The best Croatian para table tennis player Andjela Mužinić Vincetić won the gold medal in the WS3 category at the Paralympic Games in Paris after a dramatic final in five sets defeating Korean player Jiyu Yoon 3-2 (11:7 11:8 10:12 10:12 13:11). MUŽINIĆ VINCETI trained volleyball until she was 13. However after a car accident in 2006 she ended up in a wheelchair. This is the greatest achievement in the career of the 31-year-old from Split who has previously won two Paralympic medals in the team event with Helena DRETAR KARIĆ – a silver in Rio de Janeiro (2016) and a bronze in Tokyo (2020). “I was afraid to dream of gold; I knew I had the quality because I am ranked second. Now it’s all over I am calm and peaceful and now I just ask myself do I even realize what I’ve won?” said MUŽINIĆ VINCETIĆ after the match. “It was a tough match. This year I played her twice—won once and she won the other time. I played excellently in the first two sets while she made a lot of mistakes. Later she improved her game. After it was 2-2 in sets I thought to myself: be brave. In the fifth set I played tactically well. I don’t even remember that she had a match point; I was fully focused point by point.” Andjela came to Paris as the current European champion having won silver at the World Championships in Granada in 2022 and bronze in Laško in 2018. These were her fourth Paralympic Games. She placed ninth in London and fifth in both Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. She finally earned her reward in Paris. “In London I was young and lost; I didn’t know how to play and I got in through a wildcard. In Rio I could have won a medal but it didn’t happen and in Tokyo I lost to Yoon in the quarterfinals. I cried for three days. I couldn’t have won in Paris in a better way—my loved ones were in the stands. I found my stride in the semifinals I enjoyed it and overall this Paris experience has been unforgettable “ MUŽINIĆ VINCETIĆ had great support in the stands of the South Paris Arena. Her parents Željko and Maria her husband former Paralympian Kristijan VINCETIĆ her family friends and other athletes all cheered her on. MUŽINIĆ VINCETIĆ has been training with Mirela ŠIKORONJA IVANČIN since 2010. “I’m still overwhelmed. The semifinal was phenomenal but the final was of incredible quality. We prepared in secret but we wanted to remain calm. I always think of our footballers—modest and quiet. That’s how we approached it. I’m proud. I knew the Korean wouldn’t give away any points ” said ŠIKORONJA IVANČIN. “Anđela played incredibly—she had focus speed technique. She deserved this. We worked 15 years for this.”
UCAM Cartagena and Saint-Denis 93 Triumph Berlin Dominates Second Round
The afternoon program on the opening day of the Champions League Women Stage 1 in Berlin featured the top seeds in Groups A and B with mixed fortunes. Spain’s UCAM Cartagena T.M. defeated Portugal’s Uniao Sebastianense F.C. while France’s Saint-Denis 93 TT triumphed over Serbia’s Novi Sad TT. Cartagena secured victory in four matches. Fei QI overcame MOSTAFAVI and Sofia-Xuan ZHANG defeated both MOSTAFAVI and Raquel MARTINS. Uniao Sebastianense’s only point came from Leila OLIVIERA who won against Silvija ERDELJI. Novi Sad’s Aneta MAKSUTI recorded a victory over Jie LI and Tijana JOKIC pushed Agathe AVEZOU to the full distance but the Serbian club was unable to stop Saint-Denis from claiming their second win. The hosts continued their strong form in the second round with an even more dominant performance. TTC Berlin eastside swept Spain’s Girbau-VIC TT 3-0. Despite Xiaona SHAN not being in the lineup Sabina SURJAN Yaping DING and Josephina NEUMANN secured a flawless win. The afternoon program also saw the first victory for HB Ostrov z.s. The Czech club defeated Museo de la Almendra Francisco Morales in straight matches after suffering a loss to Saint-Denis 93 TT in the first round. See the results here
Champions League Women’s Season Kicks Off in Berlin with Dominant Performances
