Junior World Champions nominated to the Team of the Year Award

It is a pleasant, but well-deserved nomination. The Junior World Champions have been nominated to the Team of the Year 2017 award in the 83rd Plebiscite of Przegląd Sportowy. The Established Chapter will decide who will win this category. However, should our great fans would like to thank for the nomination, we recommend visiting the Przegląd Sportowy: https://www.facebook.com/przegladsport or our fanpage https://www.facebook.com/PolskaSiatkowkaOfficial/

Below you will find the official presentation of our team available on the official website of the 83rd Plebiscite of Przegląd Sportowy

PRESENTATION OF THE NOMINEES FOR THE TEAM OF THE YEAR - THE VOLLEYBALL JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONS

They earned the gold medal at the Volleyball Men's Junior World Championship in an impressive style. In two years they reigned in their age category, winning 48 matches in a row!

There is no other team in Polish sport like them and probably there will not be for a long time. The junior team led by Sebastian Pawlik and Maciej Zendeł dominated in an undisputed manner - first - in youth category, and then in juniors. For four years, the white-and-reds won match after match and tournament after tournament, collecting gold medals of all events - the Youth World and European Championships, European Youth Olympic Festival, Junior European Championship and finally the U21 World Championship. Although it is hard to believe, they lost only two insignificant friendly matches during that time, winning all other games! Thanks to their last eight encounters during the World Championship in Brno all fans fell in love with this junior team. The most important matches were broadcast by Polsat Sport and this way all supporters in Poland had a chance to watch them in action. The young and warlike Poles defeated Brazil 3:2 in a dramatic semi-final and won in the final against Cuba 3:0.

INSOLENT AND RUTHLESS

- We are going for gold. We cannot imagine any other scenario - said libero Mateusz Masłowski before the start of the World Championship. The white-and-reds kept their word and won the U21 World Championship in Brno in a great style. - We did a great job. I am proud that I could be a captain of this amazing team - commented Jakub Kochanowski, who was named the MVP of the World Championship.

During the welcoming ceremony of the golden junior team at the Olympic Centre in Warsaw, the admiration seemed to know no bounds. - To win 48 matches in a row, it's really unbelievable. Any compliment won't be an exaggeration. You are spectacular, ruthless and insolent - in a good way - dominators. It was a pure pleasure to watch your matches - commended gold juniors Witold Bańka, Minister of Sport and Tourism.

"How did you do it?" - many asked coach Pawlik - First of all you must have such great players, talented boys who devoted themselves 100% to volleyball. I feel proud that I could work with these people - said the coach.

THEY ARE NO ANGELS

To this perfect combination you must add the character, stubbornness and bravery - These boys are no angels, but they have great characters. Well-behaved boys belong in music school, in sport, without obstinacy you won't achieve anything - said Leon Bartman, director of the Sports Championship School in Spała which was attended by 10 of the 12 gold medallists.

Bartman admits that sometimes they had some troubles with their pupils - The second grade was the worst. It is always a moment of inflammation and we had to extinguish various fires.  At some point, I even threatened that we would create a class only for those who want to learn, and we say goodbye to others. These boys have character and strength to survive tough moments. There are two types of players. During match point one calls "play to me" and the other will pray to not get a ball. In our team we have only these first. Maybe that's why this team didn't lose any match - said Bartman Sr.

THEY CONQUER PLUSLIGA, NATIONAL TEAM AWAITS

After winning gold medal in Brno, the dominators' team no longer exists, because all the players are no longer in junior age. But the world champions do not let us forget about them. Almost all of them joined the PlusLiga teams and some of them play the main roles in their clubs. Kochanowski impresses in Indykpol AZS Olsztyn. Bartosz Kwolek became one of the ONICO Warsaw’s leaders. Tomasz Fornal, Jakub Ziobrowski and Norbert Huber of Cerrad Czarni Radom have regularly showed on the court. Also Masłowski in Resovia is winning competition with the much more experienced Paweł Rusek. And the coach of MKS Będzin relies on Łukasz Kozub. Already in 2018, the golden junior should join to the national senior team roster, Kochanowski already made an impressive debut in the national team. His colleagues are waiting in line, however, during the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo they should be the strength of Poland national team. They have already proved as a juniors, that together they are unstoppable.

THE GOLDEN TEAM:

setters: Radosław Gil, Łukasz Kozub;

opposite hitters: Damian Domagała, Jakub Ziobrowski;

middle blockers: Norbert Huber, Jakub Kochanowski, Jarosław Mucha;

outside spikers: Tomasz Fornal, Bartosz Kwolek, Szymon Jakubiszak;

liberos: Jędrzej Gruszczyński, Mateusz Masłowski.

coaches: Sebastian Pawlik i Maciej Zendeł

statistic: Tomasz Morga

doctor: Krzysztof Zając

physiotherapist: Jakub Łamajkowski

team manager: Leon Bartman