Strong finale in SEF in the development opens

Piraeus and the Stadium of Peace and Friendship closed positively on the afternoon of Sunday 26/02 the series of open table tennis championships for young ages for the period 2022-2023. With the given good conditions, offered by the playing field of the federal hall, with exciting matches, with the very pleasant atmosphere, to which the three days of Clean Monday also refer. Clearly and with the objective problem of the limited capacity of the gym, but with even better organization compared to this year’s 1st tournament in the same venue and substantial benefits from E.F.O.E.P.A. to the participants. It was the 6th and last open in the program and the season for the institution will end on April 1st and 2nd in Kavala with the Grand Final. 200 sportsmen and women took part (212 were the final participation declarations) and gave everything for the best result, as the final special scores for the right to participate in the final are being formed. The gold medal was won by Alexandros Madesis among the teenagers, Evangelia Meramvelliotaki among the juniors, Yannis Koutras among the boys, Qi Xinyu among the girls, Konstantinos Isaakidis among the girls, Despina Dimitriou among the girls, Marios Seridis among the mini girls and Argyro Koutromba in the mini pankorasides (remember that the last two age categories, the youngest ones, are not included in the Grand Final).

The weekend’s long action was recorded at 16 tables. The games schedule went smoothly, while the athletes were given plenty of time to warm up.

In the category of teenagers, Alexandros Madesis dominated. He was the 1st favorite and in the final he defeated Thanasis Tzenidis with 3-0 sets (11-6, 11-8, 11-8). The young Balkanionikis and Mesogeionikis also won the first place in the 1st Athens Open. Success, of course, for the left-handed Thessaloniki player, the second consecutive final. It should be noted that Stathis Manolopoulos, the 2nd favorite on the board, was absent from the second day of the games due to illness.

The junior final was a spectacle. Evangelia Meramvelliotaki (No. 3 in the category) made new remarkable appearances and Chryssi Fotiadou (No. 1) showed that she is in good playing condition despite making her first participation in a development team this year. Meramvelliotaki prevailed in the details and with a 3-1 set repeated the success of Volos (10-12, 12-10, 11-7, 12-10).

The first two favorites claimed the trophy in the boys. Yiannis Koutras and Giorgos Kosmas had one more “against” in the final this year (they each had 1 win so far). Koutra lost the 1st set, took the next and with a score of 3-1 won his 4th title this year (2-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-9).

The junior final was a spectacle. Evangelia Meramvelliotaki (No. 3 in the category) made new remarkable appearances and Chryssi Fotiadou (No. 1) showed that she is in good playing condition despite making her first participation in a development team this year. Meramvelliotaki prevailed in the details and with a 3-1 set repeated the success of Volos (10-12, 12-10, 11-7, 12-10).

The first two favorites claimed the trophy in the boys. Yiannis Koutras and Giorgos Kosmas had one more “against” in the final this year (they each had 1 win so far). Koutra lost the 1st set, took the next and with a score of 3-1 won his 4th title this year (2-11, 11-6, 11-4, 11-9).

In the girls category, Qi Xinyu achieved a similar performance. Advancing from the 6th seeding position, she defeated Alkistis Kasimi (No. 2) in the final with a 3-0 set (11-5, 11-5, 11-5).

Constantinos Isaakidis (No. 2) had a special moment in the Pampaides. He wore the gold medal in the category for the first time by defeating Anastasios Fousekis (No. 1) in the final with 3-0 sets, the left-hander with 4 trophies this year to whom he had lost in two finals (11-3, 13-11 , 11-8).

Despina Dimitriou (No. 1) enjoyed another first in the pankorasides. In the exciting final, she again faced Athanasia Goga and achieved an impressive turnaround from 0-2, taking all the sets by a narrow margin (5-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-9, 13-11).

Marios Seridis celebrated his first trophy at the mini-papaides. In the final he overcame Theofanis-Frixos Markoulakis with 3-0 sets (11-5, 12-10, 11-5).

Argyro Koutrouba took the lead in the mini pankorasides for the first time this year. In the undefeated final, she defeated Fotini-Aikaterini Papalexis with 3-2 sets (11-13, 11-8, 10-12, 11-6, 11-9).

