EuroHockey Club Challenge III Men – May 21st to 24th 2026 (Vilnius, Lithuania)
Sostinės Žuvėdra is keen to show their ambition in Vilnius as the fledgling club brings the men’s EuroHockey Club Challenge III in Lithuania.
The seven-team competition sees the hosts in Pool B along with Slovenia’s HK Lipovci, The Wolves from Bulgaria and Warriors from Finland.
Pool A, meanwhile, has FHC Slavia 1921 from Bulgaria, Hockey Team 85 from Finland and Mortensrud-Aker SK from Norway.
The top two from each group will advance to one of two finals on Sunday with the remaining sides battling for positions five to seven.
** Click here to see the full schedule while you can also keep up to date with the live scores on the Altius website.
Find out more about the teams here:
Pool A
FHC Slavia 1921 (BUL)
Slavia are playing in their first outdoor Euros since 2018 when they finished in fifth place in Helsinki in Challenge IV. Nonetheless, their entry list shows a number of players who link to that vintage with Radoslav Grozkov, Kaloyan Hristove and Dimitar Malakov all named in the line-up.
Martin Petkov has also played in several tournaments of this nature with FHC Akademik so there is knowledge within the panel of how to make their mark. It is their second European campaign of 2026 having hosted the indoor Challenge I in Sofia.
Hockey Team 85 (FIN)
HT 85 are finished in sixth place a year ago at this level amid a mini-Scandinavian battle with MASK and Valhalla within their tournament in Oslo. Santeri Määtänen is among their key goal-getters and most experienced performers having played in European competition also with Klippari and Seinäjoki over the past seven years.
Other important figures are Henri Ruohonen and Santeri Karjalainen while they could have as many as five debutants line out when they hit the turf this week. They have played just one outdoor league game to date in 2026, a 2-1 defeat to Warriors.
Mortensrud-Aker SK (NOR)
Norway’s second ranked side are looking to build on their upbeat hosting of Challenge III a year ago in Oslo when they took fifth place overall. They will miss the experience of Abhi Singh who scored four times in that run but they do have plenty of experience to help them through with captain Zain Janjua another gets among the goals.
Overall, they have 10 returnees from 2025 with six players potentially making their European club debut.
Pool B
The Wolves (BUL)
The Wolves say their success is rooted in the immense expertise of our leadership with player-coach Valentin Georgiev bringing over 15 years of elite experience to the pitch. Having competed in numerous international tournaments as both a standout player and a strategic coach since his student years, he remains one of Bulgaria’s leading hockey figures.
Under his guidance, their “pack” has become a potent force, reaching the national finals in each of the last four seasons and securing one National Championship title and three silver medals.
This wealth of experience extends through their roster. Alongside the coach, Krasimir Kostov – a versatile national goalkeeper and forward with vast international and European club tournament experience – shared the triumph of winning silver at the 2019 European Hockey 5s Championship.
Their strength is further solidified by captain Kristiyan Gerginov, a veteran international, Elvir Idriz, who brings tactical depth from the Belgian league, and Alexander Todorov, the long-time former junior national team captain.
As captain Kristiyan Gerginov puts it: “On the pitch, we are 11 players, but we play as one heart. Our strength comes from the brotherhood we have built.”
Beyond the game, “The Wolves” are a family. “We operate as a true brotherhood, bolstered by a dedicated “cheer squad” of the players’ partners. This bond of unconditional unity is our secret weapon, driving our resilient spirit in every challenge we face.”
HK Lipovci (SLO)
HK Lipovci has been operating since 1965 and is the most successful field hockey club in Slovenia, winning 28 national championships, 12 Slovenian Cups, 17 indoor titles and multiple European trophies.
Coming from the small village of Lipovci with around 1,000 inhabitants, the club represents a unique hockey story where almost every player comes from the local community. Lipovci also forms the backbone of the Slovenian national team and proudly represents Slovenian hockey across Europe.
Last season, Lipovci delivered an excellent performance at the EuroHockey Club Challenge in Oslo, recording victories against clubs from Sweden, Norway and Finland while finishing with the most wins at the tournament.
The team showed strong character, attacking hockey and great team spirit, narrowly missing promotion after a dramatic shoot-out defeat in the final stage of the competition. This year, HK Lipovci arrives in Lithuania highly motivated and ready for another European challenge.
Sostinės Žuvėdra (LTU)
Sostinės Žuvėdra (pictured top) is an ambitious and rapidly growing field hockey club from Vilnius, founded just a year and a half ago. Although the club is still in the early stages of building its history, it has already set a clear objective – to become one of the leading forces in Lithuanian and regional field hockey.
In a short period of time, the club has assembled a competitive and determined squad, combining experienced players with promising young talents. Several members of the team represent the Lithuanian national team, and their international experience brings additional confidence and quality to the squad in European competitions.
Among the team’s key players are Darius Lopato, a central figure both on and off the pitch, and Danielius Petkevič, who stands out for his intensity, game intelligence, and leadership. The majority of the squad has already gained experience in European club competitions, helping the team adapt more quickly to a higher pace and the physical demands of the game.
“We are a young, hungry, and ambitious team that strives for maximum performance in every match. This European competition is not only a challenge for us, but also an opportunity to show our identity and prove that we can compete with the strongest teams,” says team captain Tomas Lakštauskas.
The club also benefits from strong support from the city of Vilnius, which provides additional motivation to pursue the highest results. Sostinės Žuvėdra enters the EuroHockey club competition with a clear vision, strong self-belief, and a defined goal – not only to participate, but to leave a lasting mark on the international stage.
Warriors HC (FIN)
Warriors have won three consecutive outdoor national championships and compete in Vilnius due to their 2024 win because of how the summer seasons work out in Finland, meaning they are already qualified for the Club Challenge in 2027 from winning in 2025.
An essential player is Hesham Azzam who joined for the 2025 season as head coach, a very experienced player who used to play at the highest level in Egypt. The team is managed by Daniel Price back in Finland but he will focus on playing duties for this event with club President Bikramjit Singh graciously filling the manager role when they compete abroad.
Their side will feature a few junior players who have recently aged-up into the senior team and are travelling abroad for the first time.
