NEWS FEATURE: First ever joint Super Cup event for handball, volleyball, basketball and floorball in Zurich this weekend
Switzerland’s new way of promoting indoor team sports
16 top teams face in eight duels of four different sports over two days under one roof - this is the idea of the first Indoor Sports Super Cup in Switzerland, which will be staged in the Zurich Hallenstadion.
One of the project managers of the event is a former Swiss handball international: Benjamin Echaud. His company Mobiliar and the federations of handball, basketball, volleyball and floorball (uni-hockey) are the organisers, and all have the aim of increasing the general interest in their sports.
“The premiere of this huge event is a great challenge for all parties involved. But we have a unique cooperation, as everybody is working in the same direction. So we hope to have a big attendance and want to implement a third season highlight for all sports besides the league finals and the cup finals,” says Echaud, adding: “We hope to offer a high-class event in terms of entertainment and put on a show combined with top sports.”
In all four sports the respective champions and cup winners (male and female teams) face each other in eight duels, starting with basketball and floorball on Saturday, followed by volleyball on Sunday morning/mid-day.
Handball will highlight and conclude the event with the first ever women’s Super Cup in Switzerland: champions and cup winners LK Zug against cup finalist DHB Rotweiss Thun. The final match of the Indoor Super Cup event will be the clash of the Swiss men’s handball giants, Kadetten Schaffhausen (champion and VELUX EHF Champions League participant) vs cup winners Pfadi Winterthur.
In May, representatives of the four indoor sport federations had founded the cooperative as a platform for their marketing and communication strategies - the Indoor Sports Super Cup is the first outcome of this cooperation.
The schedule of the first Swiss Indoor Sports Super Cup in Zurich:
Saturday, 5 September:
12:30 hrs. - Basketball women: Helios VS Basket – Elfic Fribourg
15:00 hrs. - Basketball men: Les Lions de Geneve – Lugano Tigers
17:50 hrs. - Floorball women: Piranha Chur – UHC Dietlikon
20:30 hrs. - Floorball women: SV Wiler-Ersigen – Alligator Malans
Followed by a players’ party
Sunday, 6 September:
11:00 hrs. - Volleyball women: Volley Köniz – TS Volley Düdingen
13:15 hrs. - Volleyball men: PV Lugano – Lausanne UC
16:20 hrs. - Handball women: LK Zug – DHB Rotweiss Thun
18:30 hrs. - Handball men: Kadetten Schaffhausen – Pfadi Winterthur
A video trailer for the event can be seen by clicking here.
Live streaming of all the matches can be found here.
TEXT:
Björn Pazen / bc