The new season was solemnly opened in Heraklion with the 1st development championship of Attica

With the strongest image, young athletes in a leading role, this weekend 28 and 29/09 opened the new season in table tennis. Heraklion Attica hosted for the first time in history a pan-Hellenic development tournament, gathered 202 boys and girls from 51 clubs in the country (with three last-minute absences) and in very good conditions gave them the opportunity to enjoy their first matches after the summer vacation. In the closed municipal gymnasium “Olympionikis Hara Karyami”, the competitive action lasted more than 20 hours, offered strong moments and ended late Sunday afternoon with spectacular finals.

In a city that has left its own mark on the sport, the individual championship was organized by E.F.O.E.P.A. in collaboration with the local table tennis association AO Heraklion 2001 and the municipality of Heraklion. The gold medals were won by Alexandros Alexopoulos among teenagers, Mavra Kontopoulou among juniors, Theofanis Markoulakis among girls, Chen Yudie among girls, Marios Seridis among girls, Anastasia Michalarou among girls, Panagiotis-Romanos Moustos among mini girls and Cleo Madesis in the mini pankorasides.

The gre78.tv channel of the KOUSgroup Group, which is a major sponsor of E.F.O.E.P.A., was close to this event as well and highlighted the efforts of the children. He live-streamed the last four hours or so of the two-day program, covered the awards ceremony, captured a wealth of photographic material and secured many behind-the-scenes shots.

The people of Heraklion 2001 secured benefits for the athletes from the sponsors and offered them a bag of isotonic drink, banana, water and halva bar. Pizzas were also given to the secretariat and referees, while bananas were available for consumption at other times. It is also important that the gym had air conditioning and of course the canteen worked.

This afternoon, the mayor of Heraklion Attica, Nikos Babalos, was also at the games, but he did not have the time to stay for the awards. Also, the local union prepared an honorary plaque for Stathis Kordatos, the city’s first table tennis coach, and will deliver it to him in Pyrgos, where he has lived for years.

Kordatos was the man who started the sport in the municipality at the end of the 1970s and, with APO Heraklis Heraklion at the time, he created very remarkable teams (with top exponents Kostas Madesis, coach today and one of the organizers of the development tournament and Giorgos Filippopoulos) and brought top honors. He worked at the union until 1984 and the Panhellenic title in the children’s team.

For the competitive part now, it should be noted first that the girls’ category did not have the well-known system with groups and progressive knockout. Due to the small participation, the winners came from a single group and “one for all” system.

In the teenagers, the beginning of the development teams again belonged to Alexandros Alexopoulos, as last year in Pefki. From the base of the scoreboard, our 18-year-old international reached the top by winning the final with a 3-0 set by Yiannis Malamoudis (11-8, 11-1, 12-10).

In the news from the category that the 1st favorite Dimitris Sotiropoulos and the Greek runner-up of the simple teenager Giannis Koutras were left out of the medals. They were eliminated in the 8th round and with a score of 3-2 the first by Kosmas and the second by Kerasidis (the overthrow of the latter from 0-2 took place with three sets in overtime)! Also in the five sets and the… depths of overtime, Malamoudi’s semi-final with Kosmas was decided.

The junior final was exciting. Mavra Kontopoulou from position 2 defeated the 1st favorite and current Greek champion of the category, Evangelia Meramvelliotaki, with 3-2 sets. He narrowly won the first two sets, accepted the draw and prevailed in the also closed 5th set (11-9, 12-10, 4-11, 9-11, 11-8).

Chaniotis Theofanis Markoulakis was the winner in the boys category and one would say that he once again stole the show. The 11-year-old Greek champion of mini girls in 2024 chose to compete in the children’s category (and not in the girls’ category, which he entered this year) and managed to reach the top! And after defeating the 1st favorite, Dimitris Georgallidis, in the semi-final with an upset from 0-2, in the final he prevailed over Giorgos Sassanis with 3-1 sets (11-4, 5-11, 11-4, 11-6). Sassanis is in his first year at K15.

The girls did not have a knockout, as we mentioned above, but the results in the single group came in such a way that the match of the last weekend became decisive for the championship. Chen Yudie, who last season became the champion of Greece in women’s tennis and had the odds on her side, defeated Despina Dimitriou with 3-0 sets (11-8, 11-7, 11-7) and took the first place undefeated.

