On the opening day of the 2025 European Teams Championships Stage 1 in Sarajevo, the top-seeded team in the Men’s Event, Greece, faced a tough challenge right from their first match. In their duel against Moldova, Greece’s Konstantinos ANGELAKIS lost his match to Vladislav URSU, who also managed to defeat Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS. However, as a team, Greece proved much stronger. Georgios STAMATOS overcame Felix COZMOLICI, while both Ioannis SGOUROPOULOS and ANGELAKIS redeemed themselves by defeating PUTUNTICA, securing the win for Greece. In the same group, Switzerland overcame Cyprus, but they had earlier suffered a loss to Moldova. Cyprus managed a victory over Latvia. In Group B, the top-seeded team Finland, featuring Benedek OLAH, Alex NAUMI, and Alexi RÄSÄNEN, played just one match today, comfortably defeating Ireland. The Dutch team, represented by Milo DE BOER, Kas VAN OOST, Barry BERBEN, and Gabrielius CAMARA, proved too strong for both Iceland and Ireland. However, Iceland delivered a surprise performance as Ingi Darvis RODRIGUEZ, Matthias Por SANDHOLT, and Magnus ULFARSSON secured a narrow five-match victory over Estonia. In Group C, the top seeds from Spain—Daniel BERZOSA, Rafael DE LAS HERAS, and Albert VIRALDELL—secured a win against Scotland. Meanwhile, Türkiye, represented by Abdullah YIGENLER, Ibrahim GÜNDÜZ, Ziver GÜNDÜZ, and Hakan ISIK, recorded two victories by defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina and Scotland. In Group D, Norway’s Borger HAUG, Khai Noah LAM, Martin FROSETH, and Alexander FRANSSON maintained their position at the top with wins over Greenland and Wales. Luxembourg also secured two victories, putting them in second place in the group. You can see the pictures here. Tournament Format The Stage 1 competition will follow a group-stage system for both the men’s and women’s events. Men’s Competition The top 4 teams from each group advance to the Main Stage (positions 1-16). The 5th and 6th placed teams will compete for positions 17-21 in a round-robin format. Main Stage (Positions 1-16) The winner of each group qualifies directly for the ETC Final Stage. The second-placed teams will play an additional match to secure the final two spots in the Final Stage. Main Stage (Positions 17-21) 1 group of 5 teams in a round-robin format. Men’s Teams: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, Norway, San Marino, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland, Türkiye, and Wales.
Strong Start for the Dutch Team at 2025 European Teams Championships Stage 1
Izet Tahirbegovic
Truls MÖREGÅRDH – Sweden’s Most Popular Athlete
During the Swedish Sports Gala on Monday, January 20th, celebrating the best sporting moments of 2024, Truls MÖREGÅRDH won the prestigious Jerringpriset, the people’s choice award. This marked the first time since the award’s inception in 1979 that a table tennis player claimed the honor. In a highly competitive field that included Olympic champions Armand DUPLANTIS (pole vault), Sarah SJÖSTRÖM (swimming), and David ÅHMAN/Jonatan HELLVIG (beach volleyball), Truls emerged victorious, standing on stage with Swedish sports’ most coveted prize. Truls MÖREGÅRDH was deeply moved during his acceptance speech, expressing heartfelt gratitude to his parents: “Thank you so much; I’m truly in a state of shock. I want to thank all of Sweden for the incredible support this year; it’s been absolutely amazing. It’s so much fun to see all the table tennis fever that’s been created in Sweden. I want to thank everyone who has supported me in every way possible; you know who you are – thank you so much. I’d like to thank two people a little extra today: mom and dad. Thank you for everything you do for me. You are truly the best parents in the world. I would never be where I am today without you. I love you. Thank you!” At the same gala, Jörgen PERSSON, the now-retired Swedish men’s national team coach, was honored as Coach of the Year for leading the Swedish team to remarkable achievements in 2024. In his acceptance speech, PERSSON reflected on his journey and expressed his gratitude: “A big thank you! I stood here 24 years ago and received an award as a team player. And now I’m standing here again, but this time as a leader. I could hardly have dreamed of this. It feels incredibly good. I naturally want to thank my table tennis federation, who believed in me as a leader. I am very grateful for that. Also, a big thanks to the Swedish Olympic Committee, who have supported table tennis all these years! The team sitting down here in front of us (Kristian KARLSSON, Anton KÄLLBERG, Truls MÖREGÅRDH)—without them, I would never have been standing here! I also want to take this opportunity to thank Mattias FALCK, who was part of the team, our physiotherapist Mikael HOLM, who has meant so much, and Jon Persson, who assisted me at the Olympics as an assistant coach. I have so many more people I could thank. I’ve learned so much from my former national coaches over the years. But I won’t go through all of them now, as that would make for a very long speech,” stated PERSSON.
