60 danish teams arrived in Gothenburg at the same time: "It's insane"

On Monday, sort of a danish invasion took place in Gothenburg when around 60 teams arrived at the same time by ferry.

About 60 danish handball teams arrived at the Stena terminal at the same time. Every team loves the Partille Cup and many of the teams return to the tournament every year when there is no pandemic.

The Stena terminal was filled with about 900 happy danes. Danish handball players poured in through the entrance for about 20 minutes and everyone looked equally happy and excited. Outside, a long line of buses was waiting, ready to transport the players and leaders to each school.
– I'm very excited about being here and about playing handball. We have a very good feeling, says Frederik Work Nygaard from the classic Partille Cup club Hjortshöj Egaa IF.

60 teams is a lot, but it has its explanation according to the teenager.
- It's insane, but obviously we are the best! It's a danish invasion and we are here to win, he says.
He's been to the Partille Cup twice before.
– I haven't won the tournament, we have at most gone to the semifinals. It's a very good cup. I like that it's so international and has so many fun activities. You get a kick out of being surrounded by people from many different countries, says Frederik Work Nygaard.

His younger club mate Frida Surland was one big smile when she arrived in Gothenburg.
– This is the first time we're here and we think that we can win the tournament. We like everything we've heard of the Partille Cup. It seems very nice here, says Frida Surland.
For her, it's a special week, even on a personal level.
- I turn twelve during the tournament. I'm turning on friday! she says happily.

Ib Poulsen and Jörgen Larsen have been Partille Cup's ambassadors in Denmark for many years.
– "Abbe" (Stefan Albrechtson, club director for IK Sävehof) called me about 15 years ago and asked me if I could help them find more danish teams for the Partille Cup. I then asked Jörgen, who had contacts within the danish handball association. We travelled to a lot of places and talked to danish clubs, says Ib Poulsen.
Denmark is now Partille Cup's third largest nation after Sweden and Norway.
– We said that we work with this until we have more teams than Norway. We have about 150 teams this year, it's fantastic after the pandemic, but Norway has around 40 more teams. We want to be bigger than them, he says.

They both say that it was excellent atmosphere on the ferry.
– It was really good and festive atmosphere, but everything was calm. You can feel that it was three years since the last tournament and that the young people like to play handball in the heart of Gothenburg, says Jörgen Larsen.

Welcome to Partille Cup, all wonderful danes!