Drawing of Lots slated for this Saturday will fire up 2010 and 2011 European Championships
Luxembourg, October 19, 2009. After having celebrated the memorable days of the 2009 CEV Orlen European Championships in Poland that were blessed with dazzling record-breaking figures in terms of spectators’ attendance and television rates, the European Volleyball family is now getting ready for the next events on schedule, starting with the Drawing of Lots that is slated for this coming Saturday, October 24, at the NH Hotel located in Luxembourg City that will fire up the 2010 Junior and 2011 Senior European Championships. Detailed schedules and provisional venues of all pools, including the Small Countries Division, will be also fixed during the so-called Calendar Conference slated after the DOL on Saturday afternoon in the same location.
The final rounds of the 2011 Senior European Champs will be both jointly organized, with Austria and the Czech Republic having been appointed for the men’s competition (and finals to be played in Vienna), whereas Serbia and Italy will host the very best ladies in late September 2011 with the Serbian capital city, Belgrade, to stage the semifinals as well as the matches for awarding the medals.
Apart from the aforementioned organizers, five teams are directly qualified for the final rounds of the 2011 Champs starting from the final rankings of the previous edition that got its climax a few weeks ago. Poland, France, Bulgaria, Russia and Serbia will be all skipping the qualifiers in the men’s division whereas the ladies of The Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Turkey and Russia have already booked their respective tickets and will have the chance to “rest” up to fall 2011.
All remaining teams that registered for the competition will be drawn for the 1st and 2nd qualifying round according to the final classification of the 2008/09 edition as well as to the provisions displayed in the Official Regulations governing the Senior European Championships.
As for the juniors, apart from the appointed organizers (Belarus and Serbia for men and women respectively), all teams having notched medals at the previous edition – back in 2008 – are also automatically qualified for the next final rounds and that “bye” applies to France, Germany and Russia (boys) with Italy, Russia and Turkey enjoying the same benefit for the girls’ division. All remaining registered teams will be drawn for the various qualifiers according to the principles and basic regulations to be applied for the juniors. (CEV)
