The Hungarian Table Tennis Association celebrating its centenary and the city of Győr provided a fitting prelude to the national championship at Friday’s press conference: the county seat on the banks of the Rába is increasingly hosting more high-quality sports events and after the European Shooting Championships the Olympic Sportpark will be the worthy venue for the most prestigious domestic table tennis competition taking place between March 22 and 24. As for the national championship the ball will bounce on twelve tables and the three-day event will be enriched by professional matches. The goal is to restore the prestige of the national championship and the matches promise to provide good entertainment for the hopefully large audience. It is a positive sign that as is customary the national championships are also held in other European countries on the same weekend so the adult and age group national teams will be present among the one hundred and fifty participants in Győr. The mayor of the city Csaba András DÉZSI emphasized that significant events were organized in the city during the time of his Olympic champion predecessor and the current city leadership continues this tradition with the addition that alongside elite programs more and more people should participate in various sports. Therefore it is important that the locals can witness the current best of Hungarian table tennis up close a sport with significant traditions. Deputy Mayor Szabolcs SZELES added that Győr’s national reputation in the economic commercial cultural and educational sectors also extends to sports: the city has previously achieved results in the sport and currently excels in para-sports exemplified by Alexa SZVITACS. The briefing concluded with an extraordinary demonstration: the ambassadors of Hungarian table tennis world champions Gábor GERGELY István JÓNYER Tibor KLAMPÁR and Tibor KREISZ played with the mayor of the city all wearing festive T-shirts prepared for the championship with the inscription “My Heart is with Hungarian Table Tennis.” The defending champions of the 2023 national championship are as follows: Men’s Singles – Ádám SZUDI Women’s Singles – Dóra MADARÁSZ Men’s Doubles – Ádám SZUDI Nándor ECSEKI Women’s Doubles – Bernadett BÁLINT Mercédesz NAGYVÁRADI Mixed Doubles – Dóra MADARÁSZ Nándor ECSEKI

The pinnacle of this year’s season in the Czech Republic is fast approaching. The men’s and women’s national championships are set to take place from March 22nd to 24th at the Řepy Sports Center in Prague and the top Czech players are eagerly anticipating the battle for the championship titles. Last year in Havířov Pavel ŠIRUČEK and Zdena BLAŠKOVÁ clinched the gold medals in singles. Both face stiff competition this year. In recent years the top-seeded players have not always emerged victorious in the singles events. For instance last year long-time Czech number one Hana MATELOVÁ suffered her first singles defeat at the national championship since 2017. She had previously won five consecutive titles but did not compete in Kutná Hora in 2022. Last year she lost in the semi-finals to Zdena BLAŠKOVÁ. It’s evident that she will be eager to reclaim her throne but BLAŠKOVÁ along with contenders like Kateřina TOMANOVSKÁ Linda ZÁDĚROVÁ and Helena SOMMEROVÁ will be determined to thwart her intentions. Additionally we cannot overlook the rising talent of cadet Hanka KODETOVÁ who is already putting pressure on the top Czech women in terms of performance. The men’s competition promises to be equally captivating. Last year Pavel ŠIRUČEK added to his 2019 title and now boasts a total of four gold medals. His primary challengers are expected to be Jiří VRÁBLÍK David REITŠPIES and Jiří MARTINKO. And then there’s Lubomír JANČAŘÍK. The seasoned competitor and highest-ranked Czech player in the world rankings have yet to secure a singles title in his career which is somewhat surprising. His motivation will undoubtedly be immense.

In conjunction with International Women’s Day on March 8th the Swedish Table Tennis Association unveiled its Female Development Strategy for the period 2024-2028. This comprehensive document is the culmination of approximately two years of preparatory work aimed at increasing female participation in Swedish table tennis. “I am extremely pleased that the inaugural edition of the Female Strategy which we have diligently worked on for over a year is now being released. It feels gratifying to share this vision with our entire community. This marks the first step towards developing Swedish table tennis for females in a more sustainable manner and throughout this process we have actively listened to the voices and input of girls and women within the community to ensure their needs are addressed. This strategic document is a dynamic work in progress subject to regular evaluation and updates. We aim for the entire table tennis community to benefit from the strategy and encourage their active participation and contribution to this vital cause ” says Maria CHRISTOFORAKI Female Development Strategist at the Swedish TTA. The strategic publication outlines a long-term roadmap towards achieving set goals for Swedish table tennis in a sustainable manner focusing on four key areas: Participation Leadership Activities and Competition Values and Visibility. To effectively increase female participation in Swedish table tennis collaboration and teamwork are paramount both locally and nationally. “In 2021 the Swedish Table Tennis Association launched a concentrated program to tackle one of Swedish table tennis’s biggest challenges – increasing the number of female participants and members. Since its inception the program has had a clear focus and goal: to create a strategy and alignment for the future that as many people as possible can adhere to and utilize as a guiding tool in their daily recruiting efforts and to boost female representation in general. I am confident that this published strategy will be immensely beneficial and I extend my best wishes to everyone as they delve into it ” says Dennis LINDAHL Chairman of the STTA board. The Female Strategy 2024-2028 is now available on the STTA website.

