German Teams Fall Short at 2026 European Team Championships in Istanbul
Both the German men’s and women’s teams were eliminated from contention at the 2026 European Team Championships in Istanbul after suffering defeats against Ukraine and Sweden, respectively. Despite showing commitment, the young German squads were unable to secure a place in the semi-finals, highlighting a growing competitiveness within European badminton.
Women’s Team Defeated by Ukraine 1-4
The German women’s team faced a tough challenge in their decisive group stage match against the favored Ukrainian team, ultimately falling to a 1-4 defeat. Miranda Wilson engaged in a closely contested singles match against Polina Buhrova, but ultimately lost with scores of 17-21, 18-21. Katharina Nilges also struggled to find a solution against Yevhenia Kantemyr, losing 14-21, 15-21.
A glimmer of hope emerged in the first doubles match, where Isabel Lohau and Leona Michalski dominated Raia Almalalha and Anastasiia Alymova, winning convincingly 21-8, 21-10 to bring the score to 1-2. However, the momentum was short-lived. 17-year-old Lisa Paula Bonnemann was defeated by Sofiia Lavrova 8-21, 12-21, effectively sealing Ukraine’s advancement to the semi-finals. The final doubles match, featuring Selin Hübsch and Amelie Lehmann, proved to be a hard-fought battle, but the German pair ultimately lost the deciding set 13-21 after securing the second set 21-18.
According to a senior official, “The women lost today against the expectedly strong Ukrainians. We are taking home a lot of work orders – and of course we hope that Yvonne and Thuc will be healthy and fit again soon.”
Men’s Team Narrowly Misses Out Against Sweden
The German men’s team also aimed for a semi-final berth, but a narrow 2-3 loss to Sweden dashed their hopes. A late injury to Kian-Yu Oei due to muscular problems forced Aaron Sonnenschein to step into the singles lineup.
Matthias Kicklitz delivered a strong performance against Gustav Björklund, narrowly losing the first set 25-27 before falling in the second 16-21. Bjarne Geiss and Jones Jansen provided a crucial point for Germany, winning their doubles match with a score of 21-13, 24-22. Sanjeevi Padmanabhan Vasudevan fought back from losing the first set in his singles match, but ultimately succumbed to defeat in the third set 16-21. Marvin Seidel and Jan Völker secured another win for Germany in the second doubles, defeating their opponents 21-13, 21-15 to tie the score at 2-2. However, Aaron Sonnenschein lost the decisive third singles match to Gabriel Ulldahl 13-21, 8-21, ending Germany’s run in the tournament.
“It was the expected medal game against Sweden. We saw a 50:50 duel. Matthias had chances, Sanjeevi threw everything into it. The doubles were very strong today. In the end we lacked a bit of depth in the singles,” analyzed a team representative. “We wanted more here. Now it’s time to deal with these defeats and use them for the future.”
Looking Ahead: Development for Young German Teams
Both the men’s and women’s teams demonstrated dedication, but acknowledged the increasing strength of competition across Europe. “We have young teams, but we have to stick with it – in the short and long term. The world’s best is still a bit away,” stated a senior team member.
The German selection will now focus on upcoming tournaments in March, aiming to implement lessons learned and continue their development. . The team hopes to build upon the experience gained in Istanbul and strengthen their position in future international competitions.
