True champions are defined not only by results, but also by character

From 7 to 11 May, Bratislava proudly hosted the European Table Tennis U21 Championships for the first time in its history. The ninth edition of this prestigious event brought together 56 male and 56 female athletes, competing across five categories in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.

The event took place in a year when the Slovak Table Tennis Association (SSTZ) commemorates the centenary of table tennis in Slovakia and it is also ten years since Slovakia hosted the European Youth Championships in 2015. 

It goes without saying that the Fair Play Club of the Slovak Olympic and Sports Committee, which has been successfully cooperating with the Slovak Table Tennis Association for a long time in spreading the ideas of fair play, was not absent at this important event.

A highlight of this partnership was the presentation of the Fair Play Award, which recognises  the importance of honesty, integrity and respect in sport.

This year’s recipient was Gabrielius Camara of the Netherlands. In a decisive fifth game against Nathan Lam of France, with the score at 7:5, Camara made an extraordinary gesture. He stopped play to inform the referee that the ball had touched his chin during his serve — a detail that had gone unnoticed by everyone else.  As a result, he lost the point, the rhythm of the match, and ultimately, the game itself.

Yet what he gained was immeasurable: the admiration and respect of the sporting community.

In recognition of his exemplary sportsmanship, the Fair Play Plaque was awarded to Gabrielius Camara by Tatiana Švecová, member of the Executive Committee of the Fair Play Club and a laureate of the European Fair Play Movement's Diploma of Recognition, accompanied by the President of the Slovak Table Tennis Association, Anton Hamran

Gabrielius Camara’s act reminds us that true victory lies not just in winning matches, but in upholding the values that define great athletes—and great human beings.

15.06.2025