EUROPEAN GRAND PRIXThe year 2023 was truly spectacular and significant for EGCA’s operations. In this article, we will go through the highlights of the year in EGCA Competitions. Soon we will provide a preview what will happen during year 2024 in EGCA competitions as well as which are main purposes for EGCA during 2024.
SALTINIS TOOK their 5th EUROPEAN CHAMPION TITLE
The biggest and highest level club goalball competition in Europe, SEGL – Champions League season 2023 broke records if we take the number of participants into account; there were incredible 10 participating clubs at the qualification stage in Espoo, Finland and 7 clubs at the qualification stage in Lyon, France. When we count also the host club of the Final Stage, Saltinis, then we had 18 participating clubs in the competition during last season.
Lithuanian club Saltinis took its 2nd consecutive champion title in the Champions League when it defeated Invasport Ukraine in the gold medal game of the season by final score 8-6. That was the 5th champion title for Saltinis who were also the winner of the first three seasons of the league.
Behind the dominant finalists of the season Chemnitzer BC from Germany took in turn its 2nd consecutive bronze medal in the Champions League when they managed to defeat the Finnish club Old Power by one goal margin. Chemnitzer BC and the champion of SEGL season 2016 – 2017 Old Power took on each other also in the bronze medal game in 2022 as well.
Oliver Hörauf from Chemnitzer BC was the top scorer of the season 2nd time in a row. This year Hörauf made 74 goals (47 goals at the Final Stage in Vilnius). Nikola Nikolic from GC Niksic (64 goals) and Fabio Oliveira from FC Porto (61 goals) completed the Top 3 scorers of the season. Justas Pazarauskas was awarded as the most valuable player (MVP) of the Final Stage thanks to his incredible work offensively as well as defensively.
Erkki Miinala from Old Power is still the top goal scorer in the Champions League history with remarkable 503 goals but Nerijus Montvydas from Saltinis is just 8 goals behind the leader.
Please find the all time scorer list of the Champions League by clicking here.
Please check out all the results and stats of the SEGL – Champions League 2023 season here
OLD POWER CELEBRATED THEIR FIRST EUROPEAN CHAMPION TITLE IN THE WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
A picture of the winning team Old Power at the medal ceremony of the SEGL – Women’s Champions League 2023 in Vilnius
The 4th edition of the Women’s Champions League was held in Vilnius, Lithuania simultaneously with the Final Stage of the SEGL – Champions League. There were 6 participating clubs 3rd time in a row in this competition.
This time, after two bronze medals (2019, 2021) and a bitter silver medal in 2022 the Finnish club Old Power managed to defeat its Scandinavian rivals FIFH Malmo in the gold medal game with 3-2 over time result; the golden goal was made by Iida Kauppila. FIFH Malmo took the gold in 2022 by winning the gold medal game against Old Power with 1-0 final score; Anja Christensen made that decisive goal just 23 seconds before the end of regular time. Like in 2022 RGC Hansa from Germany took bronze medals by defeating the French club CSAVH Lyon.
Anja Christensen took her own; she was overpowering top scorer of the Women’s Champions League 2023 with amazing record, 42 goals in 7 games. The young talent from CSAVH Lyon Jahmali Berquier was at the 2nd place in the scorer list with 29 goals and the MVP of the tournament, Old Power’s Stephanie Boenink at the 3rd place with 25 goals.
Anja Christensen and Stephanie Boenink are the all time Top 2 scorers of the Women’s Champions League; Christensen has made 81 goals while Boenink has made 66.
Please check out the all time scorer list of the Women’s Champions League by clicking here
Please check out the Women’s Champions League 2023 results and stats here
RGC HANSA GLORIOUS AT THE EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX 2023
A picture of happy goalball athletes who were awarded as the top scorers and MVP’s at the Rostock Grand Prix 2023
European Grand Prix made also a new record when we had three stages during 2023 and even 13 clubs took part in these low-threshold club goalball competitions. The “goalball caravan” stopped at:
- Rostock, Germany in April;
- Utrecht, The Netherlands in June;
- and Nis, Serbia in September.
RGC Hansa from Rostock, Germany won each three stages without suffering any loss. They took on Greek club Kleio Thessaloniki in the final game at the Rostock and Nis stages and the host club USV Hercules at the Utrecht stage. 21-years-old John Turloff made huge impact for his team when he made incredible 111 goals during the season.
Please check out all the results and stats of the European Grand Prix 2023 here
THE FIRST EVER EGCA YOUTH (U23) CHAMPIONSHIPS HAPPENED IN STOCKHOLM
A picture of the first ever winner of the EGCA Youth Championships, RGC Hansa from Germany at the medal ceremony
A truly magnificent milestone was achieved in the activities of EGCA in the capital of Sweden, Stockholm, when the very first EGCA Youth (U23) Championships were held in the beginnin of November 2023. Even 8 clubs from 6 countries and total 41 under 23-years-old athletes took part in this historical tournament.
RGC Hansa continued its amazing year by winning the first U23 European Champion title of the clubs after a great performance during the tournament that culminated 11-1 mercy win over the British club Northern Allstars in the gold medal game. BSI from Denmark reached the bronze medals although the Swedish club FSBU Göteborg pushed them to the limits to the last second of the game.
John Turloff shined also in Stockholm when he became the first ever top scorer of the EGCA Youth Championships with 36 goals followed by Swedish super talent Olof Ryberg from FSBU Göteborg who found the net 31 times during the weekend. Ryberg was awarded as the most valuable male player of the tournament while Megan Smithson-Booth from Northern Allstars did the same on female side.
Please check out the results and stats of the first ever EGCA Youth Championships here
EGCA MEMBERSHIP OPENED FOR EACH GOALBALL CLUB IN EUROPE
In July 2023 we finally made it open for every goalball club in Europe to join as an EGCA member. In the end of the year we had already 31 official members.
Please read more about the EGCA Membership and register your club as the member here
EGCA YEAR 2023 AS NUMBERS
These numbers below are fantastic achievement but they are not unbreakable because the growth of club goalball in Europe is huge at the moment. We can anticipate very hectic year 2024 in EGCA competitions. But now it’s time to thank all the participated teams, referees, officials, volunteers, commentators, camera persons, live stream monitors, spectators at venues and via livestreams and of course the biggest thanks go to the great organizers who have done hard, tirelessly and with huge passion the work for the events that has brought so much joy, smile, unforgettable memories and certainly the fair spirit of sport and competition, thank you all!
During year 2023 we had:
- 7 EGCA Competitions in 7 different countries: Finland, France, Germany, Lithuania, Serbia, Sweden and The Netherlands;
- 31 participating clubs from 18 different countries;
- 271 team members: 201 athletes, 70 staff members;
- 32 referees from 18 different countries;
- Dozens of amazing and exciting games;
- hundreds of officials and volunteers;
- thousands of spectators at the venues and via livestream.
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