IBB Polonia London progress to the quarter finals of the National Cup

The players of IBB Polonia London VC gained another victory in the third round of the National Cup and progressed to the quarter final. The match was played the day before the Polish Day of Independence and the match was a great way to mark the commemorative day.

On Saturday, November 9^th at the home venue in West London, the players took on Tendring Essex in the next phase of the National Cup with an incomplete squad, due to a number of injuries to players. The enforced changes did not weaken the strength of the team who played an excellent game. Koutouleas’ charges were firmly in charge of the encounter and demanded the highest level of play by the visitors. The determination and passion of the hosts resulted in a victory 3:1 (25:21; 25:18; 20:25; 25:14). The next round of the Cup takes place at the end of January 2020 against Sheffield Hallam, who defeated Leicester.

„Lately, we have struggled with a number of injuries in the squad, which caused us challenges. I am delighted that our squad is one strong team and small issues did not impact us negatively which gave us the win. We showed our strength and I hope that we can stay this way all season” said Club Chairman of IBB Polonia London, Bartek Łuszcz.

„We knew how demanding the opposition was going to be and so we were totally focussed from the start. As expected, Tendring fought very hard and the game went point for point. At the end we took the initiative and won the first set. In the second set, we continued in the same manner and were effective in our attacks. We suffered an injury in the third set which cost us the set because we had to solve the problem instantly. Luckily the experienced coaches found a way out of the issue and we took the fourth set and the match. I am proud of the players and the team, who gave an excellent account of themselves and fought to the very end. We showed that we are one solid unit and can function under challenging situations. I am very self-critical and know that I could have played better” commented libero for IBB Polonii Londyn, Mateusz Podborączyński

The game on Saturday was an opportunity to mark a moment in history. IBB Polonia London commemorated the 11th November – an important date in Polish history – the regaining of independence. The Club with Polish roots has commemorated many historic events through the years. For the fifth time, the match day shirts carry a piece of history. On the 2019/2020 shirts, there is a replica of artwork depicting the Battle of Warsaw from 1920. The Club’s technical partner Tomadex was responsible for the implementation of the project.

„This is now a tradition of ours, that on our shirts, there is a motif from history. We want to remind everyone of the Polish connection by remembering important Polish events. On this occasion, together with the Polish Embassy in London, we remember the „Miracle on the Vistula”. It is an honour to be able to carry on this annual tradition. The players are fully aware of the significance of the artwork, and they wear the shirts with pride in domestic and European competitions” added Łuszcz.

„I am delighted that The Club undertakes such initiatives. Knowing that we have the artwork from the Battle of Warsaw adds more power to our play. It is with pride, that we show off this artwork during games. The soldiers fought for independence, and they are an example of positive qualities that we want to portray during our games.” ended Podborączyński.

Previously the artwork „hashtag undefeated” commemorating Polish and British airforces and also paratroopers from the „Silent Unseen” division appeared on IBB Polonia shirts.

The next opportunity to see the artwork on IBB Polonia London chests will be at the next league game; the game will be against Sunderland. The home game will take place in the Osterley sportshall. More detailed information will be found on the Club’s social media pages.

Pic. sandsphotos.co.uk