2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships will be held on March 8-11th in the Belarus city of Minsk
Three months before 2018 BELGOSSTRAKH European Under 21 Championships in the Belarus city of Minsk (March 8-11th) the names of 56 eligible players in each Men`s and Women`s competitions are announced as well as reserve players. Adina DIACONU from Romania and Darko JORGIC from Slovenia are topping the lists.
Actual top ten ranked Women`s players are following: Adina DIACONU (Romania) Andreea DRAGOMAN (Romania) Mariia TAILAKOVA (Russia) WAN Yuan (Germany) Oceane GUISNEL (France) HO Tin-Tin (England) Natalia BAJOR (Poland) ZHANG Xuan (Spain) Audrey ZARIF (France) Lisa LUNG (Balgium).
Actual top ten ranked Men`s players are following: Darko JORGIC (Slovenia) Can AKKUZU (France) Anton KALLBERG (Sweden) Tomas POLANSKY (Czech Republic) Bence MAJOROS (Hungary) Alexandre CASSIN (France) Truls MOREGARD (Sweden) Joe SEYFRIED (France) Deni KOZUL (Slovenia) Andreas LEVENKO (Austria).
Many of them recorded significant achievements in the European Youth Championships. The two times Junior Boy`s gold medalist 2014 and 2016 Alexandre CASSIN (FRA) and 2016 runner-up Andreas LEVENKO (AUT) are going to participate in Minsk as well as 2015 JB Singles champion Sweden`s Anton KALLBERG his compatriot Truls MOREGARD 2016 and 2017 Cadet Boy`s runner-up who won silver at the recent 2017 ITTF World Junior Championships in Riva del Garda 2013 CB Singles winner Czech Republic`s Tomas POLANSKY…
Concerning Women`s Singles event Adina DIACONU is the most decorated participant. She got four consecutive gold medals: 2013 Ostrava CG Singles 2014 Riva del Garda CG Singles 2015 Bratislava JG Singles and 2016 Zagreb JG Singles. Russia`s Mariia TAILAKOVA won two singles titles in a row 2014 and 2015.
The upcoming championships will be second one as the inaugural event was held this year in the Russian city of Sochi. The winners of the first Championships were Chantal MANTZ of Germany and Tomislav PUCAR of Croatia. MANTZ who upset no. 1 seed of Women`s Singles event Adina DIACONU in the opening round beat her compatriot WAN Yung in six games of the gold medal contest (8:11 11:9 5:11 12:10 11:6 11:7) while PUCAR overcame Germany`s QIU Dang in five sets (11:6 11:2 9:11 14:12 11:9).
Anders LIND (Denmark)/Alexander VALUCH (Slovakia) have defeated Tomislav PUCAR (Croatia)/Janos MAJOROS (Hungary) in straight games (11:8 11:5 11:6) of the Men`s Doubles final. Women`s Doubles winners were Lisa LUNG and Eline LOYEN from Belgium who prevailed against Romania`s Adina DIACONU and Andreea DRAGOMAN after four games (10:12 12:10 11:8 11:9).