The 2024 season of the Champions League Women began with 10 clubs gathering in Berlin for the Stage One tournament. Both groups are competing in Germany. The top clubs in their respective groups Novi Sad TT and UCAM Cartagena T.M. were given byes in the opening rounds. Hosts TTC Berlin eastside showed good form at the start despite a small hiccup at the beginning of the match. Sabina SURJAN lost to Leili MOSTAFAVI of Portugal’s Uniao Sebastianense F.C. but Xiaona SHAN recovered with wins over both Raquel MARTINS and MOSTAFAVI. Josephina NEUMANN also delivered a strong performance defeating Leila OLIVIERA decisively. In the same group Czechia’s TT Moravsky Krumlov defeated Spain’s Girbau-VIC TT 3-0. In Group A Portugal’s CTM Mirandela defeated HB Ostrov z.s. from Czechia 3-1. Annamaria ERDELYI won both her matches against Veronika POLAKOVA and Tatiana KUKULKOVA while Mariana Santa triumphed over Tereza PYTLIKOVA. French club Saint-Denis 93 TT overcame Spain’s Museo de la Almendra Francisco Morales 3-1 with LI Jie impressively securing two wins against Patricia SANTOS and Marija GALONJA. See the results here
ETTU Officials Ensure Top Conditions for Para Table Tennis at Sold-Out Paris Paralympics
The table tennis venue in Paris has been buzzing with energy with most days sold out and the atmosphere electric. European para players have been delivering outstanding performances. Behind the scenes the European Table Tennis Union is playing a vital role in ensuring the event’s success. ETTU Vice-Presidents Sonja GREFBERG and Ina JOZEPSONE along with URC Chair Werner THURY are working diligently to provide the best conditions for the athletes. Sonja GREFBERG who has been in Paris for over two months is serving as the Field of Play Manager for both the Olympics and Paralympics. She coordinates essential operations from player preparation to media engagement ensuring everything runs smoothly. Her expertise is essential to the event’s success. Meanwhile Werner THURY and Ina JOZEPSONE are overseeing the matches as Chair and member of the Jury ensuring fair play and smooth execution. They are ready to step in if any disputes arise. As the Paralympic Games continue the dedication of ETTU officials is helping make Paris 2024 an unforgettable experience for everyone involved.
TTC Berlin eastside Returns to Champions League and Hosts Opening Stage
After a year of absence TTC Berlin eastside is back in the Champions League setting its sights on reclaiming the European crown. However this season the five-time Champions League winner faces the challenge of qualifying through Stage 1 of the group phase—a task made difficult by the strong competition assembled for the tournament in Berlin (7th to 8th September). As the host of Stage 1 eastside will welcome nine teams that will compete in two groups for four spots which will allow them to advance to Group Stage 2. The top two teams from Group A and Group B will secure their place in the next round. A modest performance in the 2022/23 season which saw eastside exit in the quarterfinals followed by their absence last year means the club must now fight its way into the Women’s European Champions League through this qualifying tournament. However eastside returns strong with a star-studded lineup. Olympians Nina MITTELHAM and Xiaona SHAN lead the team which also features Josephina neumann Mia Griesel Kathrin MÜHLBACH Sabina SURJAN Yaping DING Lilian MA Ran LI-KATH Zhuojia HE and Mingyang SUN. “After being absent from Champions League last year now of course we are looking forward to next season and we are happy to be part of Champions League again. Our first goal is now to pass first stage successful and rise up to second stage. In any case our squad should be strong enough for this. In addition to our German top level players Nina MITTELHAM and Xiaona SHAN we have completed our team with strong Chinese players as SUNG Mingyang. Last but not least both german girls single champions Mia GRIESEL (U19) and Josi NEUMANN (U15) are part of our team. For us it is very important to help young players and this includes also Sabina SURJAN from Serbian to go to the next level. As I said our first goal is to rise up to second stage and with this strong team of course it is not easy to beat us. It is the DNA of the club to play always for titles ” said ttc berlin eastside womens team coach Jens RULAND. In Group B the hosts will face tough competition led by Spain’s UCAM Cartagena TM featuring Olympian Maria XIAO alongside Sofia-Xuan ZHANG