November 19, 2025 | Paul Stimpson
Kacper Piwowar heads to the World Youth Championships in Romania with the belief that he can challenge the best Under-15s in the world.
The Devonian is one of just 32 young athletes to have qualified from around the world, earning a spot based on his Junior world ranking.
Piwowar is ranked 21st in the field but, speaking during a preparation camp at the Elite Training Centre in Sheffield this week, said he is going in with the mindset of grasping the opportunity.
“Iâ€m feeling very good and I’m very proud to be at this tournament,†he said. “I don’t really have a target, I want to give my best because you don’t get these opportunities all the time and I want to try and make the most of it
“I want to just enjoy the moment and play my best game and see what happens. I think when it’s my day and I’m feeling good and I’m in the right headspace and I’m playing my right game – being smart and staying close – I think of course I can give anyone a good game.
“Thereâ€ll be lots of good players there, but hopefully Iâ€ll be feeling good when I arrive there and I can play my best.â€
Piwowar pinpoints the WTT Youth Contender in Norway in June as a crucial event which gave him the world ranking points to qualify – but he was a point away from elimination before pulling through.
Facing Iranâ€s Mobin Amiri – who will also be competing in Romania – Piwowar trailed 2-0 and 11-10 but won that game and fought back to take the deciding fifth 12-10, having saved another match point in that game. He went on to win another match and reach the quarter-finals.
“If I hadn’t won that match I wouldn’t have qualified for the Worlds,†he said. “I didn’t know it at the time, I was just trying to play my game, and I got the win.
“I won another round to get into the quarter-final and I knew that I had good (ranking) points and it would really help me. But I didnâ€t know until after the match (against Amiri).â€
Piwowar has been training in Sheffield with Paul Drinkhall and Gavin Evans, and sparring with partners including his older brother Jakub, who is the Junior national champion.
The tournament also features doubles – Piwowar will link up with Mark Gergely of Hungary in the Boys†and with Mariia Lytvyn of Austria in the Mixed.
He has had success on the WTT circuit this year, winning gold with Italyâ€s Maria Picu in Kosovo, and with Polandâ€s Natalia Wszolek in Serbia, plus a silver with the latter in Norway. He has also won a couple of bronzes alongside Abraham Sellado.
With Gergely having won a bronze at the European Youth Championships, the pair will have hopes of advancing through the competition in Romania – though Piwowar admits doubles is not something he has always focused on.
“I think over the last year I’ve had a few good results, but I wouldnâ€t normally say I was a good doubles partner,” he said. “I always hated doubles and never wanted to play doubles, but my dad just told me to try, because when I’m older in big tournaments, I’ll have to play doubles anyway.
“So I tried my best and just found a flow and played really well at a few tournaments. And I’ve got some good results.
“I treat it more like singles now, I take a bit more serious. Obviously the results help!â€
Both partnerships are new and Piwowar added: “Me and Mark have played a few times in singles, so we both know weâ€re very good players, and hopefully we can try to do something at the World Championships because he’s also a very good doubles player. And Iâ€m playing with Maria in Mixed. Itâ€s good to try something new and weâ€ll do our best.â€
Piwowar is the only English player there, but Wales†Anna Hursey is in the Under-19 competitions. She is the top-ranked player in the singles as she looks to add a world title to the double European Under-21 gold and the European Under-19 Singles title she won earlier this year.
Anna Hursey & Mia Griesel win the European Under-21 title in May
She again partners Mia Griesel of Germany in the Girls†Doubles – with whom she won that Under-21 title – and lines up with Romaniâ€s Iulian Chirita in the Mixed.
Piwowar said it was inspiring to have Hursey in the same GB pathway: “I think she’s a really good player, and she’s always so calm and she plays a game that I wish I could play, really close and fast. And she’s always composed.â€
The World Youth Championships begin in Cluj Napoca on Sunday with the team events, with the singles and doubles getting under way next Tuesday.
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