ETTU - European Table Tennis Union - News

[Milica Nikolic]

France finished at the top of the medal table at the 2026 European Championships in Ljubljana, claiming six medals – two gold, one silver and three bronze – across the five events at Arena Stožice.

Germany secured second place with five medals, including one gold, one silver and three bronze, while Poland completed the top three with one gold and one silver.

Russia and Slovakia each claimed one gold medal to share fourth place in the standings. Sweden collected three medals – two silver and one bronze – to finish sixth.

Romania followed with two bronze medals, while Moldova completed the list of eight medal-winning nations with one bronze.

France’s success was highlighted by Félix LEBRUN’s Men’s Singles triumph and the successful defence of the Men’s Doubles title alongside his brother Alexis.

Event	Gold	Silver	Bronze
Men’s Singles	Félix LEBRUN (FRA)	Anton KÄLLBERG (SWE)	Léo DE NODREST (FRA), Dang QIU (GER)
Women’s Singles	Elizabet ABRAAMIAN (RUS)	Annett KAUFMANN (GER)	Prithika PAVADE (FRA), Nina MITTELHAM (GER)
Men’s Doubles	Alexis LEBRUN / Félix LEBRUN (FRA)	Kristian KARLSSON / Anton KÄLLBERG (SWE)	Esteban DORR / Florian BOURRASSAUD (FRA), Vladislav URSU / Andrei PUTUNTICA (MDA)
Women’s Doubles	Tatiana KUKULKOVA (SVK) / Natalia BAJOR (POL)	Zuzanna WIELGOS / Anna BRZYSKA (POL)	Annett KAUFMANN / Nina MITTELHAM (GER), Bernadette SZOCS / Elizabeta SAMARA (ROU)
Mixed Doubles	Benedikt DUDA / Nina MITTELHAM (GER)	Alexis LEBRUN / Charlotte LUTZ (FRA)	Kristian KARLSSON / Christina KÄLLBERG (SWE), Patrick FRANZISKA / Sabine WINTER (GER)

The post France Tops Medal Table at European Championships in Ljubljana first appeared on European table tennis union.

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[Milica Nikolic]

Brunetti Castel Goffredo celebrated their eighth Italian Women’s Super Cup title after a dramatic comeback victory over Tennistavolo Norbello in the ninth edition of the competition, held at the PalaTennistavolo “Elia Mazzi”. The winners received the trophy from FITeT Deputy Vice President Carlo BORELLA.

For the second consecutive year, the Super Cup was contested in the relay format, with players alternating at the table every five points and each game played to 45 points. Castel Goffredo recovered from losing the opening game to secure a thrilling 2-1 victory (40-45, 45-44, 45-28).

Norbello, represented by Anastasiia KOLISH, Ana TOFANT and Irene MORETTI, made the stronger start and claimed the opening game. They came agonisingly close to victory in the second, earning two match points, but were unable to convert either opportunity.

Castel Goffredo’s Nikoleta STEFANOVA, Nicole ARLIA, Cecilia CICUTTINI and Azzurra MARINELLI refused to surrender. Having survived the match points, they completed a remarkable turnaround by edging the second game 45-44 before taking complete control of the decider, winning it 45-28 to reclaim the trophy.

Castel Goffredo President Franco SCIANNIMANICO highlighted the special significance of the triumph, achieved with a team deeply connected to the club.

“This victory is even more important than our previous successes. I am extremely happy because it was achieved by players who were born and raised in Castel Goffredo. I consider Nikoleta one of them as well, since she has lived here for many years. This Super Cup means even more because we won it without any foreign players. The very young CICUTTINI was also outstanding and made a significant contribution to our success,” said SCIANNIMANICO.

Technical Director Alfonso LAGHEZZA praised the team’s determination and ability to respond under pressure.

“We are used to playing competitions of this kind, and that experience helped us enormously. Last year, we lost the Super Cup quite comfortably, so this time we were determined to bring the trophy back. We are delighted with the result. The second game was extremely close, and the girls showed great character to save Norbello’s match points. After that, we made some tactical adjustments that allowed us to take control and achieve our goal,” explained LAGHEZZA.