Carmen LOZANO Miriam SEGURA Silvija ERDELJI Yao LI and Fei QI. Also in Group B is Czechia’s TT Moravský Krumlov whose roster includes Ekaterina CHERNYAVSKAYA Anais SALPIN Eliska SEDOVA Lucie JANACKOVA Daniela RUZICKOVA Andrea SLAMOVA Deimante ADLYTE Sagarika MUKHERJEE Kaushani NATH and Alice Li Sian-CHANG. Spanish team Girbau-VIC TT is represented by Silvia COLL Irina Gimeno FONT Camila MOSCOSO Abril Masdeu MIR Martina Sans LOPEZ Charlotte CAREY Jiao LI Noa MUNOZ and Sylwia OLENDZKA. Portugal’s Uniao Sebastianense F.C. features players such as Leila OLIVEIRA Leili MOSTAFAVI Ines BOTELHO Lidia MENESES and Raquel MARTINS. In Group A Serbia’s Novi Sad leads the pack with Tijana JOKIC Aneta MAKSUTI Sara RADAK Sladjana KNEZEVIC Masa BOSKOVSKI Yee Look LAM and Sreeja AKULA. Also in this group is last year’s Europe Cup Women runner-up Spain’s Museo De La Almendra Francisco Morales featuring Marija GALONJA ZOLOTIC Patricia SANTOS Margarita FETUKHINA Isabel CONCHILLO Julia MARTIN Sofia COUCE Lucia LOPEZ Meng JIAQI Krystal MELENDEZ and Eva BRITO. Portugal’s CTM Mirandela a quarterfinalist in last year’s Europe Cup will be represented by Annamaria ERDELYI Ines MATOS Mariana SANTA Gabriela PINA Rita FINS Maria RUIVO and Yu-Jhun LI. HB Ostrov Z.S. fields players like Zdena BLASKOVA Veronika POLAKOVA Eliska VOZICKA Anna STRANSKA Linda ZADEROVA Tatiana KUKULKOVA Tereza PYTLIKOVA Jana VASENDOVA and Helena KAMARADOVA. Finally Olympian Prithika PAVADE leads French club Saint-Denis Tennis De Table supported by Agathe AVEZOU Barbora BALAZOVA Jie LI Maria GIRLEA Célia SILVA Karen RAHARIMANANA Hsing-Yin LIU Chengzhu ZHU and Qiwen XIAO. You can buy tickets here
Tommy Urhaug My youngest daughter is my lucky charm
At the Paris 2024 Paralympics Norway’s Tommy URHAUG stepped back onto the Paralympic podium for the first time in 12 years claiming the gold medal in the Class 5 Men’s Singles event and the first gold medal in the singles event at Paris 2024. URHAUG a seasoned Paralympian with a career spanning over two decades defeated Chinese Taipei’s CHENG Ming Chih in a thrilling final. URHAUG also clinched the gold medal at the London 2012 Games in what was then his only finals appearance. Prior to that he earned a bronze medal in the singles event at the Beijing 2008 Paralympics solidifying his reputation as one of the sport’s top competitors. Now at his seventh Paralympic Games URHAUG has once again proven his expertise by reaching the pinnacle of his sport. “It’s an amazing feeling. I didn’t quite believe that I could do it again. But I know I’m a good player and I’ve beaten all these players before. So there was a small small chance but I didn’t actually believe it. It feels incredible to now have this gold medal around my neck.It’s really special. My youngest daughter was just one-and-a-half when I won in London. She missed Rio (2016) and Tokyo (2020) and now she’s back here and I won. She is my lucky charm it’s something with her.” In the semifinals URHAUG beat Turkey’s Ali OZTURK the bronze medallist from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics in straight sets 3-0 to secure his place in the gold medal match. The final against CHENG Ming Chih was a battle of wills. Cheng pushed URHAUG to his limits 3-2 (5-11 11-7 7-11 11-7 11-9). Day 6 featured captivating action across multiple classes. In the Men’s Singles Class 9 Swedish debutant Daniel GUSTAFSSON delivered a standout performance defeating China’s ZHAO Yiqing. In the Women’s Singles Class 8 Norway’s Aida Dahlen HUSIC faced a tough battle against debutant Yuri TOMONO rallying from 2-1 down to secure her place in the semifinals and guaranteeing herself at least a bronze medal adding to her Women’s Doubles bronze from earlier in the Games. Meanwhile the Women’s Singles Class 10 saw two intense semifinals setting the stage for an eagerly anticipated final tomorrow. Poland’s Natalia PARTYKA narrowly edged out Chinese Taipei’s TIAN Shiau Wen in a 3-2 contest while Australia’s YANG Qian the reigning Tokyo 2020 champion overcame Brazil’s Bruna ALEXANDRE in another nail-biting 3-2 match. The day also saw exciting matches in the Men’s Singles Classes 3 and 7 and Women’s Singles Classes 6 and 9 each contributing to the electric atmosphere in the arena.
