Coaching legend, Waldi and more: the special features of the TTBL locations

Traditional teams and newcomers, performance centers, table tennis legends and much more: the clubs in the German Table Tennis League (TTBL) each have their own unique identity. We have put together some of the special features of the twelve TTBL locations.

Borussia Düsseldorf

The heart of German table tennis beats at Borussia Düsseldorf: the German Table Tennis Center has been located here since 2006, serving as a national base for the men's and women's national teams as well as a full-time boarding school for the German Table Tennis Association and has already produced numerous Bundesliga players. The initiator and driving force was Hans Wilhelm Gäb, who has since been appointed Honorary President of the DTTB.

1. FC Saarbrücken TT

From department to independence: Until 2011, 1. FC Saarbrücken TT belonged to 1. FC Saarbrücken, whose footballers currently play in the 3rd division, and was one of the founding members of the Bundesliga in 1966. Becoming independent finally marked the beginning of an era of success that continues to this day: FCS was promoted to the TTBL in 2010, finished fifth in its first year and has since established itself among the top teams and been rewarded with titles. Saarbrücken has won the German Table Tennis Cup twice (2012, 2022) and the Champions League twice (2023, 2024), and the German Championship once (2020).

TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen

One of the most important addresses in European junior table tennis can be found in Ochsenhausen: TTF Liebherr Ochsenhausen established a world-class talent factory in 2012 with the Liebherr Masters College. Top talents from all over the world are trained here and further developed at partner clubs - always with the aim of bringing them into the TTF TTBL team. And with considerable success: today's TTBL players Hugo Calderano, Simon Gauzy, Yuto Muramatsu and numerous others were formed at the LMC.

Post SV Mühlhausen

Cramped, loud, explosive: Post SV Mühlhausen's Post-Halle on the historic Kristanplatz is probably the most atmospheric arena in the German table tennis league. It has been extensively renovated since 1998 and has developed into a gem with space for a maximum of 426 fans - so it's no wonder that home and visiting players regularly speak reverently of the “Hexenkessel”. And the hall is also regularly full to bursting outside the Bundesliga: Erik Schreyer and the Post coaching team are on site almost every day, training with players of all ages in both popular and competitive sports.

ASC Grünwettersbach

Everything has been different in Grünwettersbach since last fall: the merger of ASV Grünwettersbach, which has been playing in the TTBL since 2016, and SC Wettersbach became official on October 23, 2023. In addition to pooling resources and offering a wide range of sports - ASC also plays soccer, tennis and volleyball, among others - the Grünwettersbachers are relying on a strong community as usual. “ASC Grünwettersbach is not just a merger of two sports clubs, but a strong, diverse and vibrant community that gives hope for many successful years to come,” the club writes on its homepage.

TSV Bad Königshofen

Mizuki Oikawa, Yukiya Uda, Jin Ueda: time and again, world-class players from Japan are drawn to Bad Königshofen, a town of 6,000 inhabitants in the district of Rhön-Grabfeld in Lower Franconia. On the one hand, this is made possible by the excellent relationship with partner Shakehands, which has been offering online table tennis courses since 2014. On the other hand, Japanese coaching legend Koji Itagaki joined the club in 2016 and has been an integral part of it ever since. Itagaki's children Koharu and Akito also play table tennis successfully: Akito has already made his debut in the TTBL, Koharu became the youngest German champion of all time in June (in mixed doubles with Daniel Rinderer, 14 years and 141 days) and is playing in the women's Bundesliga for TSV Dachau in the new season.

SV Werder Bremen

More than just soccer: SV Werder Bremen not only has a successful soccer team, but is also extremely successful in other departments. The table tennis team has been a permanent fixture in the Bundesliga since being promoted again in 2007 and celebrated the German championship in 2013 with Chuang Chih-Yuan, Adrian Crisan, Paul Drinkhall and Constantin Cioti; last season, the team made it to the play-offs. The chess team, eSports and athletics departments can also look back on various DM titles and/or cup wins. Werder's women's handball team will also be competing in the Bundesliga 2 in 2024/25.

TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt

Without the name Duda, TTC Schwalbe Bergneustadt would hardly be conceivable in its current form: Home-grown Benedikt Duda has been with the club since 2003, has been in the TTBL since 2014 and is also the great hope for a single-digit place in the table in the new season. Brother Frederik Duda coaches the team, father Heinz Duda is the team's sports manager and numerous other family members actively help out at the club and on match days.

TTC Zugbrücke Grenzau

Grenzau occupies a very special position on the German table tennis map. The six-time German champion is closely intertwined with the Wellnesshotel Zugbrücke - both were founded by the current TTC Honorary President Manfred Gstettner - which, with its associated table tennis school, has been offering a unique program in Germany for almost five decades. Several professional coaches look after players of all abilities on site.

TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell

TTC RhönSprudel Fulda-Maberzell can look back on a rich history and numerous top players, but one stands out in particular: Olympic champion (1992) and two-time world champion (1989, 1997) Jan-Ove Waldner played for the East Hessians for a total of seven years and led the team to the first play-off appearance in the club's history (2008). However, the team from Fulda have been waiting in vain for the big win so far: they have finished runners-up three times (2014, 2015, 2017), runners-up in the German Table Tennis Cup four times (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016) and runners-up in the ETTU Cup once (2010).

Borussia Dortmund

The TTBL adventure kicks off on August 23: The opening match at SV Werder Bremen will also be Borussia Dortmund's Bundesliga debut. The first home match will take place on September 8 against ASC Grünwettersbach on match day 3. And the second division champions have not only given their all in sporting terms, but also structurally, for promotion to the TTBL. Instead of playing in the small Brügmann-Halle, BVB will in future be playing in the large Brügmann-Halle, which can hold around 1,000 spectators. The technology has been upgraded so that all fans can also tune in from afar, meaning that all Dortmund matches can of course be watched live on Dyn.

TTC OE Bad Homburg

Kristian Karlsson, a former world champion (2021 in doubles) and Olympic silver medal winner, is in the TTC OE Bad Homburg squad - and yet the most prominent name is not in the box. Helmut Hampl once discovered and supported players such as Timo Boll and Patrick Franziska, is considered a German coaching legend and has been involved with TTC OE Bad Homburg for three years now. Hampl is the sports director for the TTC's TTBL team and, of course, is also involved in the club's youth development work. “We want to build a performance center in the long term,” Hampl said at the start of his involvement in 2021. The return to the TTBL is now an important step on the way to shaping Bad Homburg into a top German team in the long term.

Featured image above: (Photo: BeLa Sportfoto)