Elizabeth Abrahamian wins European Table Tennis championship
Slovenian Restrictions Strip Russian Champion of Flag and Anthem at Table Tennis Finals
German player Annett Kaufmann lost the European Table Tennis Championship final in Ljubljana against Elizabeth Abrahamian, who competed without Russian national symbols after local authorities barred them, welt.de reported. While the European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) permitted the new champion to enter the tournament following the lifting of international bans in July 2026, host officials in Slovenia enforced strict mandates requiring athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete without national flags, anthems, or official insignia.
The ETTU stated that host authorities established specific conditions for the Ljubljana championships, obligating the governing body to implement the restrictions despite having no objections to flags or anthems themselves. This tournament outcome follows an initial ban on Russian athletes and teams implemented after the invasion of Ukraine. Abrahamian had already returned to World Table Tennis tour events in 2025 before international championship bans were lifted by the ETTU and the international governing body in July 2026, according to welt.de, allgaeuer-zeitung.de, and ga.de.
Personal Stakes and Tight Sets Define the Finale
For the 20-year-old Kaufmann, the final carried personal context due to a friendship with Abrahamian that began during their youth years prior to the conflict in Ukraine. Kaufmann’s parents are former elite winter sports athletes born in Kazakhstan. After dropping a tight match in seven sets, Kaufmann noted her opponent simply played better balls, though she admitted difficulty in processing the loss. Let’s put it this way: I’m – to exaggerate a bit – not used to losing in the final. Because most of the time, when I’ve been in a final, I’ve managed to win it.
Kaufmann said through tears, as cited by welt.de, allgaeuer-zeitung.de, and ga.de, adding that she views the result as motivation.
The path to the final required Kaufmann to win internal German matchups, defeating Ying Han four games to zero in the quarterfinals and prevailing 4:3 against Nina Mittelham in the semifinals. German sports director Richard Prause referred to these domestic pairings as cappuccino matches due to the relaxed viewing environment they provide coaching staff. The wider German delegation secured a strong medal haul in Ljubljana, highlighted by a mixed doubles gold from Mittelham and Benedikt Duda, alongside bronze medals for Mittelham and Kaufmann in women’s doubles and Dang Qiu in men’s singles.
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