Lack of sponsors: No Top Volley in Basel
Due to the lack of support from local companies, the organizers of the Women’s Top Volley International have decided not to hold the tournament in Basel this year. The organizing committee is now reviewing offers from potential host cities abroad.
Despite the great effort of Eventcourt, the organizer of the most prestigious invitational tournament in club volleyball, there will be no Top Volley in Basel this year. A disappointment for volleyball fans - not only in Switzerland, Germany and France, but around the globe, as the tournament has always had a very large international audience. If the tournament had to be cancelled last year because of the Olympic qualifiers taking place at the same time, this year the reasons are not sporting but economic.
"We discussed the status quo with various potential sponsors from the region and were disillusioned. Eventcourt wanted to take over a six-figure amount; this in order to keep Top Volley in Basel," explains the new Eventcourt CEO Peter Bratschi and adds: "However, we unfortunately did not receive a positive response from the international and national companies in Basel."
Bratschi is certain that the cancellation of Top Volley this year is not only a bitter setback for volleyball in Switzerland, but for women's sports in general: "Top Volley Basel has always been a very important event in the greater Basel area. That's why it's a bitter moment for women's sports - especially in Switzerland - and reflects the difficult situation that many different sports other than ice hockey and football find themselves in."
But Bratschi also has words of praise for the great help provided by the cantons of Basel-Landschaft as well as Basel-Stadt, Swisslos, the St. Jakobshalle, the Sportsman Media Group, the Hotel Ramada Plaza and the tournament's numerous volunteers: "We are really grateful that they stuck with Top Volley. The local institutions really did everything in their power to keep the traditional tournament in Basel."
The organizers of Top Volley will therefore now look for other solutions. One possibility is that the tournament will be held provisionally at another location, as Bratschi explains: "We have received inquiries from other cities that would like to host Top Volley. Now we will analyze the current situation and hopefully find a solution. Of course, we would like to keep Basel as the venue, but the existence of Top Volley is our priority. We want to use all options to host the tournament still this year. However, to be honest, time is a bit tight."
