(ATR) It was a wild spectacle, something you might expect to witness at a top billing rock concert, not a volleyball match.
Creating a sea of red and white, 62,000 enthusiastic Polish volleyball fans packed the National Stadium in Warsaw for Saturday night’s much-hyped International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) world championship opener between Poland and Serbia.
It was the largest crowd ever to watch a world championship match, beating the 50,000 attendance for a game at the 1952 worlds, and the second largest of all-time after a Brazil v Russia contest at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana in 1983. That game drew 95,000 fans.
"When you play in Poland, we have atmosphere like this in almost every gym, but today it was huge – the stadium is colossal and I cannot compare it to any other gym," Polish volleyball veteran Marcin Mozdzonek told Around the Rings after the match. "That was amazing."
Poland efficiently disposed of their Serbian rivals in straight sets, 25-19, 25-18, 25-18, in a match that only lasted one-hour and 23 minutes.
Following a festive one-hour opening ceremony – which included a parade of nations – and the official opening of the tournament by Polish president Bronisław Komorowski, the stadium atmosphere was off the charts as Polish fans vociferously applauded their team’s every spike, set and block.
"It was a successful match and kind of an easy game," Mozdzonek said of Poland’s convincing victory. "It was not easy for the Serbians to adapt to conditions like this, playing in front of a stadium with so many of our fans."
FIVB president Ary Graça was delighted, saying the celebrations in the National Stadium "have set the new benchmark for volleyball events".
"We are spending a lot of energy and money to give this big show to the Polish people and to the rest of the world," he said. "We have entered a new era ofsport entertainment and innovation never reached before."
"Tonight has given the world a taste of what volleyball and beach volleyball will be at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games."
First World Champs in Poland
The 18th volleyball men’s world championships is the first time Poland has hosted the showcase event, 40 years after the nation won its only world title in 1974.
Twenty-four teams, divided into six groups, are vying for the FIVB world title, which unlike most international sports federations is contested only once every four years, adding to its prestige.
Brazil, the world’stop ranked nation, begins their quest for a fourth consecutive world title against Germany on Monday night in Katowice. The South American nation are also two-time defending Olympic champions.
Poland last medaled at the tournament in 2006, winning silver in Japan after losing the final to Brazil.
The tournament runs from Aug. 30 to Sept. 21, with 103 matches over three rounds spanning 18 days. Following Saturday’s opening match in Warsaw, six other cities will host competition: Wrocław, Katowice, Gdańsk, Kraków, Łódź and Bydgoszcz.
Finals will be contested in Katowice’s Spodek Arena, Sept. 20-21.
Although the event is the first indoor worlds in Poland, the volleyball-crazed nation staged the beach version in 2013 in the Mazury Region north of Warsaw.
The consecutive world championships in Poland are a testament to the nation’s unwavering passion for the sport, where Polish volleyball players receive greater stardom than the country’s football players.
Addressing the gigantic crowd at Saturday night’s opening ceremony, FIVB chief Graca proclaimed that no other country welcomes volleyball like Poland.
Graca conveyed similar thoughts to the media. "Poland, as a host nation, and the Polish Volleyball Federation have been the greatest partners for the FIVB during all the preparations," he told reporters ahead of the contest. "We have felt the true passion for volleyball which exists in this country - Volleyland."
Reported by Brian Pinelli in Warsaw.
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