Table tennis squads from Sarthe are preparing for a demanding second fixture in the French national championships on Saturday, October 3, 2026. Following a largely successful opening weekend across various divisions, the region’s top clubs face formidable opponents, ranging from Pro B title contenders to seasoned regional rivals.
Pro B Women Face Argentan at Salle Micheline-Ostermeyer
Alex Lelaure’s squad secured an opening win against Schiltigheim, a club widely tipped for promotion to Pro A. Their upcoming opponents arrive looking to bounce back from an opening-day defeat against Courbevoie. The Le Mans coach welcomed the early tests against league heavyweights, noting that facing top-tier competition right away provides an ideal entry point to the season.
Nationale 1 Women Welcome Annecy and Former Star
In the Nationale 1 Women’s division, Le Mans plays host to an ambitious Annecy side that has long targeted promotion to the upper echelons of French table tennis. Annecy’s roster now includes Ekaterina Fischer, a player who spent several seasons helping build the history of Le Mans Sarthe TT from Nationale 2 up to Pro A. Frédéric Lesimple, coaching the Le Mans team, acknowledged the strength of the visiting lineup, emphasizing that his players will fight to hold their ground.
Nationale 1 Men Travel to Face Lyon
The men’s Nationale 1 fixture takes Vibraye on the road to face Lyon. Damien Provost, a leading player for Vibraye, described the fixture as both critical and exceptionally difficult. Facing opponents with deep rosters, Provost stressed the importance of maintaining composure and chasing an upset away from home.
Nationale 3 Men Face Tough Regional Road Trips
With only one of Sarthe’s three Nationale 3 men’s teams winning their opening match, the second round presents steep away challenges. Newly promoted Arnage travels to Cabourg. Gabin Joubert, the Arnage captain, noted that facing a homogeneous opponent with higher-ranked players makes for a difficult afternoon, though the squad retains confidence following their promotion.
Elsewhere in the division, another Le Mans squad visits CAM Bordeaux, where team captain Maelig Chalmel pointed to the youth and high potential of the Bordeaux roster. Bordeaux finished third in Nationale 3 last year with four victories and three defeats. Meanwhile, the second Le Mans contingent travels to face Futuro Valvert in Jaunay-Clan. Futuro Valvert opened their season by splitting points against Biarritz following their relegation from Nationale 2. Guillaume Ciroux highlighted the strength of the opponents within a tightly matched pool.
