Announcement: European Championships 2023 in Berlin

[django]

Dear Poloverse,

We hereby confirm the host and dates for European Championships 2023.

Berlin proposed to host the event in the week after Berlin:Mixed. The proposed dates are:
Wildcard August 1
Main Event August 2-5

Berlin spontaneously jumped in for Montpellier on short notice, as our initial host Montpellier was ultimately struggling to get a permit for the event by city officials. For this reason we never were able to publicly and officially confirm the event until this point.

We are excited that Berlin takes on the HUGE task of host BOTH biggest annual polo events in the same location over two weekends. Not only do we expect an incredible crowd for both events, but we also ask the international community to do their part in assisting Berlin with the event. Many helpers and volunteers will be needed throughout both events!

More infos on final dates, event size, number of courts, and slot distribution to follow asap.

European Championship will be the qualifying event for World Championships in Perpignan. The format of European Championships will be Quads (aka 4v4 aka 3+1), with roughly 16-18 minute games, same as World Championships.

Share the news and please give feedback!

[metriod]

Sweet!
Thanks for the update Django and #clubs:club-berlin
Thanks Montpellier for trying.

[brendan]

So sick. Awesome news. Hopefully we’ll have some Australians around to help out and get loud.

[qavtan]

What about slot allocation?

[EDIT] As far as I know we wait with the slot allocation for more info from Berlin :]

[django]

We need a decision on number of courts and number of teams in the event. Then slot allocation can follow. We are working to answer these important questions asap.

[HugoParis]

Hello,
May I have the location of the tournament… we will start to look for accommodation… thank you.

The dates are 100% confirmed ?
Thank you

[PinkPrincess]

location will be the same as berlin:mixed, on Tempelhofer Feld near Oderstrasse. Neukölln and Kreuzberg would be the closest neighborhoods to look for accommodation.

[momo]

dates are 100% confirmed, yes! 2-5 of August (and wildcard on the 1st)

and as Julia said, same location as the mixed, here you go: Google Maps

[air-thouin]

Hi Everyone,
First, Thx Berlin for hosting those Euros, furthermore as late as you did, to save the community.

I just wonder what is the point of playing four days of polo for the main tournament?
This just never happened, it requires a lot of time to a lot of people to come.
If people want to play a LOOOT of polo, then they have a lot of opportunities at this time of the year (furthermore because Berlin mixed is a week before), or maybe polocamps or whatever. But I don’t get the point in term of competition, why 3 days are necessary to obtain a ranking before an elmination day ?

For some of us it is not easy to come, and adding another day means it is even more complicated.

This questions seems even more sensefull with four courts … and with in the same month Euros and Worlds …

[EDIT: I just hear it could be because of a renting situation, but if it is I’m sure that there’s other solution like offering a “hat” in front of each court during pick-ups, rising a bit the fee, … ]

Kind regards !
And again, Thx Berlin <3

[coolquentin]

i don’t get what is the renting situation, more days to make money of beer / bar etc ?

How many money do you need Berlin, how many $$$ ?

[django]

Thanks for the question, I was expecting it.

I understand that it seems unnecessary and it is unusual. So why do we even do it?

First of all because we can. We have the luxury to have the site for more than a week and we can make the tournament any way we want. This is normally never the case. So adding a day gives us a lot of time buffer for unexpected situations. Remember the flood in Berlin? Aside from that a time buffer is every organizer’s dream, so they don’t spend 12h a day to tell people to hurry the f up so we can even finish the game plan.

Second you are right we have 4 courts, but be advised, that Berlin’s “court 3” is built on a less then optimal location (some bumps and a slight slope), still playable, but perhaps one you want to avoid in the final 1-2 days of the tournament. I was pushing hard on the 4th court and I am more than happy we could get it.

In addition, we play a new format, we play the first euro champs in 4(!) years and we want the best ranking for whbpc. We have high interest in the event. My vision is to play 2 days 4 courts with 48 teams. Then cut it down to ca. 32 on day 3 and on day 4 play only with ca. 16-20 teams.

How does this sound to you?

[Kropa]

I think that we still prioritise the top teams , and yes best team will win after all but I find it hard to swallow to even think that the1/3 rd of teams going will only play half of the tournament.

[django]

Normally we keep just 24 or 20 out of 48 after 2 days (Zurich, Pescara, Perpignan). Now we keep 32 after 2 days (with 4 players each, so number of players on day 3 is still high).

Its anyways a proposal.

[coolquentin]

Not going into #maths mode yet but 4 days of main tournament seems a bit overkill, even with only 3 good courts.
It will be middle of the summer in the middle of an airfield and 3 weeks before the same-ish (worst) conditions in Perpignan.
We will play under 40°, the ground will be around what, 50-55° ?
Is there any tree around, can we hide here

Maybe you can start to share already what you have in mind in term of format ?

That said i’ve not a strong and definitive opinion about it but even if #maths is kind of on your side i’m with @Kropa here: it’s one thing to be out of the tournament just before the final day but it’s a different one to be out 2 days before the finale.
What about teams leaving on day 3 then ? Who will scream “Hot dogs Hot Dogs” ?

Although it’s cool that it’s an open discussion, and it cool that you have the luxury of choices.

Edit: well a little finger told me Berlin is not that hot in the summer ? Max 25° ?

[django]

Its nowhere near as hot as Perpignan. And we can keep all 48 teams until day 3 or even day 4 if you think it adds anything to the objective of finding the best 12 teams for worlds and the champion of Europe. We can also play every game including the final on the court with the slope. I am personally not so picky, it is usually the players, especially the ultras competitive ones…

Jokes aside, I really don’t see why a more relaxed timing and scheduling is of any worry. You really prefer 14h days for everybody, like the usual? You wouldnt want on the last 1-2 days to take your sweet time, if you can choose?

[coolquentin]

Yes as I told I haven’t a strong opinion about the length so if the weather is somewhat playable and if the format manage to keeps players around the until final day I could see how more days is more convenient organization and players wise.

I’d need to take the whole week off work anyway and the fact that it ends the Saturday is a great thing for me.

[Woods]

Totally get why this is better regarding organisation. This is just harder for some players to plan more day away from work/family. And I can’t stop feeling that this is going to be harder on our bodies to recover from one more day of polo, with worlds being the same month…

[JasonEnVelo]

Official slot allocation please?

[coolquentin]

We are booking stuff these days : are the dates of the wild and main completely settle ?

[coolquentin]

we booked train + hotel so don’t tell me anymore !