Lausanne, Switzerland, April 9, 2019 - Just about 11 weeks before the 2019 FIVB Men's Volleyball Nations League visits Leipzig this city of eastern Germany has set off the countdown to 'Saxony's largest volleyball event'.
Germany host Japan, Portugal and reigning world champions Poland from June 28 to 30 for Weekend 5 of the VNL at the Arena Leipzig, under the patronage of Minister President of Saxony Michael Kretschmer. It is the last weekend of pool play in the VNL, ahead of the Final Six which follows a fortnight later in Chicago.
"Saxony is a sports country, Saxony is a volleyball country," said Andreas Schumann, Head of Sport Promotion at the State Ministry of the Interior in the German state. "It is not only the federal base of our female volleyball in Dresden, but we also have almost 800 clubs where volleyball is played, as well as the enthusiasm of the general population for this wonderful sport. It was therefore clear to us from the very beginning that we would support the VNL in Leipzig and that the Minister President Michael Kretschmer would take over the patronage."
Schumann was speaking at a Press Conference for the VNL event at Leipzig's Town Hall, alongside Heiko Rosenthal, Mayor and Minister for the Environment, Order and Sport of the City of Leipzig.
"We are looking forward to the VNL in Leipzig," added the Mayor. "Last year, when we played against Brazil, we already saw the great enthusiasm of the men's national team and over 4,000 fans experienced a great event. High-quality sports tournaments like the VNL are very important for us at the city of Leipzig, which is why we support the German Volleyball Federation (DVV) in its orientation on a wide scale and on several levels. The spectators in Leipzig can look forward to three unforgettable volleyball days, at the end of which the German men's national team can hopefully seal the qualification for the final round."
Meanwhile DVV General Secretary Nicole Fetting expressed her gratitude to all partners: "The organization of such events is only possible with strong partners at our side. I would therefore like to express my special thanks to the city of Leipzig, the State Ministry of the Interior of Saxony and the Saxon Sports Association for their great support. You can really feel that everyone has an incredible appetite for the VNL and the anticipation is huge."
Also present at the Press Conference was Germany international Anton Brehme, who discussed the goals with the national team: "I'm really happy that the VNL is taking place in my home country. It is here that I started with volleyball and learned how to play. It is all the better if we can then present ourselves in this sporting setting in Leipzig. Our goal is clear: we want to reach the Final Six this year and at the Arena Leipzig, on the last preliminary round weekend, we hope to be able to get the ticket."
• Read more on the DVV website (in German)
Quick links - Volleyball:
FIVB.com - Volleyball Nations League
FIVB.com - Volleyball
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