In their latest match in Group C of the Champions League Women UCAM CARTAGENA secured their first victory. The Spanish club overcame SAINT QUENTIN TT after five intense matches. The hosts in France had a perfect start with both Polina MIKHAILOVA and Daniela MONTEIRO DODEAN claiming victories against Sofia-Xuan ZHANG and LIN Ye. In the third duel Maria XIAO changed the course of the match by beating Camille LUTZ in straight games. LIN Ye seized the opportunity pushing the match to a decider. Daniela MONTEIRO DODEAN then stretched Sofia-Xuan ZHANG to the full distance but Sofia sealed the duel in favor of the guests. In the two previous encounters SAINT QUENTIN TT had overcome both UCAM CARTAGENA and SKST Plus Hodonín. The Spanish club had suffered at the hands of the Czech club twice. The last duel in Group B between SAINT QUENTIN TT and SKST Plus Hodonín is scheduled for Thursday 21st December. SAINT QUENTIN TT – UCAM CARTAGENA 2-3 Polina MIKHAILOVA – Sofia-Xuan ZHANG 3-0 (11-9 11-9 13-11) Daniela MONTEIRO DODEAN – LIN Ye 3-1 (11-9 4-11 11-1 11-7) Camille LUTZ – Maria XIAO 0-3 (5-11 6-11 5-11) Polina MIKHAILOVA – LIN Ye 1-3 (7-11 11-6 2-11 6-11) Daniela MONTEIRO DODEAN – Sofia-Xuan ZHANG 2-3 (13-11 5-11 8-11 11-9 2-6)
Romania secured two bronze medals, France claimed one at the World Youth Championships
In the Teams Event at the World Youth Championships both of Romania’s Under 19 teams clinched bronze medals. Additionally in the Under 15 Girls event France also reached the medal podium. In the Under 19 Boys event Team Romania consisting of Eduard IONESCU Darius MOVILEANU and Andrei ISTRATE defeated Taipei in five matches to secure a spot in the semifinals. Unfortunately they faced a defeat against China in the semifinals. The gold medal match will be contested between China and Japan. Following suit in the Under 19 Girls event Romania’s team advanced to the semifinals after a quarterfinal victory over Taipei (3-2). However they faced a loss to Japan in the semifinals. Elena ZAHARIA Ioana SINGEORZAN and Bianca MEI-ROSU lost 1-3. Similar to the Boys’ category the gold medal in the Girls’ category will be decided in a showdown between China and Japan. The French team composed of Nina GUO ZHENG Leana HOCHART and Gaetane BLED secured a 3-1 victory against Czechia but faced defeat at the hands of Chinese players. The final will feature a match between Japan and China.
16 players qualified for the final stage of the Virtual Table Tennis Challenge
The first stage of the European Virtual Table Tennis Challenge has concluded leading to the qualification of 16 players for the final stage. The ultimate stage is scheduled to take place in Düsseldorf Germany on 13th January. The players who have successfully reached the final stage represent a diverse mix of talent from across Europe: ANTO (World N1 FRA) Aiphaton (World N2 GER) NatPing (World N3 FRA) Seldon36 (World N4 FRA) Elessar (World N5 FRA) Grillon 03 (World N7 FRA) HuricaneTT (World N8 GBR) ProTTVR (World N10 GRE) Alexttbcn (World N12 BEL) Portu981 (World N13 ESP) Lapoctopus (World N15 GBR) CD94TT (World N16 FRA) YOYO69 (World N20 FRA) Goda49 (World N21 FRA) Paulo49 (World N22 FRA) Magnic (World N30 GER) The outcomes of the tournament largely reflected the current world rankings with most top-ranked players advancing as expected. A notable match in the 1/32nd final featured 11FR-paulo49 (World N22) against another French player N°17 Ribou85 highlighting the competitive nature of the event. As we move towards the final stage in Düsseldorf anticipation is building for what promises to be an engaging and competitive conclusion to the first-ever Virtual Table Tennis Challenge.
