The national championship in Greece reappears after several years in part of the province. After the games in Patras in 2005 the big organization goes to Crete and specifically to Chania. The city with tradition for decades in table tennis is hosting the championship this weekend. Chania is welcoming top names in the indoor gym of Klaadissos and wants to create the right conditions and show the best of the sport’s elite.
The national championship is back on the beautiful island of the Mediterranean after 17 years. In 2002 was organized in Hersonissos Heraklion and now the Greek Federation assigned it to Chania which in recent years has been successfully tested in various national events.
62 athletes and athletes are eligible to participate. There are 36 men and 26 women and come from 32 country clubs. Almost all the top names will be present in Crete and to question “who will win the titles in the singles” is hard to answer. Last year’s winner Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS Tasos RINIOTIS with three consecutive finals Yiannis SGOUROPOULOS European champion in juniors George KONSTANTINOPOULOS appears as key contenders for the title. From this year’s event the great Kostas PAPAGEORGIOU will be missing. The men who won a total of eight titles in men’s singles stopped his career last year whilest there are the usual absences of Kallinikos KREANGA and Panagiotis GIONIS.
The women’s singles event is also strong and competitive. Katerina TOLIOU defends the trophy Konstantina PARIDI wants to repeat her last year’s excellent game when she reached the final Christina FILI looks very strong at the age of 40 while Maria CHRISTOFORAKI Georgia ZAVITSANOU and other players can reach the top.
THE LAST 10 :
MEN’S SINGLES:
2008-2009 John VLOTINOS
2009-2010 Kostas PAPAGEORGIOU
2010-2011 Kostas PAPAGEORGIOU
2011-2012 Kostas PAPAGEORGIOU
2012-2013 Kostas PAPAGEORGIOU
2013-2014 Kostas PAPAGEORGIOU
2014-2015 Kostas PAPAGEORGIOU
2015-2016 Kostas PAPAGEORGIOU
2016-2017 Tasos RINIOTIS
2017-2018 Konstantinos KONSTANTINOPOULOS
WOMEN’S SINGLES:
2008-2009 Katerina DOULAKI
2009-2010 Christina FILI
2010-2011 Katerina DOULAKI
2011-2012 Filaretti EXARCHOU
2012-2013 Christina FILI
2013-2014 Maria CHRISTOFORIKI
2014-2015 Katerina TOLIOU
2015-2016 Georgia ZAVITSANOU
2016-2017 Christina FILI
2017-2018 Katerina TOLIOU