The most prestigious friendly tournament in men's national volleyball – the Hubert Jerzy Wagner Memorial – will be held for the 23rd time between August 28 and 30 at the Tauron Arena in Krakow. The organizers have already announced the four participants in this year's edition – host Poland, Olympic champion France, Slovenia, and the USA. The tournament is traditionally the last major test for the leading European teams before the start of the European Championship.
It is curious that Bulgaria continues to be absent from the Wagner Memorial, despite being a regular participant in the other strong Polish friendly tournament – the Silesia Cup – in the last two years. Our national team last played in Krakow in 2016, when it participated alongside Poland, Serbia, and Belgium and won the tournament. Before that, Bulgaria was among the invitees in 2014 as well.
Statistics published by the organizers show the scale of the competition. In 22 editions so far, 27 national teams from all over the world have participated in the tournament, and 11 Polish cities have hosted it. The Memorial has been visited by over 240,000 spectators, with a single-day record of 15,000 people in the stands. The television record reaches 4.5 million viewers, which confirms its status as the most prestigious friendly tournament for national teams in the world.
Since its first edition in 2003, the Memorial has passed through Iława, Ostróda, Elbląg, Łódź, Bydgoszcz, Katowice, Zielona Góra, Płock, and Toruń, and since 2016, Krakow has been its permanent home. According to the organizers, it is there that the tournament continues to break its records for attendance and television interest.

photo: Nikolay Varadinov