And other premieres for Greek table tennis players in Portugal, Sweden, France

Last week we had premieres in Portugal, France and Sweden and the Greek “displaced” table tennis champions also “colored” them with their performances. After Poland first, Yannis Sgouropoulos and Konstantinos Angelakis started their matches in another European league.

The four-time European youth champion and current Greek men’s champion had a positive debut in Portugal’s first national division with Galomar. The 2020 Greek men’s champion lives a new important experience in Sweden’s first national division with Sparvagen.

At the end of the week, the French interclub championships began, where most of our “guests” have been competing in table tennis for years. In this premiere, the participation of Aliki Kioufi in the second professional Women’s League, the so-called Pro B, with the jersey of Ren Paul Ber stood out. The latest with the first matches of our athletes abroad are summarized as follows:

In Portugal, Sgouropoulos boosted Galomar last weekend in the first two matches. His team defeated 4-0 sets first against São Roque and then against CD 1; May and already collected 8 points (grading goes according to the score).

The Eleusinian ace defeated the Italian Umberto Junior with 3-0 sets and the Argentinian Gaston Alto with 3-2 sets respectively. He also played in the opening doubles of the two matches and had the same number of victories with his teammate the current Portuguese European champion in children’s singles, Thiago Abiodun. His teammate in Galomar is the Portuguese international João Monteiro, with whom he also works in Olympiakos.

Angelakis will also participate in the Swedish League this year. In the first matchday, Sparwagen lost away to BTK Sevlinge with 4-2 sets. The great defender had 1 win and 1 loss. First, he was beaten by Japan’s Soma Nishihara in 3-1 sets and then defeated Sweden’s David Anderson 3-0.

Last Saturday in France, the vast majority of the Greek athletes who were mentioned in foreign teams in the EFOEPA transfer circular took part in the start.

In the men and for the third group of National 1 (third category), the ASPTT Roman of Constantinos Konstantinopoulos won 8-1 away from Sartre. The two-time champion of Greece in men’s singles scored two individual victories.

Also, in National 1, the Country of Gerasimos Hatzilygeroudis will compete in the first group. In the premiere, they prevailed at home against Saint-Jean/Lyon with 8-2. The two-time “bronze” Balkan champion of the men’s team showed 1 win and 1 loss.

With his new team, Havre, George Konstantinopoulos competed in National 2 (fourth division). In the 8-4 home win for the third group over Villiers, the current Greek men’s doubles champion made it three wins.

Tasos Riniotis’ Courbevoie 2 is also in National 2. Competing in the eighth group of the first phase, it was drawn 7-7 by Nantes Doulon. The current runner-up of Greece in men’s singles had 2 wins and 1 loss at the individual level.

In the same category, Saint-Pierre 2 of Yiannis Vlotinos and Zisis Doukeris started its attempt from the third group. In the opener, they lost 8-4 at home to Abbeville. Vlotinos, record holder in the Panhellenic men’s singles titles, scored three victories. The current champion of Greece in the double mixed U21 experienced the same number of defeats.

In National 3, Dimitris Kordoutis competed with Antibes 3 in the fifth group. In the 8-5 win against ASPTT Roman as a guest, last year’s “bronze” Balkan champion of the men’s team achieved three victories.

In the same category and with the colors of Hermon Plessis, Yiannis Boskovics started his matches. In the opening game of the eighth group, his team defeated Roman 3 at home. Boskovic had three wins in as many matches.

Fotis Arvanitis is present in France again this year with the jersey of Esirol Ebien. For the first group of the Pre-National (sixth division) his team lost at home 8-6 to Villefranche and our athlete showed 1 win and 2 losses.

Among the women, Aliki Kiuffi, remaining in Rennes, had also agreed to play in the second League of France with the first team. Thus, he had the pleasure of participating in this year’s Pro B premiere and the home match against Issy Le Moulineau. Rennes lost 3-1 sets.

From position 1, the current runner-up of Greece in women’s singles played two very difficult matches and came close to a positive result. Initially, she was beaten 3-1 in a set by Audrey Matene (who in the recent past had competed for one year at Olympiakos) and then by Lucy Mobarek 3-2 in overtime of the fifth set.

The leading Greek athlete, Katerina Toliou, is also in Rennes, but she could not compete in the first matchday of Pro B due to Panathinaikos’ matches in the Champions League.

Also, due to the commitments with Panathinaikos in the top European Cup, Constantina Paridis was absent from the premiere of the National categories. Continues to Bourgouin Jaglio and National 1.

Élisabeth Terpoux, who remains in France and returned to Saint-Pierre, was present at the start of National 2. For the first group, her team beat Thorin Fouillard 8-1 away from home. The two-time champion of Greece in the Young women’s singles, who has arranged to play some matches in Pro B as well, prevailed last Saturday in both her individual games.