Caorle ready to host 2023 Euros as two weeks remain till start

Rome, Italy, 23 September 2023 – The countdown for the 2023 Sitting Volleyball Men’s and Women’s European Championships is on, with just over two weeks left until the opening of the week-long event scheduled for 9-15 in Caorle, east of Venice, Italy.

And the local organisers at this resort twonb of the Veneto region are going full speed ahead, preparing to host the 22 National Teams – 12 men’s and 10 women’s – registered to vie for the ultimate continental title.

But it’s more than the coveted trophy for the winners of each gender, who will also be punching their tickets for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

In the women’s competition, hosts Italy, runners-up last time around in 2021 and strong favourites this year, will be led by head coach Amauri Ribeiro, where they head Pool A alongside Germany, Hungary, Croatia and Turkey.

Pool B features Slovenia, Ukraine, France, Poland and Great Britain.

Alizera Moameri will guide the men’s side of the host nation, looking at improving on their 13th place of the previous edition, as they battle defending champions Bosnia & Herzegovina as well as Croatia, Poland, Slovenia and Lithuania in Pool A.

Serbia, Germany, Ukraine, Turkey, Hungary and Latvia form Pool B.

In both genders the first four of each pool advance to the quarterfinals, which are followed by semifinals before the competitions come to ahead with the medals matches of Sunday 15 October.

Admission is free for all days at the Palamare Valter Vicentini venue in Caorle.

The double-gender continental event closes a long summer of events organized in Italy by the National Federation, FIPAV. Alongside the Italian Volleyball Federation and its regional arm of FIPAV Veneto, the Paravolley Europe flagship event has also been supported by the Municipality of Caorle and the Italian Paralympic Committee.

“There were months of intense work,” said FIPAV Vice-President Adriano Bilato. “But we are now ready to host the 2023 Sitting Volleyball European Championships. It is an important competition that closes an very busy summer of events organised and promoted by FIPAV. A new challenge made possible also thanks to the collaboration of Paravolley Europe, the Municipality of Caorle, the FIPAV Veneto Regional Committee and the Italian Paralympic Committee with which we created a working group that has been involved to offer an event capable of best promoting this discipline.”

“Sitting volleyball was recognised in Italy just in 2013 and in recent years we have really taken gigantic steps for the promotion and dissemination of this sport. These European Championships represent a new important piece in the development of this special and engaging discipline”.

“The city of Caorle is ready to welcome the athletes who will participate in the Sitting Volleyball European Championships,” added Caorle Mayor Marco Sarto. “It is a prestigious event, of an international level, which once again confirms Caorle’s strong bond with sporting competitions of the highest level. The event also confirms the commitment of the city of Caorle in promoting inclusion in sports. I want to thank the President of Paravolley Europe Branko Mihorko, FIPAV and its federal Vice-President Adriano Bilato, as well as the president of FIPAV Veneto Roberto Maso for choosing Caorle as the seat of the European Championships.”