A total of 134 players from across 28 different associations have signed up for the event in the Montenegrin capital, with the Paralympic champions headlining the entry list.
Van Zon (NED) claimed her fourth consecutive Paralympic title last summer and took a break from international competition since, but will aim to continue winning ways at her return this week. The 37-year-old Dutch star is the top favorite in the Women’s C7 class.
Alongside Van Zon, another player aims to build on her Paris 2024 success. Najlah Al Dayyeni, who made history by earning Iraq its first-ever female Paralympic gold medal, also returns to international action, headlining the Women’s C6.
Germany’s Thomas Schmidberger, who earned a silver in the Men’s C3 at Paris 2024, is another player to look out for as the Podgerica event marks his competitive return.
Home fans will look forward to seeing Paris 2024 and Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist Filip Radovic (MNE) shine on the home tables. Radovic won Montenegro’s first-ever Paralympic medal when he claimed bronze in Tokyo and has been successful on the international stage ever since. In front of the home crowd, he will look for success in the Men’s C10 event.
It’s the fourth time the Montenegrin capital of Podgerica hosts an event like this, since they started hosting para events in 2022.
What are the Challenger events?
A step up on the ladder from the Future events, Challenger aims to bring a higher intensity and even more unmissable moments.
From the debut in Wladyslawowo, Poland, the action took a trip to São Paulo, Brazil, with Montenegrin capital Podgorica following this week.
Over the remainder of the year Challenger will head to Lasko (Slovenia), Kaohsiung (Chinese Taipei), Astana (Kazakhstan), Al Ain (UAE) and Giza (Egypt).
What Has Happened In The Challenger Series So Far?
The first ITTF Para Challenger event took place in Wladyslawowo, Poland, where 24 titles were decided across four days, with the likes of home hero Maciej Makajew coming out on top in the C11-class. Two-time Paralympic champion Tommy Urhaug (NOR) secured victory in M4-5.
In the women’s competition, there was plenty to celebrate for Andela Muzinic Vincetic. The Croatian class 3 player emerged on top in the Class 1-5, building on what was surely a pinnacle Paris gold medal back in 2024.
Ukraine’s Maryna Lyvotchenko was another of those who brought her best to Wladyslawowo. Lycvotchenko defeated the likes of Cajsa Stadler and Katarzyna Marszal en route to Class 6 victory.
In São Paulo, home favorite Joyce de Oliveira (BRA) claimed three titles. She emerged victorious in the Singles C1-5 category and then added golds in both the Women’s Doubles 5-10 and the Mixed Doubles XD10. Bruna Alexandre (BRA) topped the singles rankings in the Women’s 8-10 class, while Paris 2024 bronze medallist Ander Cepas from Spain showed top level of play for victory in the Men’s C9. Ignacio Torres (CHI) landed on top in the Men’s C6 category.
Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist Jenson van Emburgh (USA) grabbed gold in the Men’s C3 event after he beat Welder Camargo Knaf (BRA) in the final. Van Emburgh then teamed up with Alan Zachary Pickett (USA) to claim victory in the Men’s Doubles 4-8 class.
How to follow the action
Follow the action LIVE across two tables in Montenegro. They will be available to watch here on day 1, and on ITTF’s YouTube channel from Day 2 onwards. And you can keep up-to-date with all of the results as they happen on our website. Keep an eye across our social media channels as well, where we will look to bring you the key moments, celebrations and results.
A Recap on the Three-tiers
Announced in November 2024, the new structure of the Para circuit incorporates three separate tiers: future, challenger and elite.
- Future is designed as a development point for emerging talents to hone their skills on the international stage and build their ranking.
- Challenger is the next step on the ladder. Competitions will tend to be larger and adopt a higher intensity. With up to eight Challenger events in 2025, each one promises to create big stories and develop exciting rivalries.
- Elite is where you can expect the very top stars of Para sport to meet. Huge showdowns, moments of pure magic and exhilarating competition are all guaranteed.
Each event in 2025 has something major at stake: valuable ranking points. Points will be awarded based off performances at each event, with the rankings adjusting throughout the course of the year to track who has been performing at the most consistent level.
For 2025, there is a one-year transition period which allows players to defend those points accumulated over the previous 52 weeks.