WOMEN’S COACHING SEMINAR: Empowering Growth and Excellence
The upcoming Women’s Coaching Seminar scheduled from December 11th to 13th in Granada Spain is poised to be a significant event designed to foster the professional development of female coaches across Europe. This seminar is not just a gathering of professionals; it’s a platform dedicated to knowledge enhancement networking and the continual growth of participants. While the primary focus of the seminar is on female coaches in Europe the event is open to male coaches and coaches from Member Associations outside of Europe. Embracing a diverse range of experiences and perspectives enriches the learning environment and creates a unique space for collaborative growth. In this edition of the Women’s Coaching Seminar attendees will be actively encouraged to engage with fellow participants. Furthermore each participant will have the opportunity to present a project (specific details to be provided during the seminar) fostering a dynamic and interactive learning experience. To ensure the content is relevant and valuable participants are invited to submit questions for the speakers at the time of registration. This personalized approach allows speakers to tailor their presentations to the specific interests and needs of the attendees making the seminar more effective and engaging. Lecturer 1 – Krisztina TOTH Technical Aspects and Experiences from an Elite Athlete Sports Director at Bavarian Table Tennis Association World Championships Bronze Medalist in Doubles 7-Time European Champion (Teams Doubles and Mixed Doubles) European Championships Runner-Up in Singles Lecturer 2 – Mar Rovira RODRÍGUEZ Mental Health in Coaching: A Gender Perspective Professor in Sports Psychology at Tecnocampus-Pompeu Fabra University (Spain) Over 10 years of experience working with top professional athletes coaches clubs and federations ELPA Performance Advisory Board Member If you need a visa to enter Spain please send your request for an invitation letter with a copy(ies) of scanned passport(s) not later than Friday 1st December to: David CORRAL – Sports Director of RFETM ( direccion.deportiva@rfetm.com ) Entries and wishes for accommodation shall be sent not later than: Friday 1st December 2023 by e-mail to: RFETM – Jara ÁLVAREZ Coordinator of the Women and Table Tennis Program in RFETM secretaria@rfetm.com ETTU – Ana Ivosevic ETTU Administration Officer ana.ivosevic@ettu.org
All-French clash went in favor of ETIVAL ASRTT
In Group C of the Champions League Women in an all-French clash ETIVAL ASRTT emerged victorious over GRAND-QUEVILLY ALCL in straight matches. This marks the club’s second win out of two matches having also prevailed against the top-seeded team in the group LINZ AG Froschberg. The club had recently played against GRAND-QUEVILLY. “We beat them 3-1 in the French league 10 days ago ” reminded us MIGOT. Despite the result the duel was closely contested. “In the opening match I was losing 0-2 against COK before I managed to recover eventually winning by a narrow margin in the decisive game after being tied at 2-2 5-5. It is my second victory and it was a great boost for the team ” explained MIGOT. Anais SALPIN played against SHAO Jieni. “SALPIN is a very dangerous talented and risky player. Jieni had to stay very focused with her mind on the game all the time. Against LI Samson Camelia was also losing 0-2. She did not believe she could win. But then a little change in coaching helped her. We told her to relax not to overthink and to play her game. And she did it. The decisive game ended 6-1. And all that after she lost to LE 10 days ago.” GRAND-QUEVILLY ALCL – ETIVAL ASRTT 0-3 Isa COK – Marie MIGOT 2-3 (11-4 11-7 7-11 8-11 5-6) Anais SALPIN – SHAO Jieni 1-3 (12-10 6-11 8-11 14-16) LI Samson – Camelia IACOB 2-3 (11-8 11-9 6-11 8-11 1-6)
Ella Zeller CONSTANTINESCU, 90 years old today: happy birthday!
