by Simon Daish
Guimarães was the host city for the Stag 2017 European Youth Championships in July and Portugal will welcome the continent’s brightest young table tennis stars back to the country next year.
Located in the north of Portugal, the city of Vila Real has been selected to host the 2018 Europe Youth Top 10 competition from Friday 7th to Sunday 9th September and the president of the Portuguese Table Tennis Association is ecstatic to be able to share the news.
“Portugal for the past five years has organised some of the major ETTU and ITTF events. To receive the best youth European players in our country it’s an honour, pleasure and of course a big responsibility. I’m sure the Portuguese TTA will be ready for the challenge,” Pedro Moura.
The following year sees the Netherlands stage the 2019 Europe Youth Top 10 in Noordwijk, which was named as one of the European Cities of Sport for 2017.
Jan Simons, president of the Nederlandse Tafeltennisbond, is delighted to see the country earn the right to host the youth tournament in two years’ time.
“We are very pleased and honoured to be awarded the organisation of the 2019 Europe Youth Top 10. This prestigious table tennis event will take place in Noordwijk”, Jan Simons.
2020 is the year of the Olympic Games where table tennis stars will battle it out for glory. The very same year the Europe Youth Top 10 heads to the capital city of Germany, Berlin.
“We are very happy to organise the Europe Youth Top 10 in 2020. Berlin as the German Capital is a perfect host for the meeting of the best continental talents at Europe’s most important ranking tournament”, Michael Geiger (president of the Deutscher Tischtennis-Bund).
The 2017 Europe Youth Top 10 event which was held in the English city of Worcester proved to be a big success, and the president of the European Table Tennis Union Ronald Kramer wishes the three national associations tasked with staging the 2018, 2019 and 2020 tournaments well.
“It shows not only the willingness of these associations to host this important European Cadet and Junior event, but it also witnesses a great spirit of cooperation within the ETTU. After the successful 2017 edition of the tournament in Worcester, I wish to congratulate and thank the three associations for their support given to the development of our young players by accommodating and hosting these three events”, Ronald Kramer.
Source: ETTU