The 2025 European Championships kicked off with exciting matches at Forum Horsens, Denmark, showcasing Europe’s elite badminton talent right from day one.
In mixed doubles, the Irish pair Joshua Magee and Moya Ryan faced Scotland’s Adam Pringle and Rachel Andrew in a tightly contested three-game thriller. Despite a strong start, Magee and Ryan narrowly lost 21-14, 19-21, 11-21.
German shuttlers impressed early in men’s doubles with Bjarne Geiss and Jan Voelker comfortably securing their place in the next round against Spain’s Ruben Garcia and Carlos Piris, winning 21-16, 21-15. In contrast, the French duo Maxime Cattoen and Lucas Renoir caused a major upset, edging out fifth-seeded Danes Andreas Søndergaard and Jesper Toft in a thrilling encounter (12-21, 21-19, 21-18).
Men’s singles delivered high drama, notably when Finland’s Kalle Koljonen fought back after losing the opening game against Portugal’s Bernardo Carvalho, clinching victory 15-21, 21-9, 21-13. England’s Harry Huang impressed with a strong performance against experienced Israeli shuttler Misha Zilberman, winning 22-20, 21-14.
In women’s singles, Bulgaria’s Stefani Stoeva displayed dominant form against Turkey’s Ravza Bodur, sealing her spot in the next round with a decisive 21-12, 21-12 victory. Czech Republic’s Petra Maixnerová also advanced comfortably, defeating Ireland’s Sophia Noble, 21-18, 21-11.
Swiss women’s doubles team Lucie Amiguet and Caroline Racloz were pushed to the limit by their Dutch opponents, Debora Odijk and Ilse Van Leijsen, eventually triumphing 21-16, 20-22, 21-14 in a marathon match lasting nearly an hour.
Another highlight was the close men’s singles match between Germany’s Fabian Roth and Finland’s Joakim Oldorff, which stretched beyond an hour before Oldorff clinched victory 21-15, 21-23, 21-10.
The opening day set the tone for what promises to be a week of thrilling badminton action in Horsens. Fans can expect even more excitement as Europe’s finest continue their quest for continental glory.
Stay tuned for more updates from the 2025 European Championships. Visit badmintoneurope.com for all results.