Marios Seridis celebrated his maiden title in Pampaides. In the final, he had the solutions against defender Giorgos Petrakis and prevailed with a 3-0 set (11-4, 11-7, 11-5).

In the pankorasides, the first two favorites claimed the gold medal. From the top of the scoreboard, Anastasia Michalaru advanced, from the base Elpida Tassiou and they offered an ambiguous and strong match. Michalaro is the winner in five sets, turning the situation around from 0-2 behind (8-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-8).

Panagiotis-Romanos Moustos climbed to the highest step of the podium in the mini-papaides. In the most critical points against Alexandros Fousekis, he had the last ball and took the victory with a 3-0 set (13-11, 11-8, 11-9). Being in the final is a new experience for both kids.

Cleo Madesis confirmed the informal role of the 1st favorite in the mini pangorasides. In the final, the Greek champion of the category prevailed over the 2nd favorite, Argyros Koutroubas with 3-0 sets (11-8, 11-9, 11-4).

Prizes were awarded by the president of EFOEPA Kostas Papageorgiou, the member of the board of directors of the federation Xenia Stathis, the former and for many years member of the administration Giorgos Papageorgiou, the men’s federal coach Kostas Vatsaklis, the federal coach and member of the organizing committee of the games Chrysoula Toursounidou and Yiannis Katsantonis from Thessaloniki, partner of the local union. Also present at the gym on both days is the member of the Board of Directors of EFOEPA and president of the Local Committee of Western Greece/Peloponnese Panagiotis Tzovolos.

The winners in each category:

TEENAGERS:

1. Alexandros Alexopoulos (DAO Tavrou)

2. Yiannis Malamoudis (Phoenicia Agia Sophia Piraeus)

3. Giorgos Kosmas (DAO Tavros)

CHILDREN:

1. Mavra Kontopoulou (PKD Tavrou)

2. Evangelia Meramvelliotakis (Olympiacos SFP)

3. Katerina Alexoudi (ASEA Kavala)

CHILDREN:

1. Theofanis Markoulakis (AES Ikaros Kastritsiou)

2. Giorgos Sassanis (Telamon of Salamina)

3. Anastasios Fousekis (AO Poseidon Loutraki)

GIRLS:

1. Chen Yudie (POK Esperos Kallithea)

2. Despina Dimitriou (GAS Elefsis-Dimitra 1972)

3. Samira Jain (AS Proodos Voujas Rafina)

PAMPADES:

1. Marios Seridis (AES Ikaros Kastritsiou)

2. Giorgos Petrakis (AES Ikaros Kastritsiou)

3. Dimitris-Marios Alexandridis (Telamon of Salamina)

PANGORASIDES:

1. Anastasia Michalaru (AS Proodos Voutzas Rafina)

2. Elpida Tassiou (AO Thermis Thermaios)

3. Anthi Tulia (AS Proodos Voutzas Rafina)

MINI PAMPADEES:

1. Panagiotis-Romanos Moustos (AS Proodos Voutzas Rafina)

2. Alexandros Fousekis (AES Ikaros Katsritsiou)

3. Fotis Ziutos (FAS Trikala)

MINI PANGORASIDES:

1. Cleo Madesis (AO Heraklion 2001)

2. Argyro Koutrouba (OA of Chania)

3. Marina Katsantoni (HAN Thessaloniki)

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE “LITTLE” FINALS

In the “small” finals we had fights until the 5th set on two occasions. In the juniors where Dimitris-Marios Alexandridis beat Nikos Alexidis of AS Pera Thessaloniki and in the juniors where Anastasios Fousekis prevailed over Dimitris Georgallidis (SPA Lykovrysis Pefkis).

From then on, among the teenagers, Giorgos Kosmas came 3rd, defeating his teammate in the DAO Tavrou Heraklis Kerasidis with a 3-1 set. In the juniors, Katerina Alexoudi beat Angela Noure (OA Chania) with 3-0 sets, in the mini singles, Fotis Ziutos with the same score over Michalis-Giorgos Zafeiropoulos (AO Achaias i Galini) and in the mini pangorasides, Marina Katsantoni also with 3 -0 Ioanna Evagelatou (AO Koronida Galatsiou).

Finally, in the women’s singles, Anthi Toulia overcame Fotini-Aikaterini Papalexi of HAN Thessaloniki with a 3-1 set.