The Swedish Table Tennis Association and the city of Malmö have managed to attract another major international table tennis championship to the city. This time it is about Europe’s finest championship for young players, the European Youth Championship, which will be played in Baltiska Hallen during the month of July 2024.
The last time the European Youth Championship was held in Sweden was in 1983, also with Malmö and Baltiska Hallen as the venue. The winner in the men’s class was none other than Jan-Ove Waldner and on third place was Jörgen Persson, two very familiar names in Swedish and international table tennis who need no further introduction.
– I am very happy and proud to be able to develop the already fine collaboration we have with the city of Malmö with another championship. In the fall of 2023, our biggest stars will put on a show in Malmö Arena and barely a year later it will be time for the players of the future to take over the city – maybe a new world star will be born just like in 1983, says the chairman of the Swedish Table Tennis Association, Dennis Lindahl.
In 2022, the Swedish Table Tennis Association together with the city of Malmö has launched “PING PONG POWER Malmö” whose aim is for as many people as possible, regardless of age and background, to try table tennis. During the summer, PING PONG POWER has been seen at various activities in the city such as the Big Five, the Malmö festival and on the popular beach at Ribersborg, and during the autumn and spring the plan is to visit nursing homes, libraries, schools, preschools and leisure parks.
– The city and the people of Malmö are with us, now it’s important to also get the associations and businesses on board so that we can create unique, sustainable and memorable championships. With the help of PING PONG POWER, we reach all target groups, which means that it will be much more than just a championship – table tennis for everyone everywhere, Dennis Lindahl continues.
For the city of Malmö, this will be the second international table tennis championship in a year. The European Table Tennis Championship 2023 will be played September 10–17 in Malmö Arena. The European Youth Championship 2024 will be played in July 2024.