11 young European players attend Gangneung training camp: Asia opens the door, what does Europe learn?

The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) confirmed that 11 young European players have arrived in Gangneung, South Korea, for a joint training camp with the national teams of South Korea, Japan and Chinese Taipei. The 10-day camp runs until September 12. Two friendly matches were scheduled on September 5 and 8. The players will then compete at the WTT Youth Contender Gangneung. This is the second phase of the ETTU Asia-Europe development programme, running from December 2026 to spring 2027. Earlier camps took place on Jeju Island and in Havířov, Czech Republic. The absence of China suggests ETTU is prioritising accessible high-quality partners rather than avoiding the world leader. No player names or match statistics were released, which indicates a development-focused initiative. The immediate value is cultural and technical exposure, while the long-term value lies in the structured preparation before a ranking event. For Vietnamese table tennis, the real lesson is strategic: connect a short high-intensity camp directly to a youth ranking tournament so progress can be measured. Whether Vietnam can build a similar model in Southeast Asia remains an open question.