Tallinn, Estonia, June 21, 2019. The reigning #EuroLeagueM champions Estonia hope to raise the trophy again on Saturday. This time it can be even more special as they are the host of the European Golden League Final Four for the first time ever. Competing at so prestigious an event on home court is always exceptional for all players regardless of their experience or number of appearances with the national team. They all have one mission - to enjoy this moment, as emphasised by Kert Toobal.
Toobal is the oldest and the most experienced player in the team, between him and the youngest there is a 20-year age difference! “When I put a national jersey on, I immediately feel good. When I enter the venue, and see these young guys, knowing that I can help them a little bit, I am always willing and ready to do it,” said the 40-year-old Toobal. He has a significant role in the team, not only by serving as the captain, but also giving a great deal of support to his teammates. “When I was doing my first steps in the national team, Kert taught me a lot and gave me a big support along with our second libero. Everyone welcomed me very warmly in the team and I feel perfect being a part of this group,” said 20-year-old Silver Maar, who made his debut last year.
They both hope that this weekend in Tallinn they will deliver their fans a great show. “Organising this tournament in Estonia is a big thing, we know that’s the result of hard work of our Federation and it’s really appreciated by us, therefore we want to show our best volleyball on court. We have to enjoy this moment and don't treat it as something random. I keep saying to the team: just enjoy it, these moments are priceless. Enjoy every moment, enjoy every ball,” continued Toobal.
Kert Toobal (left) along with his teammate Silver Maar (right) - They are 40 and 20 years old, respectively.
“This is my second European Golden League Final Four, but playing the finals at home makes it an extremely unique experience. If we manage to defend our title at Saku Suurhall, it will be a definitely awesome feeling. Representing my country has always been my dream. Volleyball was like my destiny, as everyone in my family was involved in the sport and my mom was encouraging me to take up Volleyball,” added Maar. The Estonia national team are aiming for their third European League title, as they won the competition also in 2016.
Toobal feels like the turning point for Estonian Volleyball came years ago: “In 2008 we defeated Poland (then vice world champion), thus we qualified for the European Championship for the first time ever and it was a turning point for Volleyball in our country. After this success, everything changed and this year we will play at our fifth European Championship. I consider this game as a very important and meaningful one.”
It’s highly probable that soon we can witness another landmark for Estonia as no one can stop their ambitions. “Later this season we have #EuroVolleyM and we definitely want to achieve a great result there, but my dreams go further than that, I would like to win a medal at the World Championship or Olympic Games,” concluded Maar.