Evolving into the Europe Youth Top 10 for 2008, the tournament started its life in San Marino over the weekend of 5th and 6th January 1985 as the Euro Junior Top 12. The then ranked number 1 Junior in Europe and one of only two English invitees (Andrew Syed replaced the injured Steffan Fetzner from West Germany) to the principality of Monaco, was Carl Prean, who won the tournament unbeaten in eleven sets and without losing a single game.

The invitees to the first tournament were:

Boys
Carl Prean (ENG)
Iliga Lupulescu (YUG)
Thomas von Scheele (SWE)
Vasile Florea (ROM)
Zoran Primorac (YUG)
Andrew Syed (ENG) (Replaced injured Steffan Fetzner (FRG))
Calin Toma (ROM)
Didier Mommession (FRA)
Josef Braun (TCH)
Jean-Michel Saive (BEL)*
Milan Grman (TCH)*

Girls
Olga Nemes (FRG)
Csilla Batorfi (HUN)
Ivana Masarikova (TCH)
Marie Svensson (SWE)
Renata Kasalova (TCH)
Vesna Ojstersek (YUG)
Elisabeth Maier (AUT)
Fiera Khasanova (URS)
Isabelle Delepine (FRA)
Otilia Badescu (ROM)*
Krisztina Nagy (HUN)*

* Cadets

To see what we had to say about this in the February 1985 issue of Table Tennis News click here

After winning the first ever tournament, we had to wait until last year for another English victory when Paul Drinkhall won in similarly impressive style to Carl winning ten of his eleven games, losing his only match to team mate Darius Knight on the first day.

Past Winners
2007  
Junior Boys  DRINKHALL P. (ENG)
Junior Girls   SAMARA E. (ROU)

2006  
Junior Boys  OVTCHAROV D. (GER)
Junior Girls   DODEAN D. (ROU)

2005  
Junior Boys  OVTCHAROV D. (GER)
Junior Girls   DODEAN D. (ROU)

2004  
Junior Boys  APOLONIA T. (POR)
Junior Girls   NECULA I. (ROU)

2003  
Junior Boys  SÜSS C. (GER)
Junior Girls   PÓTA G. (HUN)

2002  
Junior Boys  ZWICKL D. (HUN)
Junior Girls   PÓTA G. (HUN)

2001  
Junior Boys  SWENSSON (SWE)
Junior Girls   STUMPER (GER)

2000  
Junior Boys  KUZMIN (RUS)
Junior Girls   STUMPER (GER)

1999  
Junior Boys  MAZE (DEN)
Junior Girls   LIU JIA (AUT)

1998  
Junior Boys  BOLL (GER)
Junior Girls   LAPTEVA (RUS)

1997  
Junior Boys  LUNDQWIST (SWE)
Junior Girls   STRIBIKOVA (CZE)

1996  
Junior Boys  FEJER-KONNERTH (GER)
Junior Girls   GANINA (RUS)

1995  
Junior Boys  MONRAD (DEN)
Junior Girls   STEFF (ROM)

1994  
Junior Boys  LENGEROV (AUT)
Junior Girls   BOROS (CRO)

1993  
Junior Boys  SAMSONOV (BLR)
Junior Girls   FAZEKAS (HUN)

1992  
Junior Boys  BLASZCZYK (POL)
Junior Girls   GOGORITA (ROM)

1991  
Junior Boys  SZAFRANEK (POL)
Junior Girls   VACHOVCOVA (TCH)

1990  
Junior Boys  WOSIK (FRG)
Junior Girls   KRAVCHENKO (URS)

1989  
Junior Boys  HEISTER (HOL)
Junior Girls   WIRTH G. (HUN)

1988  
Junior Boys  MAZUNOV (URS)
Junior Girls   BADESCU (ROM)

1987  
Junior Boys  GRMAN (TCH)
Junior Girls   BADESCU (ROM)

1986  
Junior Boys  MARINKEVICH (URS)
Junior Girls   BÁTORFI (HUN))

1985  
Junior Boys  PREAN (ENG)
Junior Girls   NEMES (FRG)