SON CLADERA TTC – MALLORCA Prevails Over MIRÓ GANXETS REUS in Marathon Round of 16 Clash
In an all-Spanish duel in the Round of 16 of the Europe Cup Women, SON CLADERA TTC – MALLORCA overcame MIRÓ GANXETS REUS in a nail-biting encounter. Pauline CHASSELIN set the tone for the match with a hard-fought five-game victory over Paulina VEGA. However, Margaryta PESOTSKA and Natalya PROSVIRNINA turned the momentum in favor of MIRÓ GANXETS REUS, giving them a 2-1 lead. CHASSELIN leveled the match once again, and Katarzyna WEGRZYN secured the victory for SON CLADERA TTC – MALLORCA with a dramatic 3-2 win against VEGA. “It was a very long match, almost 4 hours, but we are very happy about the first leg of Stage 3! There’s still the second leg, and nothing is decided yet—we need to perform really well in that match too! It was really difficult because we could have lost 3-0. The matches were incredibly close, with four out of five going to the decisive game. VEGA was leading 2-0 twice, against both me and WEGRZYN, so this victory feels like it came from very far! It’s a historic win for the club, and I’m so proud of the team spirit. We fought until the end, and the whole team played really well today,” said CHASSELIN. SON CLADERA TTC – MALLORCA – MIRÓ GANXETS REUS 3-2
UKS Dojlidy Białystok Triumph Over KTS Gliwice in Thrilling Round of 16 Europe Cup Clash
After losing to the French side GV Hennebont TT in the Round of 16 of the Champions League Men, UKS Dojlidy Białystok faced a tough challenge in the Round of 16 of the Europe Cup. In an all-Polish clash, UKS Dojlidy Białystok defeated KTS Gliwice in a gripping five-match encounter. Having lost their opening Polish League match against Gliwice earlier this season, UKS Dojlidy Białystok was determined to turn the tables this time. Mihai BOBOCICA made his debut for UKS Dojlidy Białystok in Europe tonight. The six-time Italian champion, with a career-high ITTF world ranking of 54th, temporarily replaced Asuka MACHI. Grzegorz FELKEL gave the hosts in Gliwice an early advantage with a five-game victory over Patryk CHOJNOWSKI. However, Mihai BOBOCICA turned the tide by defeating Jakub MASŁOWSKI in another closely contested five-game match. BOBOCICA also triumphed over Grzegorz FELKEL, while CHOJNOWSKI overcame MASŁOWSKI. Jarosław TOMICKI secured a second point for Gliwice, but it was not enough to deny Dojlidy victory. The return leg is scheduled for February 15. KTS GLIWICE – UKS Dojlidy Białystok 2-3
The draw for the 2025 European Teams Championships Stage 1
The draw for the 2025 European Teams Championships Stage 1 was held today. The ETC will take place from January 21 to 25 in Sarajevo, bringing together teams vying for a spot in the Final Stage, scheduled from October 12 to 19 in Zadar, Croatia. A total of 12 teams will secure their tickets to Croatia, with six teams qualifying from both the men’s and women’s events.
