIĆ and Ivor BAN (Vodovod/GSTK Zagreb). They had a tough match in the semifinals where they were trailing 7-3 in the fifth set against defending champions Borna PETEK and Luka ZLATKOV. When they pulled through that they had no major problems in the final defeating Josip MUSTAPIĆ and Rino VIDAN (Požega/Starr) 3-0. BAN and LOZUŠIĆ are also Croatian champions in the junior category with ban adding two golds in mixed doubles with Hana ARAPOVIĆ. “We’re happy to have won two titles in Vrsar; it couldn’t have been better. In the semifinals we were in a bad situation at one point but we managed to turn it around. As for me maybe I could have done better in the senior singles but I was still playing against PUCAR. In Vrsar I competed in six categories and took first place in five ”Said Ban. In the women’s category the title went to Andrea PAVLOVIĆ and Marta VUKELIĆ (STK Zagreb/TIS) who were better in the final with a 3-0 victory over Ivana TUBIKANEC and Zrinka REBIĆ (Sveta Nedjelja/STK Zagreb). “Despite the 3-0 score every set was quite uncertain. We had a tough match in the semifinals but neither I nor Marta were at our best in that match. I’m glad we made it through despite playing below our usual level. As for the individual part I’m not satisfied with the result but there were several occasions where one point decided the outcome. However whenever the match was on the line Cakol played really well showing that she’s in good form. I hope that luck will turn to my side someday ”said PAVLOVIĆ. In the mixed doubles the gold went to Ivor BAN and Hana ARAPOVIĆ (GSTK Zagreb/Mladost). The European champions under 21 didn’t face real competition in this tournament just like in the junior category they won two days earlier. Over the four days of the championship for juniors and seniors BAN and ARAPOVIĆ only dropped two sets in total and to conclude they defeated Borna PETEKA and Andrea PAVLOVIĆ (STK Zagreb) 3-0 in the senior final. Men’s Singles semi final PUCAR (GSTK Zagreb) – BENKO (GSTK Zagreb) 4:2 (-8 8 7 -8 7 7) PETEK (STK Zagreb) – GAĆINA (STK Zagreb) 0:4 (-5 -9 -6 -9); final: PUCAR (GSTK Zagreb) – GAĆINA (STK Zagreb) 4:0 (4 8 11 0) Men;s Doubles semi final: PETEK/ZLATKOV (STK Zagreb) – LOZUŠIĆ/BAN (Vodovod/GSTK Zagreb) 2:3 (9 -10 -3 10 -9) VIDAČEK/ZNIKA (Požega/Starr) – MUSTAPIĆ/VIDAN (Požega/Starr) 2:3 (7 -3 11 -4 -8); final: LOZUŠIĆ/BAN (Vodovod/GSTK Zagreb) – MUSTAPIĆ/VIDAN (Požega/Starr) 3:0 (8 6 5). Women’s semi final: ARAPOVIĆ (Mladost) – CAKOL (Varaždin) 4:1 (-9 5 5 10 7) vukelić M. (TIS) – Tubikanec (Sveta Nedjelja) 3:4 (-8 12 8 -9 8 -7 -7); final: ARAPOVIĆ (Mladost) – TUBIKANEC (Sveta Nedjelja) 4:3 (9 -4 -5 -6 7 7 2) Women’s Doubles semi final: TUBIKANEC/REBIĆ (Sveta Nedjelja/STK Zagreb) – VRDOLJAK/MARKATI (Cibalia/Hodošan) 3:1 (8 10 -9 5) rioža/Smailji (Vrsar) – PAVLOVIĆ/VUKELIĆ (STK Zagreb/TIS) 2:3 (6 -7 -7 5 -5); finale TUBIKANEC/REBIĆ (Sveta Nedjelja/STK Zagreb) – PAVLOVIĆ/VUKELIĆ (STK Zagreb/TIS) 0:3 (-13 -9 -9) Mixed Doubles semi final: PETEK/PAVLOVIĆ (STK Zagreb) – BENKO/ĆOSIĆ (GSTK Zagreb/Mladost) 3:2 (5 -7 10 -7 11) BAN/ARAPOVIĆ (GSTK Zagreb/Mladost) – HENCL/REBIĆ

Olga CHRAMKO (ADC Ponta do Pargo) and Diogo CHEN (Sporting CP) were crowned national singles champions this Sunday after the conclusion of the National Individual Championship at the Municipal Pavilion of Vila Nova de Gaia a competition in which Sporting secured four podium finishes. Olga CHRAMKO 47 clinched the title for the 4th time following her victories in 2016 2018 and 2020. She defeated Sporting’s Patrícia SANTOS 19 4-0 in the final. In the semifinals Olga CHRAMKO eliminated Júlia LEAL (15) with a 4-1 victory. In the men’s event 28-year-old Diogo CHEN secured his 3rd national title (2016 2020 and 2024) defeating teammate Tiago ABIODUN 4-2 in the final. The Sporting athlete has been a national champion in all age categories. In the doubles competition the new national men’s champions are Tiago ABIODUN and Rafael KONG (CTM Mirandela) while in the women’s category Inês MATOS (CTM Mirandela) and Matilde PINTO (CTM Mirandela) claimed the top spot. In mixed doubles Tiago ABIODUN and Patrícia SANTOS emerged victorious. “Endurance is necessary because there are many matches over two days. It is important not to think about age if we start thinking about age it’s not good because there are young girls here who play well raised the level and for me it’s enjoyable to play against them ” said Olga CHRAMKO. Regarding her opponents in the singles event Olga CHRAMKO considered them all tough: “Raquel