Brunetti Castel Goffredo – Tennistavolo Norbello 2-1 (40-45, 45-44, 45-28)

First game

• STEFANOVA – KOLISH 5-2
• CICUTTINI – TOFANT 2-8 (7-10)
• ARLIA – MORETTI 8-3 (15-13)
• CICUTTINI – KOLISH 3-7 (18-20)
• STEFANOVA – MORETTI 6-5 (24-25)
• ARLIA – TOFANT 4-5 (28-30)
• CICUTTINI – MORETTI 3-5 (31-35)
• ARLIA – KOLISH 3-5 (34-40)
• STEFANOVA – TOFANT 6-5 (40-45)

Second game

• STEFANOVA – KOLISH 5-2
• CICUTTINI – TOFANT 5-6 (10-8)
• ARLIA – MORETTI 4-7 (14-15)
• CICUTTINI – KOLISH 3-5 (17-20)
• STEFANOVA – MORETTI 8-4 (25-24)
• ARLIA – TOFANT 5-1 (30-25)
• CICUTTINI – MORETTI 5-6 (35-31)
• ARLIA – KOLISH 3-9 (38-40)
• STEFANOVA – TOFANT 7-4 (45-44)

Third game

• STEFANOVA – KOLISH 5-0
• CICUTTINI – TOFANT 5-1 (10-1)
• ARLIA – MORETTI 5-2 (15-3)
• CICUTTINI – KOLISH 5-8 (20-11)
• STEFANOVA – MORETTI 5-1 (25-12)
• ARLIA – TOFANT 5-4 (30-16)
• CICUTTINI – MORETTI 5-3 (35-19)
• ARLIA – KOLISH 5-4 (40-23)
• STEFANOVA – TOFANT 5-5 (45-28)

The post Brunetti Castel Goffredo Claim Eighth Italian Super Cup After Dramatic Comeback first appeared on European table tennis union.

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[Milica Nikolic]

Belgium’s Timo HENNAUT and Türkiye’s Defne UZUMCU emerged victorious at the 19th edition of the STIGA Masters, with HENNAUT making history by securing Belgium’s first-ever title at the Under 11 competition.

In a thrilling boys’ final, HENNAUT recovered from a two-game deficit to defeat France’s Hugo GRELLIER COFFY 3-2 (7-11, 9-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-8). The Belgian had also been pushed to five games in the semifinals, where he overcame Germany’s Manoj SANKARA 3-2.

GRELLIER COFFY reached the final after a similarly close semifinal, defeating Sweden’s Valerio BRANTE 3-2.

In the girls’ competition, Defne UZUMCU claimed the title following an all-Turkish final against Derin MULAZIM, winning 3-1. UZUMCU had earlier defeated Portugal’s Lara MONTEIRO 3-1 in the semifinals, while MULAZIM secured her place in the final with a 3-1 victory over Finland’s Kamilla KADAR.

The STIGA Masters has a strong tradition of showing Europe’s emerging table tennis talents. Among its former winners are two newly crowned European singles champions, France’s Félix LEBRUN and Elizabet ABRAAMIAN, who claimed their European titles earlier this month in Ljubljana.

The post Historic Belgian Triumph as HENNAUT Claim STIGA Masters Titles first appeared on European table tennis union.

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[Milica Nikolic]

The European Table Tennis Union successfully organised its Match Officials’ Webinar on 28 October 2026, bringing together 174 participants for an informative and interactive session dedicated to the latest developments in European table tennis, competition regulations, umpire career development and safeguarding.

The webinar was opened by ETTU Secretary General Pierre KASS, who welcomed the participants and highlighted the importance of continuous education and professional development for match officials.

The session was moderated by Asko RASINEN, who guided participants through a comprehensive programme featuring presentations by Alen IVANCIN, ETTU Competition Manager; Werner THURY, ETTU URC Chairperson; and Senga THOMPSON, ETTU Safeguarding Officer.

Alen IVANCIN presented the latest developments in ETTU club competitions, with particular attention to the changes introduced for the 2026/27 season.

A major focus was the revised playing system in the women’s Champions League and Europe Cup, including game-based team scoring, updated competition formats, player eligibility requirements and procedures for match officials.

The presentation also highlighted the differences between men’s and women’s club competitions, providing referees and umpires with practical guidance on applying the relevant regulations.

Werner THURY provided an extensive overview of international umpire career development, including the requirements for Blue Badge and Gold Badge qualifications, evaluation procedures and maintaining active umpire status.

He also reviewed recent developments in the interpretation of service rules, addressing important aspects such as ball visibility, the open palm requirement and the verticality of the service toss.

Practical examples and challenging match situations encouraged discussion and helped participants develop a consistent approach to decision-making.

ETTU Safeguarding Officer Senga THOMPSON addressed the essential role of match officials in maintaining a safe, respectful and inclusive sporting environment.

Her presentation emphasised professional boundaries, appropriate conduct, safeguarding responsibilities and the importance of reporting concerns through established channels.

The webinar also highlighted five golden rules for match officials, focusing on professionalism, neutrality, respect, confidentiality and exemplary behaviour, both inside and outside the playing hall.

The programme concluded with discussions of challenging situations that match officials may encounter during competitions. These practical scenarios provided an opportunity to exchange experiences, clarify interpretations and reinforce consistent officiating standards.

With 174 participants, the webinar demonstrated the strong interest within the European match officials’ community in continuing education and professional development.

The post ETTU Match Officials’ Webinar Attracts 174 Participants first appeared on European table tennis union.

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