European Championships Heat Up in Linz
The Individual European Championships are underway in Linz, Austria, marking the culmination of the continent’s table tennis calendar. The six-day event kicked off with qualifying rounds, setting the stage for intense competition across multiple categories.
The mixed doubles competitions began on day 1, adding to the excitement. Today sees the start of the women’s and men’s doubles events, each commencing with a knockout round of 32. The highly anticipated 64-player singles fields are set to begin on Thursday, promising a showcase of Europe’s top talent.
Fans can expect a packed schedule, with matches running from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The mixed doubles final is slated for Friday, while Sunday will feature the remaining four finals, providing a thrilling conclusion to the championships. Catch the action live on ETTU’s Website.
Oceania Championships Off to a Flying Start in Auckland
Meanwhile, the 2024 ITTF-Oceania Championships have kicked off at the Auckland Table Tennis Association in New Zealand, already producing exciting results.
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The opening day saw three gold medals decided across various team events. In the Women’s Teams, Australia claimed gold with a convincing 3-0 victory over New Zealand. The Australian trio of Yangzi Liu, Minhyung Jee, and Melissa Tapper proved too strong for New Zealand’s Jocelyn Lam, Lisa Gear, and Jacqui Wood.
The Under 21 Men’s Teams event provided a tighter contest, with Australia outlasting New Zealand 3-1 in the gold medal match. Chulong Nie anchored the victory for Australia, winning both of his matches against Ray Zhang and Alex Liu Cao. The Under 21 Women’s Teams event also saw Australia triumph over New Zealand with a 3-0 win, though the individual matches were closer than the overall score suggests.
In the Men’s Teams event, Australia and New Zealand justified their top two seedings, both defeating Fiji and New Caledonia without dropping a match. They will face off tomorrow night in the final, while New Caledonia and Fiji will compete for bronze.
The championships feature six competing countries: Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Caledonia, New Zealand, and Wallis & Futuna. With free entry for spectators and live streaming available on the ITTF-Oceania YouTube channel, the event is accessible to fans both locally and globally.
As these championships progress, they continue to showcase the best of table tennis talent from their respective regions. Stay tuned for more updates as the events unfold, shaping the landscape of international table tennis.
For more information and live updates, visit the official event websites: European Championships and Oceania Championship.