The Middle European Championship returns to Kranj
Kranj will once again host the Middle European Beach Volleyball Championship from July 24th to 27th. Following a successful inaugural edition in 2023, the Middle European Volleyball Association MEVZA has entered into a long-term cooperation with the organizers OK Triglav Kranj, and the Slovenian audience will once again be able to enjoy an international volleyball spectacle in the center of Kranj. Last year, Slovenian pairs won two third places (Morgan/Maček and Jakopin/Boženk) and one second place (Zemljak/Šen), and this year we again expect exciting performances among the strong competition of the best teams from Middle Europe.
Zavarovalnica Sava Championship 2024 will be an upgrade of last year’s tournament, which offered exceptionally high-quality play and impressive attendance of the best volleyball players from Middle Europe. The tournament director, Sašo Rop, expressed his satisfaction with last year’s execution and optimism for the coming years: “Last year’s tournament was an indicator that with 20 years of experience in organizing the national championship, we can also cope with international challenges. The attendance was excellent, as the best pairs from Middle Europe came, and the level of quality compared to domestic matches was substantially higher. Seeing how the audience rose to their feet and for the first time in the history of Kranj volleyball chanted “Mi, Slovenci” was priceless. This year we want to further upgrade the Kranj volleyball spectacle, as the local audience deserves it.”
Slovenian pairs performed well at last year’s tournament and created an exceptional fan atmosphere, winning two bronze medals (Anja Maček and Špela Morgan, Tadej Boženk and Vid Jakopin) and one silver (Klemen Šen and Nejc Zemljak). “There is a bit of a bitter taste after being so close to the gold medal, but we have to be satisfied with the second place in such strong competition. We are talking about players who compete in Pro Tour Future series, Challenger series, and even the Olympic Games,” said Klemen Šen and Nejc Zemljak after narrowly losing the final to the Hungarian pair Hajós/Stréli. “It was a pleasure to play in front of such an audience, and next year we are coming back for gold.”
Seeing how the audience rose to their feet and for the first time in the history of Kranj volleyball chanted “Mi, Slovenci” was priceless. This year we want to further upgrade the Kranj volleyball spectacle, as the local audience deserves it.
Due to the success of last year’s tournament, MEVZA offered the organizers OK Triglav Kranj a five-year mandate to hold the Middle European Championship. Sašo Rop explained: “Our tournament is supposed to become a fixture in the European calendar. MEVZA offered us a five-year cooperation because they saw that organizing tournaments at the highest level is not foreign to us. We plan to upgrade the tournament every season and invite even more renowned names, also from countries that are not part of the MEVZA area. Our goal is also to increase the prize fund, by at least 1000€ each year. This year the prize fund will already be 6000€.”
The Zavarovalnica Sava Championship 2024 tournament will take place in the natural amphitheater of the venue “Stara Sava parking” in Kranj. On Wednesday, July 24th, the qualifications will take place, where 4 teams per category (4 men’s and 4 women’s teams) will earn a place in the main draw of the tournament, while 12 teams per category will be directly qualified based on points and country. Slovenian pairs are guaranteed 3 places in both the women’s and men’s competitions. A total of 16 qualified teams per category will compete against each other in 4 groups of 4 teams on Thursday, July 25th. The winning team in each group will qualify directly for Friday’s quarterfinals, while the second and third-placed teams will play an additional match to reach the quarterfinals. On the last day of competition, Saturday, July 27th, the semifinals and medal matches will take place.
This year, entry to the venue will be free, made possible by the support of the Municipality of Kranj in the logistics of preparing the court. The organizers expect the stands to be full all four days, with more than 6.000 visitors attending. “The program will be very interesting – lots of prize games, dance performances, sponsor booths, good food and drink. At the same time, the famous Kranfest festival, which is scheduled for the same weekend, will take care of the crowd of visitors, so I think we have the perfect recipe for a real volleyball spectacle in the city center,” said Sašo Rop.
Sašo Rop had a special message for Slovenian beach volleyball players: “Slovenian pairs are guaranteed as many as 3 places in the main tournament in both competitions, which means a lot of opportunities for a good result. Last year we saw 3 Slovenian medals in a very strong international competition, which shows what can be achieved in front of a home crowd. There are not many such opportunities in Slovenia, and the tournament in Kranj will again be the strongest Slovenian tournament of the season.”
Zavarovalnica Sava Championship 2024 promises a top-notch sports event that will bring together the best volleyball players from Middle Europe, a rich accompanying program, and loud fans. You are invited to join the volleyball spectacle and support the teams on their way to new victories!