The winners by category:

TEENAGERS:

1. Alexandros Madesis (AEK)

2. Athanasios Tzenidis (HAN Thessaloniki)

3. Iraklis Kerasidis (DAO Tavrou)

CHILDREN:

1. Evangelia Meramvelliotakis (Olympiacos SFP)

2. Chrysi Fotiadou (AEK)

3. Stella Tzaridou (HAN Thessaloniki)

CHILDREN:

1. Yiannis Koutras (Poseidon Loutrakiou)

2. Giorgos Kosmas (DAO Tavros)

3. Kostas Fakaros (Poseidon Loutrakiou)

GIRLS:

1. Qi Xinyu (AO Tataula)

2. Alkistis Kasimi (PKD Tavrou)

3. Stella Mavromataki (OA Chania)

PAMPADES:

1. Konstantinos Isaakidis (Sarises Florina)

2. Anastasios Fousekis (AO Pagona Patras)

3. Nikos Angelidis (OA Chania)

PANGORASIDES:

1. Despina Dimitriou (Gas Elefsis)

2. Athanasia Goga (Olympic SFP)

3. Elpida Tassiou (AO Thermis Thermaios)

MINI PAMPADEES:

1. Marios Seridis (ASEA Sarises Florina)

2. Theofanis-Frixos Markoulakis (OA Chania)

3. Filippos Papanikolaou (AS Pera Athens)

MINI PANGORASIDES:

1. Argyro Koutrouba (OA of Chania)

2. Fotini-Ekaterini Papalexi (HAN Thessaloniki)

3. Alkistis Papadaki-Rovola (AOEA Kos)

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE “LITTLE” FINALS

Three matches for places 3-4 were decided in 5 sets. In the teenagers, Heraklis Kerasidis beat Yiannis Anastasiadis (Faros Alexandroupolis) with 3-2 sets, in the girls Stella Mavromataki beat Mavra Kontopoulou (PKD Tavrou) with the same score and in the girls Elpida Tassiou beat Paraskevi Spanou (Sarises Florina), also with 3-2.

From there, Kostas Fakaros defeated Yiannis Kioseloglou (Poseidon Loutrakiou) with a 3-1 set in the boys’ category, Stella Tzaridou defeated Maria Kreanga (Olympiacos SFP), also 3-1 in the junior girls’ category, Nikos Angelidis defeated Spyros in the juniors’ category. Fouseki (AO Pagona Patras) with 3-0 sets, in the mini pampaids Philippos Papanikolaou beat Maximos Polychronopoulos (ASEA Kavala) with 3-0 sets and in the mini pagorasides Alkistis Papadaki-Rovola beat Christina Georgiou (Panionios GSS) with 3-1 set.

GRANTS FOR A TOTAL OF 400 EUROS FROM EFOEPA-THE LUCKY 8

In an offer from the sponsors, the athletes each received a bag with a banana, water, Macedonian halva and an isotonic amount. It should be noted that they received the nutritional gifts in biodegradable bags from the Mediterra Institute with the federation continuing to show the way for practical recycling and love for the environment. The sponsors are also Smile Kiosk, Misi Beaute, Lynx Sports, Macedonian Halvas Haitoglou and Dole bananas.

In another provision for the children, EFOEPA secured 8 gift vouchers of 50 euros each from 4 shops with table tennis equipment. The gift vouchers came from GP Sports Giorgos Petrochilos, LION Tennis Mart Grigoris Asvestopoulos, Lynx Sports Yiannis Kardiakos and e.pingpongshop Yiannis Katsantonis. Towards the end of the games, the 8 lucky winners were drawn, 1 from each age category and they were as follows:

Antonis Bakas of GAO Piraeus to teenagers

Maria Kreanga of Olympiakos in the juniors

Charalambis Tsalakanidis of OA Chania to the boys

Tromaridou Dialect of Olympiakos to the girls

Giorgos-Raphael Tsiaras of FAS Trikala among the cheerleaders

Efthymia-Dimitra Avramidis of Aris Nikaia in the pankorasides

Vassilis Nikas of AO Xylokastro in the mini-papaides

Fotini Papalexi of CHAN Thessaloniki in the mini pankorasides.