Borussia Düsseldorf secures ninth straight wheelchair table tennis title

Borussia Düsseldorf entered the final matchday with a comfortable four-point lead. In their opening match against closest competitor TT Frickenhausen, the Düsseldorf team made a strong statement, winning 4:1 and securing their title defense. However, the trio remained hungry for victory, delivering an impressive performance in the remaining matches: They defeated RSG Koblenz and RSV Bayreuth with commanding 5:0 wins and conceded only one consolation point to RSC Frankfurt.

At the end of the season, Borussia Düsseldorf finished at the top of the table with a perfect 28:0 record. TTC Wiehl (20:8), TuS Winterscheid (18:10), and TT Frickenhausen (18:10) followed in the rankings, with Frickenhausen placing fourth due to a lower set difference.

Thomas Schmidberger was the standout player of the season, finishing with a flawless 24:0 record in singles matches. Paralympic champion Valentin Baus followed with 21:3 wins, while Sandra Mikolaschek, the only woman in the league, won six out of her eight singles matches.

Borussia Düsseldorf also dominated the doubles competition:

• Schmidberger/Baus: 9:0 wins
• Baus/Mikolaschek: 4:0 wins
• Schmidberger/Mikolaschek: 1:0 win

"We played quite confidently on the final matchday and didn’t let anything slip away. We are very happy that we managed to defend our title so securely and convincingly," said Thomas Schmidberger.

For Sandra Mikolaschek, 2024 Paralympic champion, this title carries special significance: "It feels incredible to have been part of this from the very beginning – since our first championship title in 2016 and through all eight that followed. It’s really cool for the club and for us that the trophy has stayed with us since our first championship win."

Valentin Baus also expressed pride in the team’s performance: "We are very happy that we navigated this challenging season after the Paralympics so well as a team and are thrilled to have won the title once again."

Borussia Düsseldorf’s Managing Director Alexander Schilling praised his team’s exceptional achievement: "We are very proud of Sandra, Valentin, and Tom for winning the German Championship once again and in such an impressive manner. It is by no means a given to repeatedly defend the title in such a competitive league while maintaining the same level of motivation and determination."

• Borussia Düsseldorf – TT Frickenhausen 4:1
• Borussia Düsseldorf – RSG Koblenz 5:0
• Borussia Düsseldorf – RSV Bayreuth 5:0
• Borussia Düsseldorf – RSC Frankfurt 4:1

A special highlight of this collaboration was the show match at the REHACARE 2024 trade fair, where Paralympic gold medalists Valentin Baus and Thomas Schmidberger faced off against Düsseldorf’s Mayor Dr. Stephan Keller and Marius Berlemann, COO of Messe Düsseldorf – a sporting showcase of true inclusion and team spirit.

REHACARE.com; Source: Borussia Düsseldorf