DIACONU Shines as METZ TT Takes Control in Champions League Women Quarterfinal
In the opening leg of the Champions League Women quarterfinal, METZ TT triumphed over ETIVAL A.S.R.T.T. in an all-French clash. The star of the day was Adina DIACONU, who delivered an outstanding performance by defeating both Jieni SHAO and Liu YANGZI in style. Mariia TAILAKOVA also contributed with a victory over Liu YANGZI, while Charlotte LUTZ secured the only point for the visitors from Etival by beating Christina KALLBERG. Adina DIACONU reflected on her impressive performance: “Today, I think I played some of my best table tennis in a long time. In the first match against Shao JIENI, I played perfectly. By the way, the match wasn’t as easy as the score might suggest—Jieni is a very good player, but today everything worked for me. Mentally, I was ready to fight, and I also had a very good tactic. In the second match, I played against YANGZI Liu, a player I had never beaten before. Every time, I lost very close matches, 3-2. But today, I felt like it was my day. I stayed very calm in the important moments and made good decisions. I’m very proud of myself and my team for the win tonight. We had a great fight against a very strong team, Etival. It’s not over yet, but we’re ready to fight. Our goal is to reach the semifinals of the Champions League this year!” In another quarterfinal match, UCAM Cartagena TM proved too strong for ttc berlin eastside. Maria XIAO dominated Nina MITTELHAM and Xiaona SHAN, who also lost to Sofia Xuan ZHANG. Sabina SURJAN managed to secure the only point for the German club by defeating Yao LI. “We knew it would be a very tough match. ttc berlin eastside is one of the favorite teams to win the Champions League title, so we had no pressure at all. We also played without our number one player, which took even more pressure off us. It was a really good day for us, and we are very happy with the win” said Maria XIAO. Champions League Women reigning champions from Poland, KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL TARNOBRZEG, recorded a close victory in Italy against ASD QUATTRO MORI. Natalia BAJOR was the backbone of the team’s success, winning against Elizabet ABRAAMIAN in a full five-game match and securing the final victory over Tania PLAIAN. Earlier, Tania PLAIAN overcame her national teammate Elizabeta SAMARA, who also lost to ABRAAMIAN. Fu YU was stretched to full distance in her clash against Miriam CARNOVALE. The return leg in Poland will be played on 14th February. METZ TT – ETIVAL A.S.R.T.T 3-1 UCAM Cartagena TM – ttc berlin eastside 3-1 ASD QUATTRO MORI – KTS ENEA SIARKOPOL TARNOBRZEG 2-3
KS Dekorglass Działdowo Dominates Polish Derby in Champions League Men Quarterfinal
In the Champions League Men quarterfinal, KS Dekorglass Działdowo triumphed in the all-Polish clash against KS Global Pharma Orlicz 1924 Suchedniów. Last year, KS Dekorglass Działdowo claimed the Europe Cup trophy by defeating Dartom Bogoria Grodzisk Mazowiecki in a dramatic final, where five out of six matches were decided in the fifth set. However, today’s quarterfinal was far less dramatic. “This season, we lost to KS Global Pharma Orlicz 1924 Suchedniów 1-3 at home in Polish League. They are a very good team,” recalled Samuel KULCZYCKI. “We are very happy to have won 3-0, especially since we played away. All of us played very well, and we hope to win the second match and secure a place in the Final Four.” The return match between Dekorglass and Orlicz is scheduled for February 15. KS GLOBAL PHARMA ORLICZ 1924 SUCHEDNIÓW – KS Dekorglass Działdowo 0-3
FIBRAIN KU AZS Rzeszów Prevails in a Nail-Biter Against CP Lyssois Lille Métropole