martins Júlia Leal and Patrícia SANTOS are very experienced and the matches were very difficult.” Regarding table tennis the athlete stated “I like being a player I like being a coach I like being in the hall watching the matches I like watching games on video. Table tennis is an important part of my life.” The Portuguese international Diogo CHEN said:  “I knew I had a big goal; we all came to win. This championship had players of a very good level. I am very happy to have been able to beat my teammates in the national team. We know each other very well we train together and we know what to expect. I am also very happy to have won against Tiago. I had lost to him in the Championship before but this time I was more prepared I knew what to do. I am also very happy for him; it was a very very good match. He has been evolving a lot and I think it was a great table tennis spectacle.” Men’s Singles Tiago ABIODUN (Sporting CP) Diogo CHEN (Sporting CP) Diogo SILVA (Sporting CP) and André SILVA (GDCS Juncal) Women’s Singles Olga CHRAMKO (ADC Ponta do Pargo) Patrícia SANTOS (Sporting CP) Júlia LEAL (GDCS Juncal) and Matilde PINTO (CTM Mirandela) Men’s Doubles Tiago ABIODUN (Sporting CP) / Rafael KONG (CTM Mirandela) André CRUZ (GC Valbom) / Ricardo CASTRO (GC Valbom) Rui FERREIRA (LFC Lourosa) / Miguel PEREIRA (CA Desp. Barbeita) and Silas MONTEIRO (AR Novelense) / Miguel PINTO (AR Novelense) Women’s Doubles Inês Matos (CTM Mirandela) / Matilde Pinto (CTM Mirandela) Júlia Leal (GDCS Juncal) / Susana Costa (GDCS Juncal) Olga Chramko (ADC Ponta do Pargo) / Raquel Martins (U Sebastianense FC) and Inês FERNANDES (CP Alvito) / Mariana RODRIGUES (Boa Hora FC) Mixed Doubles Tiago Abiodun (Sporting CP) / Patrícia Santos (Sporting CP) Rafael Kong (CTM Mirandela) / Matilde Pinto (CTM Mirandela) Carlos Gonçalves (CTM Vila Real) / Júlia Leal (GDCS Juncal) and João Gomes (U Sebastianense FC) / Olga Chramko (ADC Ponta do Pargo)

Paul DRINKHALL won his seventh Men’s Singles title to dethrone double defending champion Tom JARVIS while Tin-Tin HO took a brilliant sixth Women’s Singles crown as Finals Day at the Mark Bates Ltd National Championships came to a spellbinding end. The victories both elevate the champions into second place on the all-time lists – DRINKHALL now four behind Des DOUGLAS and HO now level with Mary WRIGHT and only one off the women’s record held by Jill PARKER. And for Ho there was the immense satisfaction of winning the glorious treble of singles doubles and mixed gold medals. In the men’s final JARVIS started well going 9-3 up in the first game. But he let DRINKHALL come back into it whittling away the lead and then saving three game points as part of a five-point run to take the first 12-10 – it already felt like a key moment. The 34-year-old top seed started the second game better taking it 11-8 to move 2-0 ahead. JARVIS found his range in the third game with some lightning fast shots seeing him win it 11-7. The fourth game almost saw a repeat of the first with Jarvis going 10-6 up DRINKHALL coming back to 10-10 and then holding a game point at 11-10 – but Jarvis this time held his nerve to clinch it 14-12 and level the match.  The top seed put that behind him winning the fifth game 11-7 to go 3-2 up. JARVIS took the lead early in the sixth game going 5-2 up but DRINKHALL’S grit and determination saw him over the finish line winning the game 11-8 and taking that magnificent seventh title. Back in the semi-finals this morning DRINKHALL made his first final for a few years with a 4-2 win over Sam WALKER. JARVIS booked his place in the final with an entertaining match with Chris DORAN. Tin-Tin HO won her sixth Women’s Singles title with a clinical performance against Jasmin WONG. The 25-year-old is just one title away from levelling Jill PARKER on seven and demolished WONG in straight games.  Her speed and power were too much for WONG who can be proud to have played in her first final. Ho won the first two games 11-4 11-8 and went 9-0 up in the third game with WONG having no answer to HO’S precision as well as serving two faults in a row. The third game was secured 11-1.  The top seed’s relentless pressure told in the fourth winning it 11-8 to complete a clean sweep of the Women’s Singles Women’s Doubles and Mixed Doubles.  In the first game of the day WONG shocked second seed and former women’s singles finalist Emily BOLTON to make the final in seven games. Ho made the final after being pushed to the limit by women’s U21 champion Tianer YU. Complete report here.

