SWEDEN LIFT WOMEN’s EUROPEAN TEAM DIVISION 3 TITLE
Sweden’s women won the ESF European Team Division 3 Squash Championship with a tense victory over Hungary in the final at the Malta National Squash Centre.
After one win apiece for Hungary no.1 Hannah Chukwu and Sweden’s Malin Frank, the match went to a deciding rubber in which Lovisa Ronge stole the glory courtesy of a four-game victory over Gabriella Csókási.
By reaching the final, both Sweden and Hungary knew that they had sealed promotion to Division 2 for 2026, but both wanted to go one step further by lifting the trophy.
Sweden have not played in Division 2 for 10 years whilst Hungary’s absence from European squash’s most prestigious team championships is almost as long.
The Swedes had a tough route through to the final. They lost to Hungary in the pool stage and their match with Croatia went to the deciding rubber. Their semi-final against Austria also went down to the third match, and the final against Hungary once again proved to be a tight affair.
Hungary took an early lead in the final with Trinity College student Hannah Chukwu taking on Sweden’s Moa Bonnemark, who’s in her Junior year at Drexel. The battle of the undergraduates went the Hungarian no.1’s way 11-4 11-4 16-14.
Bonnemark said: “It was tough. We also played each other in the group stage which was similar, with a quick first two games then a tiebreak in the third. I got into the match a bit too late. I’m still pretty happy with how I played. I did my best and I can’t do more than that!”
Sweden hit back from Bonnemark’s defeat, with their no.3 Malin Frank overcoming Csenge Kiss-Máté via three tie-breaks – 12-10 12-10 13-11.
It came down to Lovisa Ronge and Gabriella Csókási and it was the tall Swede who won a tense four-game decider to confirm the Division 3 title.
After the final, Bonnemark said: “It feels amazing! We are absolutely over the moon.
“We are very excited to play in Division 2 next year. This is something we’ve been wanting to do for the last four years that this set of girls have been playing in the European Teams.
“It’s going to be tough for us, but we have a year to prepare and we’re all excited to go there to show that we deserve to be in Division 2. We are all roughly the same age so we’re looking forward to competing together for many more years.”
Austria claimed third place by beating hosts Malta 3-0 via straight-games victories for Jacqueline Pechar, Karina Seiner and Gioia D’Alonzo.
PORTUGAL WIN MEN’s DIVISION 3 TITLE
Top seeds Portugal celebrated the ESF European Team Division 3 Championship men’s title in Malta and immediate promotion back to the second tier of European squash.
By reaching the final, both Portugal and Slovakia knew they had sealed their places back in Division 2 for 2026, having both suffered relegation into the bottom tier last year.
However, both sides were determined to augment the relief of promotion with the joy of lifting the trophy – and it was Portugal who achieved it with a 3-1 victory.
Rui Soares, the 12-time Portuguese national champion, expended little sweat in his 11-5 11-2 11-5 victory over Thomas Toth in the 22-minute opening match.
No.4 Marco Alves then doubled the lead by conquering Marek Manik 11-6 11-7 14-12. However, Slovakia had hope when Lukas Tuzincin overcame Jorge Monteiro in the no.2 string encounter 11-7 11-8 11-5.
Portugal knew they needed just one game from the fourth and final match, in which 17-year-old Diego Pita faced David Kubicek. The teenager sealed it 11-8 with a forehand drop that left his opponent sprawling on the floor. Portuguese celebrations could begin.
Rui Soares praised Pita as well as 15-year-old Gustavo Cruz, who came in as a last-minute injury replacement and got a win against Slovenia in the pool stage on Thursday.
Soares said: “The youngsters did really well. We have a new generation coming up and it’s looking promising for next year. We’re looking forward to both Diego and Gustavo playing a lot more games for us. We got the job done and it’s a mixture of joy and relief to be back in Division 2.”
Pita, who has Portuguese parents but is based in Cambridgeshire, England, said of his winning moment: “I was really nervous because I really wanted to get that game. It was the deciding match. It meant so much for me and my country. It was a very tense and pressurised moment but I’m so glad I came through it.
“I’ll be very excited to play in Division 2 next year. It will be a lot harder and much more competitive. I will spend the next year getting ready and trying to be the best I can be for that tournament.”
