"Sports connect and represent a common language"

MTV Dänischenhagen from Germany will come to Gothenburg with as many as eleven teams this summer.

MTV Dänischenhagen has a strong tradition of participating in Partille Cup every year. This year, they will be represented by more teams than ever.
– The interest among the teams has increased every year, says the leader Ulrike Voigt.

She describes MTV Dänischenhagen as a club:
– MTV Dänischenhagen is a traditional 110 years old village club that is geared towards popular sports. It is home to many different sports, with the handball section being the largest alongside football, comprising thirteen youth and six adult teams. Thanks to the good training of the coaches, some of the teams play at a high level. A typical feature of our club is the dedicated commitment of all volunteers and the good team spirit, says Ulrike Voigt.
In fact, the interest for Partille Cup among the players and teams in the club has increased for every year.
– The athletes talk to each other and the joint T-shirt is worn with pride. But of course, this participation would not be possible without the great commitment of the volunteer coaches and supervisors, who invest time, money and vacation days. In addition, the teachers give the children time off from school, as we do not have a vacation in the first week of July, she says happily.

You have been here many times. What do you like so much about Partille Cup?
– The greatest value for the children is probably the international exchange. Sports connect and represent a common language. But the size of the tournament is also simply impressive. The athletes commute back and forth by tram between the sports venues, Heden and Kviberg are fantastic. The organization of the tournament is great, every match is kicked off on time and the app provides information and results immediately despite the size of the tournament. That is exciting.
What do you think the players learn from participating in Partille Cup?
– The players get to know the value of their sport better. Handball is played all over the world and connects children and young people. It's very valuable, especially for the younger ones, to organize themselves, take on personal responsibility, practice tolerance in the group and deal with defeat. Over the course of the week, there is a lot of laughter, some tears are shed, too little sleep is had and many new things are discovered. At the end of the week, there is an outstanding team-building exercise and great togetherness between the teams.
What are your goals in the tournament? What do you think that the teams can achieve this year?
– Our younger teams in particular certainly have a good chance of going far. Last year, our G11s even won the B playoffs. For the older teams, it's mostly about winning one or two matches and gaining a lot of experience. Taking part is everything, says Ulrike Voigt.