Born in Timisoara on 26th November 1933 Ella Zeller CONSTANTINESCU celebrated her 93th birthday today Outstanding at ball games in addition to table tennis she excelled at handball volleyball and basketball when 13 years old playing for the local town table tennis team she attracted considerable attention. She stood out from the crowd; in 1950 after leaving high school she enrolled at the Institute of Physical Culture and Sport in Bucharest the club where Angelica ROZEANU six times winner of the Women ‘s Singles title at the World Championships was a member. Rapid progress followed a place in the Romanian national team was achieved and medals at World Championships gained. Notably 1956 1957 and 1963 she reached the semi-final stage of the Women’s Singles event at the World Championships but her strength was as team player. In 1953 in Bucharest she teamed with Angelica ROZEANU to win the Women’s Team title before in 1955 in Utrecht and 1956 in Tokyo again with Angelica Rozeanu she struck gold in both the Women’s Team and Women’s Doubles competitions. Many titles came her way notably at the first ever European Championships in 1958 she won Women’s Doubles gold again in partnership with Angelica ROZEANU; before in 1966 she retired from international play but was not lost to the sport of table tennis. She assumed the position of head coach for the national team before fulfilling a major role within the European Table Tennis Union. She became a member of Management Committee later she assumed the role Vice President and is now a honorary member. ZELLER-CONSTANTINESCU Ella (ROU) Born: 26/11/1933 in Moldova Noua/ROU ITTF Hall of Fame: Induction 1995 ETTU Honorary member; ETTU Vice President 1988-1992. Achievements / World Championships: 1953 World Champion in Women’s Teams 1955 World Champion in Women’s Teams 1955 World Champion in Women’s Doubles (with Angelica Rozeanu/ROU) 1956 World Champion in Women’s Teams 1956 World Champion in Women’s Doubles (with Angelica Rozeanu/ROU) 1952 Vice World Champion in Women’s Teams 1957 Vice World Champion in Women’s Teams 1963 Vice World Champion in Women’s Teams Achievements / European Championships: 1958 European Champion in Women’s Doubles (with Angelica Rozeanu/ROU) 1958 Vice European Champion in Women’s Teams 1964 Vice European Champion in Women’s Doubles (with Maria Alexandru/ROU) International Championships: 1st place in Women’s Singles: Italy: 1957 Romania: 1957 Romanian National Championships: 1st place in Women’s Singles: 1957 – 1961 1st place in Women’s Doubles: 1953 – 1956 1958 – 1961 1963 – 1965 1st place in Mixed Doubles: 1952 1956 – 1959 1961 1963 Best rankings: ITTF: 2nd place in 1965 ETTU: 2nd place in 1964
SolexConsult TTC Wiener Neustadt Continues Winning Streak
In Champion League Men Group C Austria’s SolexConsult TTC Wiener Neustadt maintained their impressive form. For the second time they emerged victorious against the French team GV HENNEBONT TT. After securing a 3-2 win in their previous encounter the Austrian club needed one match less this time. Jin UEDA notched up two wins defeating Alexander GILLEN and Takumi MATSUSHITA who also suffered a loss to Frane KOJIC. Vladimir SIDORENKO was the lone scorer for the French side. SolexConsult TTC Wiener Neustadt now boasts three wins in Group C with two against HENNEBONT and one against KS DEKORGLASS Działdowo. SolexConsult TTC Wiener Neustadt – GV HENNEBONT TT 3-1 Jin UEDA – Alexander GILLEN 3-0 (11-6 11-5 11-7) Frane KOJIC – Takumi MATSUSHITA 3-0 (11-1 11-4 11-3) Ivor BAN –Vladimir SIDORENKO 0-3 (9-11 10-12 7-11) Jin UEDA – Takumi MATSUSHITA 3-0 (11-8 11-2 11-5)
Reigning Champions, KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL Tarnobrzeg, Conclude Stage 2 Undefeated