The National Championships are scheduled to take place on March 23rd and 24th at the Pavilhão Municipal de Vila Nova de Gaia boasting the participation of 40 male athletes 20 female athletes and eight pairs comprising both male female and mixed players. In the men’s category young player Tiago ABIODUN aims to defend the title he clinched last year facing stiff competition from international players and teammates at Sporting CP Diogo CHEN and Diogo CARVALHO. Notably Diogo CHEN Diogo CARVALHO and André SILVA have all previously secured senior national championship titles. In the women’s division with defending champion Tatiana GARNOVA absent Inês MATOS emerges as the frontrunner having claimed the trophy in 2022 at just 17 years old. Her fellow teammate at CTM Mirandela Matilde PINTO follows closely in 2nd position trailed by Olga CHRAMKO who stood atop the podium in 2020. In the men’s doubles event the formidable pairs of Tiago ABIODUN / Rafael KONG and Silas MONTEIRO / Miguel PINTO stand out as strong contenders. For the women’s doubles Raquel ANDRADE / Olga CHRAMKO and Inês MATOS / Matilde PINTO emerge as top candidates for the title. In the mixed doubles competition attention centers around pairs such as Tiago ABIODUN / Patrícia SANTOS João GOMES / Olga CHRAMKO Rafael KONG / Matilde PINTO and Gonçalo GOMES / Inês MATOS who are poised to be the main contenders.

The opening round of the Lithuanian Championships concluded in Prienai on Saturday featuring 103 players (71 men and 32 women). Seventeen men and twenty-two women qualified for the second stage which will be held on March 22-24 in Druskininkai. Overall 32 male and 32 female athletes will compete for the title of Lithuanian championships. In 2023 the winners were Kornelija RILIŠKYTĖ and Alfredas UDRA and both will be on duty next weekend. Among the participants in the Women’s Events are Kornelija RILIŠKYTĖ Emilija RILIŠKYTĖ Marija MIKALAUSKYTĖ Auksė GECEVIČIŪTĖ Lukrecija JUCHNAITĖ and Vitalija VENCKUTĖ. In the Men’s Events participants include Alfredas UDRA Lukas RIMKUS Valdas MARTINKUS Arnoldas DOMEIKA Kęstutis ŽEIMYS and Matas VILKAS.

Mark your calendars for an action-packed weekend as the Norwegian Championships descend upon Håkonshallen in Lillehammer from March 22nd to 24th as part of the NM-veka festivities. NM-veka is not just any event; it’s a grand celebration including a diverse range of sports including table tennis badminton dance skating rugby dog driving snowmobile sports fly casting and climbing all hosting their championships. Some of the most prominent favorites and last year’s winners are: Men’s Singles: Borgar HAUG from Fornebu BTK Women’s Singles: Martine TOFTAKER from B-72 Women Standing Singles: Aida DAHLEN from Randesund Men’s Standing Singles: Krizander MAGNUSSEN Para Open Singles: Thomas SÆTRE from Bergen PIL Venue: Håkonshallen in Lillehammer Schedule: March 22nd to 24th Stay tuned for updates and immerse yourself in the excitement of the Norwegian Championships at NM-veka!

Get ready for an exhilarating showdown as the Dutch Championships return on March 23rd and 24th set to take place at the prestigious “Theatre of Sport” in Zwolle. Starting from Saturday morning at 10:00 am the Landstede Sportcentrum will witness fierce competition as players vie for the title of National Champion. The reigning champions Emine ERNST and Bаrry BERBEN who clinched victory in the previous edition are back in action determined to defend their titles. However they face stiff competition from the top Dutch table tennis players all eager to etch their names in history.

The Latvian Table Tennis Federation is set to host the National Closed Championships at the Sport Hall of O. Kalpaks in Riga on the 23rd and 24th of March. The highly anticipated Women’s Singles final is scheduled for the 24th at 13:45 followed by the Men’s Singles final at 14:30. Last year’s champions Olegs KARTUZOVS and Baiba BOGDANOVA will be defending their titles. In the Men’s Singles event the main favorites include last year’s winner and the champion in 2021 along with the 2022 bronze medalist Olegs KARTUZOVS. Also contending are last year’s finalist and 2022 winner Daniels KOGANS. Arturs REINHOLDS the 2022 finalist and 2023 bronze medalist as well as the 19-time singles champion Sandijs VASILJEVS are also among the favorites. For the Women’s Event the top contenders for the gold include defending champion Baiba BOGDANOVA and the runner-up Sabina MUSAJEVA. Additionally keep an eye on the young and promising player Aleksandra JERSOVA.