In the third round of the Europe Cup Women, Polish team FIBRAIN KU AZS Politechnika Rzeszów secured a hard-fought 3-1 victory over CP Lyssois Lille Métropole in the opening leg held in France. Despite the seemingly comfortable scoreline, the match was far tighter, with three of the four games going the full distance. Filippa BERGAND gave the hosts a promising start with a 3-2 victory over Zuzanna WIELGOS. However, experienced Fen LI turned the tide for Rzeszów. She edged past Shuohan MEN in a five-game thriller, leveling the match. Katarzyna GRZYBOWSKA-FRANC also endured a grueling five-game battle to overcome Margo DEGRAEF, putting the Polish team ahead. Fen LI then sealed the victory by defeating her compatriot BERGAND in straight games. The return leg is scheduled for February 14th. CP LYSSOIS LILLE METROPOLE – FIBRAIN KU AZS POLITECHNIKA RZESZOW 1-3
REAL CLUB CAJASUR PRIEGO Claims Opening Leg Victory Against A.S. PONTOISE-CERGY TT
After losing to Polish team KS GLOBAL PHARMA ORLICZ 1924 SUCHEDNIÓW in the Round of 16 of the Champions League Men, French club A.S. PONTOISE-CERGY TT continued their journey in the Europe Cup Men Round of 16. However, they stumbled at the first hurdle. REAL CLUB CAJASUR PRIEGO TENIS DE MESA secured a victory in the opening leg on home soil. Carlos MACHADO defeated Tristan FLORE and Mehdi BOULOUSSA, while Alejandro CALVO overcame Thomas LAROCHE. Unfortunately, Alberto LILLO suffered an injury at the very start of his opening game against Mehdi BOULOUSSA, but the Spanish team still concluded the match victoriously. “I am very happy that I am still able to play at the top level,” said MACHADO. “In addition, we are very pleased to have secured the win today, even though we played without our ‘foreigners.’ I expect we will face much more difficulty in France, but we will fight.” After a narrow defeat in the golden match of the Champions League Men Round of 16 against Poland’s KS Dekorglass Działdowo, Germany’s Postsportverein Mühlhausen 1951 e.V. bounced back with an opening leg win in the Europe Cup Men Round of 16. In France, Lille Métropole T.T. fell 1-3 to the German side. Irvin BERTRAND secured a win over Fabio RAKOTOARIMANANA, who later suffered another loss at the hands of Ovidiu IONESCU. Romania’s IONESCU had earlier been defeated by Romain BRARD in the second match of the day. Daniel HABESOHN completed the victory for Mühlhausen with a win over Amir Hossein HODAEI. “After beating the Champions League winners Saarbrücken in the Bundesliga just two days ago, we’re happy to have won the first leg against Lille. There were some ups and downs during the match, but fortunately, we managed to secure the victory. Despite today’s win, we need to stay focused on our upcoming league matches,” said HABESOH. IONESCU added: “We are very happy with this win; it was a tough match. Two days ago, we also won in the German league, which gave us a lot of confidence for today. Our opponents played well, and there is still a second leg to be played. We want to win it and secure our qualification for the next round.” Meanwhile, HB Ostrov z.s., who ended 2024 with a loss to reigning Champions League winners 1. FC Saarbrücken Tischtennis e.V., began the new year with a strong start in the Europe Cup, defeating Austria’s SPG Linz. Youssef ABDEL-AZIZ gave the Austrian team an early lead, but Czech player Pavel SIRUCEK turned the match around by defeating Zhenlong LIU. Jiri VRABLIK followed up with a victory over Tobias TISCHBERGER, and SIRUCEK sealed the win by overcoming Egypt’s ABDEL-AZIZ. The next match will be played on February 14th. After a tight duel in Spain, SKST Havířov returns home with the advantage, defeating Universidad de Burgos in the opening leg. Cai SHUNHANG was the standout performer for the hosts, securing both points for his team. However, the visitors struck back with a stronger team effort. All three players—Tomáš POLANSKÝ, Adam STALZER, and Jan VALENTA—contributed to the victory. Europe Cup Men Round of 16 REAL CLUB CAJASUR PRIEGO TENIS DE MESA – A.S PONTOISE-CERGY TT 3-1 LILLE METROPOLE T.T – Postsportverein Mühlhausen 1951 e.V. 1-3 SPG Linz – HB Ostrov z.s. 1-3 UNIVERSIDAD DE BURGOS – TPF – SKST Havirov 2-3