PARTYKA is determined to reclaim her crown
History is about to be made at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games as for the first time ever three Olympians will compete in the table tennis competition. Among the 19 athletes who have participated in both the Olympics and Paralympics three will be part of this year’s event marking a truly extraordinary moment in the sport. The women’s singles Class 10 competition is shaping up to be a gripping event with three Olympians ready to take the stage: Melissa TAPPER of Australia Bruna ALEXANDRE of Brazil and Natalia PARTYKA of Poland. These elite athletes will face fierce competition as they challenge the reigning champion Australia’s Qian YANG for the coveted title. At the heart of the competition is seven-time Paralympian Natalia PARTYKA. PARTYKA is determined to reclaim her crown after her long-standing dominance in the event was interrupted by Yang’s victory at Tokyo 2020. PARTYKA’S comeback marks one of the most highly anticipated moments of the Paris 2024 Games. “It is a really strong field. We will have some tough matches. Step by step. I know I’m capable of winning gold and that is my goal ” PARTYKA shared ahead of the competition. “There are three four or five girls that can win so we will see.” Natalia PARTYKA’S Paralympic journey began at the astonishing age of 11 when she made her debut at the Sydney 2000 Games. This achievement cemented her place in history as the youngest Paralympic athlete ever. Since then she has amassed six Paralympic gold medals winning the Class 10 Women’s Singles in four consecutive Paralympic Games (2004 2008 2012 and 2016). PARTYKA’S exceptional career extends beyond the Paralympics. She has competed in four Olympic Games (2008 2012 2016 and 2020) making her the first table tennis player to participate in both competitions at such a high level. Her ability to bridge the gap between able-bodied and para sport has made her a global icon. In 2022 after retiring from the Olympic national team PARTYKA shifted her focus solely to her Paralympic career. Reflecting on the decision she said “I was tired—it was enough and I didn’t want more. It was the right decision and I’m proud of myself that I made it.” The Paris 2024 Games mark a new chapter for PARTYKA who is competing exclusively in the Paralympics for the first time since 2008. Her refreshed mindset and fierce determination will make her a formidable contender in the Class 10 event.
First-Ever Para Table Tennis Mixed Doubles Paralympic Gold Medallists Crowned at Paris 2024
A historic moment unfolded at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games as China’s ZHAO Shuai and MAO Jingdian were crowned the first-ever Mixed Doubles Paralympic champions. Competing in the Class 17 Mixed Doubles final ZHAO and MAO faced off against their compatriots PENG Weinan and XIONG Guiyan securing a decisive 11-9 11-6 11-8 victory to etch their names into the history books. This win also marks a transformative moment for Para table tennis as it embraces this new event. The first three days of the Games saw the long-awaited return of men’s and women’s doubles making a historic comeback after last being featured in 1976. This resurgence was marked by exceptional performances particularly on Day 3 where several gold medals were awarded across the doubles events. In the Men’s Doubles Class 4 final Slovakia’s Jan RIAPOS making his eighth Paralympic appearance secured his sixth gold medal alongside partner Peter LOVAS who is making his Paralympic debut. This victory cements RIAPOS’ legacy as a legend of the sport showcasing his enduring excellence on the Paralympic stage. In the Women’s Doubles Class 10 final China’s GU Xiaodan and PAN Jiamin took the top honours. The Men’s Doubles Class 8 also saw China excel with CAO Ningning and FENG Panfeng clinching the gold. Australia’s LEI Li Na and YANG Qian added another thrilling chapter to the day by winning the Women’s Doubles Class 20 final making it Australia’s first Para table tennis medal in Paris.
