It’s hotting up in the Future series, as the good and great of Para table tennis aim to bring their top form to the Finnish city of Lahti.
More Thrills To Come
After a week off, it’s right back to it in the circuit as Lahti hosts the third Para Future event of 2025. Last week saw the debut of the Challenger events, with plenty more to come this month and beyond, but Future takes centre stage again after previous events in Lignano and Costa Brava.
And this is the series that just keeps on giving! Because while this might be the fourth event in the new-look Para table tennis series, Lahti is the first that includes a special Under-23 event. Beginning on 6th April and running until the 7th, this is the first of three currently planned. Buenos Aires’ will host one in May, with another planned for November in Al Ain.
This week’s event in Finland has a wealth of home heroes at the heart of it, and there are no names more hopeful of success than Aino Tapola. Tapola’s head-to-head battles with Dorota Buclaw of Poland have become one of the key stories in recent months, facing off countless times including in the Lignano opener this series. With no Buclaw this time, Tapola has eyes on success from the off.
It’s the same story for Timo Kalevi Natunen, another Finn (M1) who has hopes for the coming months and years in the long run up to LA2028.
A strong French contingent will be competing again in Lahti, with the likes of Francois Geuljans and Mateo Boheas both signed up, having achieved gold medals in Future events already this year.
And with 97 players from 21 associations signed up, it promises to be a few days that again help to reshape the look of the circuit.
What Has Happened in the Series So Far?
The debut of the new Para circuit structure always promised to provide intrigue and excitement, and stops one and two have delivered both in abundance. The opening week in Lignano acted as a chance to get to grips with this new setup, and with 16 singles titles and eight more finals in the doubles, it was a launchpad to what promises to be a revolutionary move for the sport.
The hosts Italy were at the heart of big results, with icon Giada Rossi winning the Class 2 crown. Federico Crosara, Matteo Parenzan and Carlotta Ragazzini all shone too, whilst the Class 1 rivalry between Aina Tapola (FIN) and Dorota Buclaw (POL) seeing the Finn come out on top this time. For full results from Lignano, click here.
In the second instalment – taking place in Costa Brava in March, it was arguably even more unmissable. It was a particularly successful stop for France, as Fabien Lamirault, Francois Geuljans, Alexandre Delarque and Mateo Boheas all emerged victorious in men’s competition, while Morgen Caillaud won singles glory on the women’s side.
A Recap on the Three-tiers
Announced in November 2024, the new structure of the Para circuit incorporates three separate tiers: future, challenger and elite.
- Future is designed as a development point for emerging talents to hone their skills on the international stage and build their ranking.
- Challenger is the next step on the ladder. Competitions will tend to be larger and adopt a higher intensity. With up to eight Challenger events in 2025, each one promises to create big stories and develop exciting rivalries.
- Elite is where you can expect the very top stars of Para sport to meet. Huge showdowns, moments of pure magic and exhilarating competition are all guaranteed.
Each event in 2025 has something major at stake: valuable ranking points. Points will be awarded based off performances at each event, with the rankings adjusting throughout the course of the year to track who has been performing at the most consistent level.
For 2025, there is a one-year transition period which allows players to defend those points accumulated over the previous 52 weeks.
What’s Coming Up Next?
Four events down, plenty more to come! Amman (JOR) is next on the Future timeline, taking place just a few days after Lahti. And then it’s to a Challenger double-header later in April. Sao Paulo (BRA) is coming up from 24-27 April, before Montenegro’s capital city, Podgorica, takes place just a few days later.
May and June are stacked full of competition too, with four Future, one challenger and the opening Elite of the series lined up.
Continental championships are to come towards the end of the year too as Auckland (NZL), Sao Paulo (BRA), Beijing (CHN), Giza (EGY) and Helsingborg (SWE) play host to the very best from across the world.
How To Follow The Action
Select live streaming of this competition will be available to watch on our YouTube channel. To keep up-to-date with the action as it happens, follow the schedule and results page on our website. And head to our events page to recap everything we have seen so far.
