The Polish national volleyball team arrived home on Wednesday morning after a 24-hour travel delay following their Nations League victory in Ningbo, China. The plane carrying the players landed in Beijing just four minutes after their scheduled flight to Warsaw had departed on Tuesday morning.
The missed connection triggered a major logistical operation led by team manager Ró&c;a Wachowska. Members of the squad and coaching staff were split into separate groups, with some traveling home through Sweden and Germany while the largest group waited in Beijing for the next direct flight to Warsaw.
Tomasz Fornal said that travelers can prepare when they know a plan includes multiple transfers, but the unexpected news of the missed flight was out of their control. He described the journey as one of the most exhausting of his life, ranking it alongside a trip to a Nations League tournament in Fukuoka several years earlier.
Marcin Komenda explained that the team landed four minutes after their scheduled departure, noting that a connecting flight would have needed to wait about half an hour for passengers to transfer. He said that a Polish carrier like PL LOT might have waited, but he understood why a Chinese airline could not delay other passengers, adding that the main priority was returning home safely.
Flight Delays and Airport Negotiations
Players shared photos on social media documenting their long wait at the airport in Beijing, including an image of a tired Jakub Popiwczak. The libero said he regretted wasting time at the airport that he would have preferred to spend at home with his wife and children. Kamil Semeniuk noted that the high spirits following their tournament victory made the travel complications easier to endure.
Fornal praised team manager Wachowska for negotiating new routes with airport officials in Beijing. He recalled seeing her standing at airport barriers attempting to communicate in English with Chinese staff members who generally had limited command of the language.
The extra overnight stay in Beijing allowed players to rest or explore the city. Komenda used most of the time to sleep, while Fornal joined half of the team for a trip into the city center for dinner before returning to the airport later that evening.
Celebrations in Ningbo and Beijing
Semeniuk declined to discuss details of their stay in the Chinese capital or their post-match party, stating with a smile that events in Ningbo and Beijing would remain between the players. However, his teammates revealed that celebrations after this final were more intense than in previous years because of their travel schedule.
Popiwczak and Komenda pointed out that after last year's final, the team left their hotel for the airport at 3:00 a.m., whereas this year they did not depart until the evening after the match. Komenda said that the demanding tournament and emotional final justified extra celebration, describing the gathering as typical for Poland with loud singing and dancing that helped consolidate team unity.
The victory held special personal meaning for team captain Aleksander Áliwka and outside hitter Fornal. Áliwka missed last year's final tournament entirely after suffering a serious foot injury before the third intercontinental round, while Fornal watched last year's final from the bench after spraining his ankle in the semifinal.
Tournament Awards and Schedule Plans
Áliwka confirmed that the achievement meant a lot to him after spending a long time recovering his health and form. Fornal also celebrated being named the most valuable player of the final tournament, a selection he learned about from an official shortly after the match, contrasting with last year when winner Jakub Kochanowski received notification by email the next day.
Following the final, Fornal joked on Polsat Sport that head coach Nikola Grbić had granted the squad three extra days of rest, though he quickly clarified that it was his own suggestion. Known for strictly maintaining schedules, Grbić ultimately granted the team an extra half day off due to the flight delays, with players required to report to Zakopane on Monday evening to begin preparations for the September European Championships.
Fornal had originally planned to travel to Hungary during the break with Kochanowski, but those plans were canceled because the middle blocker requires knee surgery that has ruled him out of national team duty for the season. Fornal said he would instead spend his time playing League of Legends and visiting his mother, father, grandmother, and brother in Kraków.
Popiwczak confirmed that Grbić praised the team extensively after the victory while also identifying areas for improvement. He noted that such feedback is natural because the coach must maintain a broader perspective and set a path for the future while players concentrate on immediate performance.