Czech TT Association Opens Selection Process for New Senior Men’s National Team Head Coach
The management of the Czech Table Tennis Association has announced the selection process for the Head Coach of the Czech Senior Men’s National Team. The current coach Josef PLACHÝ will step down after six years with the team to take on a new role in Linz Austria. Job description: -prepares and coaches National Senior Men‘s team especially for Olympic Games World Championships European Championships NEL Games and for selected series WTT -oversee the player selection process for the National Men’s Team including for international tournaments and conduct player evaluations. -provide personal training and manage the training process at the National Training Center in Havířov -coordinates activities of the National Men’s Team -proposes selected players for the international events -leads the National Men‘s team at the training camps in the Czech republic and foreing countries -individual planning and management of players training documentation planning of a four year Olympic cycle and one year cycle for the players -cooperates with Clubs coaches other National team coaches and coaches of Czech TTA -regulery making Analysis performace of the players and video Analysis together with the players -personal membership of the high level committee Czech TTA -cooperates and works closely with KVS (top sports commission) and with the members responsible for top sports of Czech TTA -cooperates with the fitness trainer Czech TTA and regular evaluation of the fitness component of the players -remains knowledgeable and fully participates in seminars and coach trainings to share the experience with National team coaching including evaluation with regards to the international competition Requirements: -submission of a Curriculum Vitae focused on the candidate’s sport activities – presenting a personal policy plan regarding the coaching of the National Senior Men’s Team with focus to Olympic Games 2028 in Los Angeles including the candidate’s vision and ideas for the functioning of the Men’s National Team -completed coaching studies A license or inetrnational coaching license – minimum of 5 years of coaching experience -good health -active knowledge of a foreign language ideally English -eamwork and communication skills -user knowledge of working on a PC -valid driver’s license Offer: – the opportunity to work with a highly effective Men’s Team for the Olympic cycle 2025–2028 -contract (self-employed person) from 1.1.2025 – inancial terms and length of contract to be agreed during personal interviews with individual candidates Deadline of applications: 30.9.2024 Applications should be sent by email to the Czech TTA secretariat: ctta@cuscz.cz copied to i.vacenovska@seznam.cz
ETTU Concludes Two Eurotalents Camps in August Fostering Europe’s Young Talent in Latvia and France
ETTU recently wrapped up two Eurotalents Camps in August 2024: a Selection camp held in Riga Latvia and a Eurotalents camp in Strasbourg France. These camps part of ETTU’s initiative to identify and cultivate young table tennis talent across Europe offered promising players the opportunity for advanced training and for the best evaluated the chance to be part of further programs. Riga Camp Summary (August 3-10 2024) The Riga camp was dedicated to selecting players for the Eurotalents program and identifying candidates for the ITTF Hopes program. Under the guidance of coaches Silvia Asis de Souza Erdelj and Vallot Vainula assistant coaches Kirils Jahontovs and Viktors Tolkacevs and physical coach Tatiana Garnova the participants underwent a comprehensive training program. The program included physical conditioning table exercises and mixed training sessions where boys and girls trained together. “The camp was highly successful ” stated Coach Silvia. “The participants were highly engaged performed well in the competition and maintained an outstanding level of training throughout.” The camp concluded with the selection of players for both the Eurotalents and ITTF Hopes programs: Eurotalents – Girls: Armin Aydin (TUR) Izabell Ivanics (HUN) Aybige Fedride Ustundag (TUR) Khadija Babazade (AZE) Eurotalents – Boys: Motiejus Adamonis (LTU) Javier Galán (ESP) Aras Aydin (TUR) Ahmet Yigit Gulenler (TUR) ITTF Hopes – Girls: Armin Aydin (TUR) ITTF Hopes – Boys: Alexander Malov (ESP) Strasbourg Camp Overview (August 15-22 2024) The Strasbourg camp focused on the Eurotalents group which included players selected from previous years and those already part of the 2024 program. This camp was held at the CREPS facility in Strasbourg under the direction of Zvonimir Korenic and Guillaume Simonin assistant coach Nicolas Métaireau and physical coach Rémi Betelu. The selected players from the Strasbourg camp for the ITTF Hopes program include: Girls: Lisa Zhao (FRA) Albane Rochut (FRA) Boys: Alexandru Pop (ROU) Stefan Bonchev (BUL)
