France definitively earned the top of 57^th Sterilgarda European Table Tennis Youth Championships medal rostrum, after no less than 8 titles were awarded on Sunday. Just the very last final Alexandre Cassin won in straight game against Swede Elias Ranefur helped France to exceed Romania.

France totally got 11 medals in Riva del Garda (5 gold, 1 silver, 5 bronze) and came out again as the most powerful country of European table tennis at youth level. Nevertheless, Romania recorded a great performance too, with four golds and a fifth Adina Diaconu (the most successful player of the event winning four Cadets’ titles) shared with Chinese-born Belgian Lisa Lung. Germany took the medal list’s third spot with six medals in total and just the one gold Chantal Mantz clinched in the all-German final of Junior Girls Singles vs. title-holder Nina Mittelham.

The very successful event Italian Association organized on beautiful Lake Garda’s shores highlighted the improvement of Portugal (gold and silver in Juniors’ Doubles), Hungary, and Croatia, with also Russia and Sweden on the spotlight. Italy closed the event with two bronze medals in cadets doubles: Daniele Pinto and Carlo Rossi stopped their run at semis among boys, same Cristiana Dumitrache (pairing with Spain’s Zhang Xuan Xu) did in Girls Event.

INDIVIDUAL FINALS

Juniors Boys Singles:   Alexandre CASSIN (FRA) - Elias RANEFUR (SWE) 4:0 (12, 9, 6, 9)

Junior Girls Singles:   Chantal MANTZ (GER) - Nina MITTELHAM (GER) 4:1 (-10, 11, 6, 9, 9)

Cadets Boys Singles:   Rares SIPOS (ROU)- Artur ABUSEV (RUS) 4:1 (7, -9, 10, 7, 4)

Cadets Girls Singles:   Adina DIACONU (ROU) - Lisa LUNG (BEL) 4:0 (8,7, 9, 4)

Juniors Boys Doubles:   Adam SZUDI, Nandor ECSEKI (HUN) - Diogo CHEN, Jorge COSTA(POR) 3 : 2 (-2, 2, -13, 4, 6)

Juniors Girls Doubles:   Rita FINS, Patricia MACIEL (POR) - Lea RAKOVAC, Natalia BAJOR (CRO/POL) 3:2 (-8, 10, -5, 7, 7)

Cadets Boys Doubles:   Nolan GIVONE, Irvin BERTRAND France - Cristian PLETEA, Rares SIPOS (ROU) 3:0 (10, 3, 6)

Cadets Girls Doubles:   Adina DIACONU, Lisa LUNG (ROU/BEL) - Leili MOSTAFAVI, Romane LE SCOUR (FRA) 3:2 (-7, 9, 4, -7, 6)

Juniors Mixed Doubles:   Tomislav PUCAR, Lea RAKOVAC (CRO) - Nandor ECSEKI, Bernadett BALINT (HUN/ROU) 3:2 (9, 9, -9, -8, 10)

Cadets Mixed Doubles:   Cristian PLETEA, Adina DIACONU (ROU) - Rares SIPOS, Lisa LUNG (ROU/BEL) 3:0 (11:2, 11:4, 12:10)

A veil of sadness wrapped Sterilgarda European Youth Championships on the opening of the penultimate day in Riva del Garda, due to the 295 passengers died in the crash of Malaysian plane, most of them from the Netherlands. The Dutch team took the field displaying a mourning-band in respect of the victims of the awful disaster. Notwithstanding, the focus was clearly on the field, with the players now next – after eight intense competition days – to the medal matches and some deserved holidays afterwards.

A full packed arena gave the event’s final round an exciting atmosphere, with many families from all over Europe joining their guys to share the emotions of matches for medals, with 10 European titles still to be allocated. Meantime, time of joy came for the hosts too, with two medals on their way. In Cadets Boys Doubles, Daniele Pinto and Carlo Rossi were on the spotlights again after their impressive performances in teams event: the Italian pair will play semis against French Nolan Givone and Irvin Bertrand, whilst Romania and Germany will be rivals again in the second semis. In Cadets Girls Doubles Diaconu (Romania) and Lung (Belgium) will tackle Serbian Lupulesku and Surjan, whilst Italian Cristiana Dumitrache with Spanish Zhang Xuan Xy will meet French duo Leili Mostafavi and Romane Le Scour.

