SVT broadcasts the team EC in table tennis: "Can't wait"

The Team EC will be played in Malmö Arena 10-17 September 2023, on SVT's channels.

The agreement covers at least twelve hours live on SVT1 or SVT2.

- Table tennis is a sport that we know our audience likes, there is a proud history and several Swedish players at the highest European level nowadays.

We always want to be with and when Swedish athletes fight for medals in major international championships, and now that the EC is on home soil, it obviously feels extra interesting, says SVT's acting sports director Max Bursell.

The investment continues

In recent years, SVT has invested in table tennis and has, among other things, broadcast the WC in Halmstad 2018 where the Swedish men's team took bronze, the WC in Budapest 2019 where Mattias Falck took silver, the WC in Houston where Mattias Falck and Kristian Karlsson took gold in doubles and Truls Möregårdh silver in singles and the EC in Munich as recently as last autumn where Falck/Karlsson took home yet another doubles title. 

- It is extremely gratifying and fantastic fun to be able to invite those who, against the odds, are not in place in Malmö Arena to absolute top-class table tennis at home on the TV sofas.

SVT is clearly at the forefront when it comes to sports, so we are really looking forward to this collaboration, says Dennis Lindahl, chairman of the Swedish Table Tennis Association.

"Not often that happens"

Expectations for the championship are high – also from the players' side.

- I'm really into it and I know that everyone in the team is.

A team EC at home, it doesn't happen often.

I can hardly wait, says Truls Möregårdh.

Before the team EC in Sweden, the WC in South Africa awaits in March, but the 20-year-old has already set his sights on September.

- It means a lot, great fun that SVT will broadcast.

Now that handball is playing, where I watch every match, it looks like crazy fun to play at home.

We must really take advantage of the chance and win a gold, he says.

"Something else does not exist"

Sweden's men will begin the EC adventure on the opening day, Sunday 10 September, while the women's first match will be played either Sunday 10 September or Monday 11 September, depending on whether they are seeded or not. 

- Of course we are aiming for gold at home, hopefully with good crowd support, there is nothing else, says men's national team captain Jörgen Persson.