Hannover United hosts Euro Cup 1 final
Eight top European teams, twelve times wheelchair basketball in a class, three days of basketball fun – at the end a European Cup winner celebrates in Hanover. Because Bundesliga club Hannover United is organizing the Euro Cup 1 final from April 22nd to 24th – and is playing along.
Some of the best teams in Europe play in the gymnasium of the Goethe School in the district of Herrenhausen. United President Joachim Rösler is pleased “that the IWBF Europe trusts us to organize the most important European Cup final tournament after the Champions Cup”. United wanted to show the Hanoverians: “Look here, there is fascinating top-class sport here with top international teams on the doorstep.”
United meet Spanish giants AC Gran Canaria as the lowest-ranked team. The Spaniards are currently second in the table in the strongest league in Europe. “A great quarter-final game, even if Gran Canaria is supposedly the strongest of team eight,” says Rösler, “we want to give our players the chance to show themselves on the international stage. They have earned it because of their performance over the past few years.”
Hosting the tournament as the next United step
In addition to United and Gran Canaria, GSD Porto Torres from Italy, Toulouse IC (France), the powerful teams Ilan Ramat Jan and Beit-Halochem Haifa, Pilatus Dragons RCZS (Switzerland) and IC Sitting Bulls from Austria are guests in Hanover. The Euro Cup finals are played in tournament format, with quarter-finals on Friday, semi-finals and crossovers on Saturday, finals and placement games on Sunday.
“It’s a great development for our club,” said United coach Martin Kluck. Hosting a top European tournament is “the logical next step. It is a great enrichment for the team and the city. I hope that we can fill the hall.”
It was actually planned that Hannover United would host a lower-class preliminary tournament in early March. However, due to the corona pandemic, the tournament will take place in the water. The IWBF 2020 also canceled a first start as a guest team in Rouen, France, due to Corona. Now it should work the weekend after Easter.
United will announce the exact schedule and ticket information.
From editorial