Reigning champions KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL Tarnobrzeg concluded Stage 2 of the Champions League Women unbeaten. In the fourth match in the Group Stage they once again overcame Novi Sad in Serbia. Poland’s club also secured victories against French JOUE LES TOURS TT twice. KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL Tarnobrzeg cruised through this stage of the Champions League. In four matches they lost only one individual match. It occurred on home soil in the duel against Novi Sad when Tijana JOKIC defeated FU Yu. Tonight they avoided any unpleasant surprises and Novi Sad failed to produce any upsets even with the new reinforcement from China young RUI QI Xia. “It was a nice match here in Novi Sad. The team did a great job. HAN Ying was under severe pressure but she proved why she is in the Top 10 in the world. Xiao Xin showed a nice game tonight felt sure on the table. I knew I would play against Tijana and I did a great job. I managed to halt her from attacking ” explained SAMARA. KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL Tarnobrzeg will move to the quarters as the top-ranked club in Group A while JOUE LES TOURS TT and Novi Sad will compete for the second position in the group to progress to the next stage. Novi Sad has an advantage after they overcame the French side in Tours this week. “We are happy with our group winning and we are waiting for the quarterfinal ” stated SAMARA. Novi Sad – KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL Tarnobrzeg 0-3 RUI QI Xia – YANG Xiaoxin 0-3 (7-11 6-11 5-11) Aneta MAKSUTI – HAN Ying 1-3 (11-9 9-11 8-11 8-11) Tijana JOKIC- Elizabeta SAMARA 0-3 (10-12 6-11 11-13)
Sports Federations support long-term plans for multi-sport European Championships
The participating sports of the multi-sport European Championships came together in Geneva on Wednesday 22 November to confirm their long-term commitment to the new generation event and discuss how to build on the success of Munich 2022 over the next three editions (2026 2030 2034). Representatives from seven European and international sports federations: Confédération Européenne de Volleyball European Canoe Association Union Européenne de Cyclisme World Rowing International Federation of Sport Climbing European Table Tennis Union and Europe Triathlon joined with European Championships Management (ECM) to review key topics related to hosting sponsorship and the sports programme. ECM presented its progress with the event host selection process for the 2026 and 2030 editions confirming advanced discussions are currently being carried out with a select number of candidates. It is envisaged that the 2026 and 2030 hosts will be selected in quick succession to give stability to long-term project planning and allow further development of the European Championships concept. Each of the federations presented to the group their individual commitments to the long-term future of the European Championships. Union Européenne de Cyclisme (UEC) were the first to publicly announce recently their long-term participation agreement for the 2026 2030 and 2034 European Championships that includes the European cycling championships in all five Olympic disciplines. Participants also discussed the sports programme and the addition of new sports or re-integrating sports for 2026 and 2030. ECM presented progress on commercial partnership opportunities related to sponsorship and media rights across the 2026 and 2030 editions. The participating Federations made the following statement on conclusion of the meeting: ‘’We are pleased with the progress ECM is making in its discussions with the candidate cities for 2026 and 2030 and encouraged by its exploration of commercial opportunities for future editions. We remain strongly committed to the long-term vision of creating must-watch must-attend multi-sport events with Europe’s leading cities that elevate the Champions of Europe and see a very bright future together.’’
SolexConsult TTC Wiener Neustadt Unbeaten in Group C
Austria’s SolexConsult TTC Wiener Neustadt recorded their second win in Group C of the Champions League Men. Following their victory over French GV HENNEBONT TT they also overcame Poland’s KS DEKORGLASS Działdowo. Japan’s Jin UEDA was the backbone of the team’s success; he defeated Jakub DYJAS and Jonathan GROTH. Croatia’s Frane KOJIC added the third point with a win over Konishi KAII. This Sunday SolexConsult TTC Wiener Neustadt will play against GV HENNEBONT TT. SolexConsult TTC Wiener Neustadt – KS DEKORGLASS Działdowo 3-1 Jin UEDA – Jakub DYJAS 3-0 (11-6 12-10 11-6) Ivor BAN – Jonathan GROTH 0-3 (8-11 4-11 4-11) Frane KOJIC – Konishi KAII 3-1 (13-11 9-11 11-8 11-4) Jin UEDA – Jonathan GROTH 3-1 (11-4 11-9 7-11 11-9)
