The 2017 European men’s volleyball championships, coined EUROVOLLEY POLAND 2017, has a new honorary patron: the president of Poland. Not just the president of the volleyball federation, but the president of the whole country.
Andrzej Duda is the 6th president of Poland, elected in 2015 to his first (of a maximum two) 5-year terms. Prior to that, he was a member of the lower house of the Polish parliament for 4 years and a member of the European parliament for 2 years. He is the 6th president of the Republic of Poland since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1989.
While Duda has no remarkable history in volleyball, but he is an ardent supporter of his nation’s sports teams, including this iconic moment after footballer Robert Lewandowski scored a goal in World Cup qualifying a few weeks back.
The note from Duda, addressing volleyball federation president Jacek Kasprzyk, is below.
Warsaw, November 29, 2016
Dear Mr. President,
On behalf of the President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda, I would like to thank you for invitation to assume the honorary patronage over the 2017 CEV Volleyball European Championship – Men – EUROVOLLEY POLAND 2017, which will be held from October 25 till September 3, 2017 in Katowice, Gdańsk, Kraków and Szczecin.
It is my pleasure to inform you, that the President of the Republic of Poland has accepted your request and agreed to assume the honorary patronage over the Championship – an international event with the participation of the best teams of Europe. The President is also confident, that such a prestigious tournament organised in our country is going to bring prizes to our national team in the European competition and that the accompanying interest from the media and the fans will provide an excellent occasion to promote Poland and the four host cities.
I would like to wish you success in organising the event, sports excitement and satisfaction from the Polish national team’s achievements.
Sincerely,
Andrzej Dera
Secretary of State
Chancellery of the President
of the Republic of Poland
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