The final event of this year’s Norwegian Table Tennis Championships in Lillehammer was the women’s singles match between Christine KALVATN from Fokus BTK and Martine TOFTAKER from B-72. Here Christine and Martine battled for the coveted title and HM Kongens Trophy. It was a closely contested and thrilling match which Christine won by the narrowest of margins securing victory in the seventh set with just two points difference. The final scoreline read 4-3 (8-11 11-5 7-11 12-10 7-11 11-8 13-11). This is arguably one of the best Nationals women’s singles finals ever witnessed. Aida Husic DAHLEN from Randesund IL/BTG and Anne Sophie KALVATN from Fokus BTK clinched bronze medals. Borgar HAUG from Fornebu BTK and Khai Noah LAM from Fokus BTK showed exceptional table tennis skills in the men’s final this year. Despite Borgar winning the match in four straight sets with set scores of 12-10 11-5 11-8 and 12-10 the competition was fierce. Borgar currently holds the number 1 ranking in Norway while Khai NOAH is listed at number 9. Borgar currently plays for the first team of the renowned German club Borussia Düsseldorf which speaks volumes about the rising level of table tennis in Norway. Geir ERLANDSEN from Fokus BTK and Istvan MOLDOVAN from Modum BTK won bronze medals. Tommy URHAUG from Stord BTK Claims Gold and HM King’s Cup. In the para open class final Tommy faced his young and promising teammate Krizander MAGNUSSEN (17 years old). Krizander started strong winning the first set 11-8. However Tommy turned the tables and clinched the next three sets with scores of 11-9 11-8 and 11-9. Thus Tommy became the Norwegian champion in the para open category. This marks the first time that a para-athlete in table tennis has received the King’s Cup under the auspices of the Norwegian Table Tennis Association. Although Tommy has previously received four King’s Cups through the Norwegian Handikapforbund this achievement is significant. Thomas SÆTRE from Bergen PIL and Aida Husic DAHLEN from Randesund BTK won bronze medals.

At home in the Montpellier Hérault Handball arena the FDI Stadium in Montpellier the eldest of the LEBRUN brothers once again emerged victorious against his brother in an exceptional final. He clinched his third consecutive title in the men’s singles event at the French National Championships. This Sunday in another high-level fraternal duel Alexis LEBRUN defeated his brother Félix. A match of very high quality punctuated by a sixth and final set full of twists and turns. Trailing 10-6 he rallied to earn two match points… erased in a very nice manner by Félix 4-2 (11-3 11-6 8-11 11-9 5-11 16-14). The third time was the charm. Alexis could celebrate as the eldest of the LEBRUN brothers is now a triple French champion in men’s singles. In an unprecedented women’s final Camille LUTZ became French champion for the first time in her career by defeating her younger sister a first in the history of French women’s table tennis. It was the heartwarming story of the 94th edition of the French championships: sisters Camille and Charlotte LUTZ faced off in the final both aiming for their first French singles title. Dominant throughout the tournament Camille asserted her dominance and emerged victorious without faltering (4-1) despite losing the second set. Charlotte never found the solutions to reverse the trend and will settle for the silver medal just like last year against Audrey ZARIF. Men’s Singles Alexis LEBRUN Félix LEBRUN Simon GAUZY Can AKKUZU Women’s Singles Camille LUTZ Charlotte LUTZ Pauline CHASSELIN Prithika PAVADE Men’s Doubles Alexis LEBRUN Felix LEBRUN Florian BOURRASSAUD Esteban DORR Alexandre CASSIN Flavien COTON Antoine HACHARD Stéphane OUAICHE Women’s Doubles Pauline CHASSELIN Isa COK Lucie MOBAREK Anais SALPIN Nolwen FORT Lucie GAUTHIER Yu-Hua LIU Claire PICARD Mixed Doubles  Camille LUTZ Bastien REMBERT Audrey ZARIF Alexandre ROBINOT Pauline CHASSELIN Esteban DORR Isa COK Enzo ANGLES