Czech Republic, Portugal, Sweden and Hungary will negotiate medals’ affair in Junior Boys Doubles: David Reitspies and Tomas Polansky (Czech Republic) will meet Diogo Chen and Jorge Costa (Portugal), Anton Kallberg and Carl Ahlander Johansson (Sweden) will play against Adam Szudi and Nandor Ecseki (Hungary).

Great success for Sweden in Junior Boys Singles: in the penultimate round, Elias Ranefur will play against compatriot Anton Kallberg, whilst Filip Zeljko of Croatia will meet Alexandre Cassin of France. Germany placed two of its players in Junior Girls semis and hopes for all-German final too: title holder Nina Mittelham will play against meet Pauline Chasselin of France, Chantal Mantz against Ekaterina Guseva of Russia.

About Cadets singles, Irvin Bertrand (France) will play semis vs. Artur Abusev (Russia); another French player, Nolan Givone,  expects Romanian Rares Sipos. Among girls, last year’s gold medal Adina Diaconu (Romania) vs. Maria Taylakova (Russia) and Izabela Lupulesku (Serbia) vs. Lisa Lung (Belgium) are the penultimate stage for the title.

Riva del Garda (Italy), July 19^th, 2014

“Something special has happened here in Riva del Garda. Italian table tennis federation organized a great event within the beautiful Garda Trentino scenario. This region succeeded to combine sport and tourism in a perfect way as no one ever did in Italy”.

Giovanni Malagò, President of the Italian Olympic Committee was proud and excited after his visit at the 57th Sterilgarda European Youth Championships in full progress in Riva del Garda, spending words of praise  towards the whole organization during today’s press conference at Baltera Expo Fair. The same ETTU (European Table Tennis Union) President, Dutch Ronald Kramer, did in favour of Italian TT Federation’s President, Franco Sciannimanico. “Since the very first moment I’ve reached Riva del Garda, I saw nothing but happy faces. Even those used to criticize all the time told me that everything is running smoothly this time. I guess this being one of the best events we have had since long time”.

Proud Franco Sciannimanico, President of Italian TT Federation, expressed his gratitude: “Riva del Garda gave us a perfect hospitality, and the figures show the event isfulfilling the expectations. Table tennis is growing in Italy with CONI strong support”.  Garda Trentino Chairman Marco Benedetti confirmed how they feel this project successful : “Our area is well-known for outdoor sport. Table tennis was a new challenge, and we wish to go on”.

Competition are in full swing towards the final round, with 10 European titles to be allocated within Sunday. The major upset of the day came from Turkey, whose juniors players Batuhan Ulucak and Ibrahim Gundiz defeated Europe top ranked Can Akkuzu and Tomislav Pucar.

Riva del Garda, 18 luglio 2014

Since the Italian Olympic Committee  President, Giovanni Malagò, will come tomorrow (Friday) in Riva del Garda to attend the 57th Sterilgarda European Table Tennis Youth Championships,  accompanied by Olympic Preparation Manager Carlo Mornati, the improved importance of table tennis sport in Italy  as well as the resounding success the event underway in beautiful Garda Trentino area achieved are matters of fact.

Welcomed by Italian TT Association’s President Franco Sciannimanico, Ingarda President Marco Benedetti and European Table Tennis Union President Ronald Kramer, the Italian sport’s Chairman will hold a press conference scheduled tomorrow (Friday) at 11:30 am at Baltera Expo Fair’s conference room in Riva del Garda.

“We’re delighted by the presence of Olympic Committee President"  – FITET President Sciannimanico said – "as he knows all about our efforts and motivations to grow again: I believe this event proving how we are on the right way”. It is a prestigious opportunity for Garda Trentino too: “We wish Mr. Malagò knowing more about the destination and how sports are the key to develop our local economy”, Marco Benedetti explained.

Meanwhile, the European Championships’ individual events are in full swing, looking forward an intense weekend to allocate further 10 titles after those already assigned to teams (three golds for France and one for Romania). All big guns fought their way in style but the key-moments are still to come. The players glimpse the end of  a wearing event with relief but also sadness at the same time: many of them felt in love with Garda lake at a glance, looking at tons of posts and pics they spread by social media throughout the event.

Photo (c. Vitesse): France's Can Akkuzu and Audrey Zarif were surprisingly defeated in mixed doubles against Swedes Anders Eriksson and Erica Frohm

Riva del Garda, July 17th, 2014