At the European Table Tennis Championships in Ljubljana, Germany’s Annett Kaufmann lost a hard-fought singles final in seven sets to neutral participant Elizabeth Abrahamian, who captured the title but was denied her country’s national anthem and flag during the medal ceremony due to host-country restrictions imposed by Slovenian authorities, as reported by Welt and corroborated by Volksstimme.
Host Nation Enforces Neutrality Conditions on Podium
The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) explained in an official statement that Slovenian authorities established strict conditions for the participation of athletes from Russia and Belarus. Under the local directives, competitors had to forgo national flags, anthems, coats of arms, and any other official state insignia. The ETTU stated that it was obligated to enforce these host-country mandates specifically for the Ljubljana tournament, adding that the governing body itself had no administrative objection to flags or anthems.
Sanctions Lifted Ahead of the Ljubljana Championships
International table tennis bodies initially barred Russian players and teams from all competitions following the invasion of Ukraine. Abrahamian returned to World Table Tennis (WTT) circuit events in 2025. In July 2026, the ETTU and the WTT lifted the start ban for international championships, clearing the way for the 23-year-old to compete in Ljubljana.
Childhood Friends Meet in a High-Stakes Final
For the 20-year-old Kaufmann, the title match carried distinct personal weight. Her parents are former high-performance athletes in ice hockey and alpine skiing who were born in Kazakhstan. Kaufmann and Abrahamian formed a close friendship during their youth circuit days, long before the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. “We are very good friends. I like her a lot. And she plays unbelievably good table tennis. In the end, she simply played the better points,” Kaufmann said after dropping the match 3:4 in sets.
Visibly emotional during the post-match remarks, Kaufmann reflected on the rare taste of defeat. “Let’s put it this way: to put it exaggeratedly, I’m not used to losing in a final. Because most of the time when I’ve been in a final, I’ve been able to win it,” she said through tears. “But I think it was a good tournament. I fought and gave my best in the final. The only thing I can do now is accept this, hold on to the positives, and use it as motivation.”
German Squad Delivers Strong Overall Tournament Bilanz
Kaufmann punched her ticket to the title match by navigating a grueling draw that featured two all-German showdowns. She defeated Ying Han 4:0 in the quarterfinals before edging Nina Mittelham 4:3 in a dramatic semifinal. German sports director Richard Prause refers to such encounters as “cappuccino matches” because he can watch them without coaching stress. The broader German delegation enjoyed a productive tournament in Ljubljana, highlighted by 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.
Kaufmann occupies a unique role within the national setup, stepping into a primary leadership position following the retirement of table tennis legend Timo Boll. National coach Tamara Boros emphasized Kaufmann’s upward trajectory, noting that the young German poses a serious threat to top Asian competitors. Having reached the Olympic semifinals in Paris 2024, claimed the U19 world title in 2024, won team European gold in 2025, and secured World Championship bronze in 2026, Kaufmann continues to log heavy minutes as a full professional on the global circuit.
