Lodz welcomes World Championship trophy

Lodz, Poland, June 25, 2014 - The FIVB Volleyball Men’s
World Championship Poland 2014 Trophy Tour stopped in Lodz on Monday and Tuesday. Lodz’s Atlas Arena will stage Round Two
and Three matches between the teams which advance from pools A and D.

The World Championship trophy was exhibited on Piotrkowska Street, which is one of Europe’s longest commercial thoroughfares.
The official public presentation was preceded by a press conference
with the President of Lodz Hanna Zdanowska, the President of the Polish
Volleyball Federation Miroslaw Przedpelski, the PVF’s Presiding Board
member and president of Poland’s current champion club PGE Skra
Belchatow, Konrad Piechocki and Mariusz Wlazly, a member of the Polish
national volleyball team, who also acts as Lodz’s Ambassador for the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Poland 2014.

"It
is exciting to see this beautiful trophy, desired by the best of
volleyball players. Lodz has always loved volleyball and has some great
traditions in this discipline. I hope that those twelve World
Championship matches which we are going to have here, will be thrilling
and that volleyball fans from all over the world will enjoy not only the
fantastic show but also the attractions of our ever-changing, beautiful
city. As a World Championship host, we will do our best to provide
perfect conditions to volleyball fans who want to spend time in our city," said President Hanna Zdanowska.

"The
trophy is visiting the Polish host cities of this year’s championship,
but it will also be presented abroad. We want to show this beautiful
prize in many countries. It symbolises the speed, elegance, precision,
purity and teamwork of volleyball – values which are the essence of our
game. I’m glad that it came to Lodz, which has always been hospitable to
volleyball events" said the PVF’s President Miroslaw Przedpelski.

Konrad
Piechocki, president of Polish champions PGE Skra Belchatow, explained
further: "It’s true. As a club, we have organised the European Champions
League Final Four at the Atlas Arena three times and the atmosphere at
those tournaments was simply fantastic. For us, the international
officials’ opinion, in which the city of Lodz was called the capital of
European volleyball, was the greatest but well deserved compliment. I
hope that after the World Championship Lodz will become an important
spot on the map of the volleyball world."

The trophy made a
strong impression on the Polish national team’s opposite Mariusz Wlazly:
"It really is a beautiful, splendid trophy and a dream for any player
who will come to the Polish World Championship tournament. However, the
way to get it, to receive it after the final match, is long and
complicated. This is going to be a hard tournament and the team that is
to reach for the highest prize will have to put maximum effort in each
match. For me, it is a great honour to be an ambassador of this
championship. I come from this region and Lodz has always been close to
my heart. My health is better now and I can be here, in this important
moment, but I’m still working on my condition, so I can join my
colleagues in Gdansk for our World League matches with Iran.”

The
presentation of the FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship Trophy was
accompanied by a rich entertainment programme. The spherical tent which
housed the grand prize was visited by a couple of thousand Lodz citizens
and tourists.

The Trophy Tour will make its next stop in Gdansk from July 3-4.

Volleyball fans can also follow the Trophy Tour online and on Twitter @FIVBMensWCH #FIVBTrophy.