European Table Tennis Union

Abbreviation	ETTU
Founded	1957 (1957)
Affiliation	ITTF
Headquarters	Luxembourg City
President	Igor Levitin (self-suspended temporarily in March 2022 due to the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine)[1][2]
Official website
ettu.org

TheEuropean Table Tennis Union (ETTU) is the governing body of the sport oftable tennis inEurope, and is the only authority recognised for this purpose by theInternational Table Tennis Federation. The ETTU deals with all matters relating to table tennis at a European level, including the development and promotion of the sport in the territories controlled by its 58 member associations, and the organisation of continental table tennis competitions, including theEuropean Championships.^[3]

Following their decision to make theWorld Table Tennis Championships a biennial event from 1957 onwards, theInternational Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) invited the separate European table tennis associations to consider holding a European Championships in the intervening, even-numbered years. At a meeting on 13 March 1957 inStockholm during that year's World Championships, theEuropean Table Tennis Union (ETTU) was created by the associations of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Finland, France, Hungary, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, the USSR, Wales, West Germany and Yugoslavia. A board of seven was elected, including Frenchman Jean Belot as the first chairman, and the firstEuropean Championships took place inBudapest in 1958.

At a meeting in 1960, the ETTU decided to introduce a competition for European club teams, and the firstEuropean Club Cup of Champions for men took place in early 1961, with a women's event added three years later. In 1964, the ETTU assumed responsibility for youth competitions in Europe, and in 1970 the main competition for youth players was renamed theEuropean Youth Championships. An experimental classification tournament was held in 1971, featuring the top twelve-ranked European players in around robin-style competition. This event would go on to be held annually as theEurope Top-12.

In 1984,Nancy Evans retired from her role as Honorary General Secretary, having held that role for 27 years since the formation of the ETTU. In recognition of her outstanding service, she was appointed as the ETTU's first Honorary Life Member.

Between 1991 and 1995, the number of ETTU member associations increased dramatically from 37 to 52, largely due to applications from table tennis associations of nations that were formerly part of theUSSR orYugoslavia, in addition to the dissolution ofCzechoslovakia. In 1998, theEuropean Champions League was created for men's club teams (a women's Champions League followed in 2005), and in 1999, the ETTU entered into their first TV contract with ITTF/TMS, which enabled Champions League matches to be broadcast live onEurosport.^[4]

In 2000, a decision was taken to switch theEuropean Championships to odd-numbered years from 2003 onwards. This was in response to theITTF's decision to start holdingWorld Championships every year, alternating between individual events in odd-numbered years and team events in even-numbered years. From 2007, the European Championships became an annual event, and from 2016, the Championships will feature singles and doubles events in even-numbered years, with team events in odd-numbered years.^[5]

Following the2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ETTU Executive Board banned Russian and Belarusian players and officials from ETTU events, in accord with the recommendations of theInternational Olympic Committee (IOC), and in March 2022 its Russian presidentIgor Levitin self-suspended himself.^[6]

The 58 member associations of the ETTU as of September 2022, include:^[7]

The ETTU authorises the following competitions:

• European Championships – held since 1958, and annually since 2007; the main continental championships featuring singles, doubles and team events
• Europe Top 16 – held annually since 1971; features Europe's top 16 players, with the top three finishers guaranteed a place at theWorld Cup.^[8]
• European Under-21 Championships – new event for under-21 players, held for the first time in 2017
• European Youth Championships – held annually since 1955; the main continental championships for junior (under-18) and cadet (under-15) players
• Europe Youth Top 10 – held annually since 1985; features Europe's top 10 junior (under-18) and top 10 cadet (under-15) players.^[9]
• Euro-Asia Cup – alternated between Europe and Asia from 2009 until 2012; authorised by theATTU and held annually in China since 2013
• European Games – singles and team events held as part of the European Games, every four years from 2015 onwards
• European Olympic Qualification Tournament – held in Olympic years to determine European qualifiers forOlympic Games singles events
• European Veterans' Championships – held in odd-numbered years since 1995, with competitions in eight different age categories
• European Para Table Tennis Championships
• Europaliga since 1967/68 to 2002/03.^[10]
• European Nations Cup (Men) since 1991 to 1998.^[11]
• European Nations Cup (Women) since 1994 to 2000.^[12]
• European Masters Cup since 1991 to 1999.^[13]
• Euro Super Cup.^[14][15]
• European U13 Championship since 2023.^[16]
• European Games.^[17]

• European Champions League – replaced theEuropean Club Cup of Champions (see below) as the most important international club competition in Europe; the men's competition has been held annually since 1998/99, with the women's competition held annually since 2005/06.^[18][19]
• ETTU Cup – the second tier international club competition in Europe; the men's competition has been held annually since 1964/65, with the women's competition starting one year later.^[20][21]
• European Club Cup of Champions (defunct) – former club competition, replaced by theEuropean Champions League; the men's competition was held annually from 1960/61 until 2000/01, with the women's competition held annually from 1963/64 until 2004/05
• ETTU Europe Trophy is the third most important continental tournament for clubs inEuropeantable tennis, after theEuropean Champions League and theETTU Cup since 2022.

In September 2015, the ETTU introduced theEuropean Table Tennis Hall of Fame, with the aim of honouring champions, legendary players and other individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the sport of table tennis in Europe.^[22]

The following people have been inducted into the Hall of Fame:^[23]

2015

2016

2017

2019

• Asian Table Tennis Union

• European Table Tennis Union
• European Table Tennis Hall of Fame

• International organisations based in Luxembourg City
• International Table Tennis Federation
• Table tennis governing bodies
• International sports governing bodies in Europe
• Table tennis in Europe

• Use dmy dates from April 2019