Germany Makes Strong Start at European Team Championships
Istanbul, Turkey – – The German national badminton team began its campaign at the 2026 European Men’s & Women’s Team Championships with a mixed bag of results, showcasing both resilience and competitive spirit against challenging opponents. The women’s team secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory over Estonia, while the men battled valiantly but ultimately fell to a strong French side.
Women’s Team Edges Past Estonia in Thrilling Contest
The German women’s team faced a determined Estonian squad in their opening match, ultimately prevailing 3-2 after a series of closely contested battles. Miranda Wilson opened the day’s proceedings in the first singles, falling to Kristin Kuuba 12-21, 20-22, despite a marked improvement in the second set. However, Selin Hübsch and Amelie Lehmann quickly leveled the score with a confident performance in the first doubles, defeating Catlyn Kruus and Ramona Üprus 21-15, 21-17.
The second singles match proved to be a pivotal moment. Katharina Nilges secured a crucial point for Germany, overcoming Helis Pajuste 21-13 in the first set before dropping the second 12-21. Nilges demonstrated impressive stamina and determination to clinch the deciding set 21-17, putting Germany ahead.
Isabel Lohau and Emma Moszczynski then sealed the victory for Germany in the second doubles. After losing the first set 11-21 to Kristin Kuuba and Helina Rüütel, they rallied to win the next two sets 21-9, 21-18, securing the decisive third point. Lisa Paula Bonnemann’s final singles match against Catlyn Kruus (11-21, 21-12, 15-21) didn’t alter the final outcome.
National coach Johanna Käpplein praised the team’s fighting spirit, stating, “With the absences of Yvonne and Thuc, the mindset was crucial. We really wanted to fight – and that’s exactly what the team showed. Katharina Nilges in particular really gave it her all in the second singles. Isabel and Emma also turned around the doubles with a lot of routine. That was a strong team performance with great support from outside.”
Men’s Team Shows Grit Against Top-Ranked France
The German men’s team faced a significantly tougher challenge in their opening match, taking on France, widely considered a tournament favorite and boasting European champion Alex Lanier and the formidable Popov brothers. Despite the disparity in rankings, the German team put up a strong showing, ultimately falling 1-4.
Matthias Kicklitz led off the day against Lanier, losing a hard-fought match 12-21, 19-21. Kian-Yu Oei then faced Vice European Champion Toma Junior Popov, winning the first set impressively 21-18 before ultimately succumbing to Popov’s class 8-21, 11-21.
A highlight of the day came from Simon Krax and Jonathan Dresp, the newly crowned German men’s doubles champions. They delivered a stunning performance against Thom Gicquel and Eloi Adam, winning 21-14, 10-21, 21-16 and securing Germany’s sole point of the match.
Sanjeevi Vasudevan lost to Arnaud Merkle 11-21, 15-21 in the third singles. The final match of the day saw Bjarne Geiss and Jones Jansen deliver a thrilling performance against the reigning European champions, Christo and Toma Junior Popov. They fought their way into a third set, even earning two match points, but were narrowly defeated 19-21, 21-16, 21-23.
Head national coach Hannes Käsbauer acknowledged the challenge posed by the French team but remained optimistic. “We got to a good level in all games. We wanted to use that as self-confidence for the next team games. That was a lot of resistance against strong French people today. So we are ready for more and are looking forward to tomorrow against Turkey.”
Looking Ahead: Denmark and Turkey Await
The German women’s team will face tournament favorites Denmark on at 8:30 a.m. German time. The men’s team will then take on the host nation, Turkey, at 12:30 p.m. German time.
All matches from the European Team Championships are being broadcast live and free of charge on badmintoneurope.tv. Fans can find the complete schedule and results at badmintoneurope.com.
