The team that set the stage on fire with the European Championships last summer has been gradually advancing towards bigger and even more powerful goals. After the highly successful EC, they secured a DGPT license in the fall, earning the right to organize a DGPT event next summer.
But they don't stop there. In late October, they applied to host a Major event, one of the four biggest competitions globally, in 2025. Back then, Silver Leetma, a member of the organizing team, estimated a 20% chance of being chosen.
Christmas came with a significant surprise: the fantastic success story will see its next chapter in 2025 as Estonia hosts a Major event. Matthias Vutt, part of the organizing team, discussed the significance of this achievement, how it happened, and what it entails.
"If we draw parallels with tennis, where four major tournaments also take place annually, we earned the right to host an event like Wimbledon or the French Open," illustrated Vutt.
In addition to the Tallinn stage, there will be three other Majors in 2025, including the World Championships in Finland and two events in the USA. This marks the first time in the history of disc golf that two Major events will be held in Europe in the same year.
Talking about the conditions for organizing a Major, Vutt didn't reveal anything particularly specific. Naturally, a top-notch course is required, and there are significant demands to ensure the overall well-being of the players during the competition.
"Players must be treated in a certain way. They must have a separate parking area, relaxation rooms, and zones where they stay. Also, the distance from the airport and the harbor to the competition center, accommodation options, and various other standard requirements are essential," Vutt gave examples.
Did the big news come as a surprise? "It can be taken both ways. In our own circle, there are both pessimists and optimists. According to some, the probability of this happening was 20%, while others thought it was 80%. We are more surprised because we didn't think it would happen so quickly," admitted Vutt.
The organizers of the EM have previously talked about a long-term plan to bring progressively higher-level competitions to Estonia. Now, it's officially confirmed on paper, opening the possibility to discuss longer-term collaboration with supporters. It's also a significant victory for the city of Tallinn, which is titled the European Sports Capital for 2025.
"The city has repeatedly expressed that getting such an event to Tallinn in 2025 is very important for them! At the same time, it gives us extra work and the need to increase the team," analyzed Vutt. "The work will slowly begin. In a couple of weeks, we will learn the date of the World Championships in Finland, and based on that, we will determine the date of our event. It must take place two to three weeks before or after the World Championships."
As for the budget, if the date is set, Vutt said the first step would be to reserve the Song Festival Grounds. After that, a meeting will be held once a quarter to set the conditions for the competition. Since the event under the Major banner is of a higher level, lasting four days and including more practice days than the EM or DGPT event, the speculated budget is larger.
"We have preliminary thoughts that the budget could be in the range of €800,000 to €900,000. For the EC, that number was €330,000, next year it's €600,000, and now there's about a 40% jump," said Vutt. "Firstly, it's a longer event, so the rental cost of the Song Festival Grounds increases. In addition, the payouts are larger, and the organizing team also expands."
"The course next summer must be essentially the same as what will come in 2025," admitted Vutt. "Next summer, players have the only opportunity to thoroughly play through it. On the other hand, looking at it gives us the opportunity to attract even more world-class players here."
But they don't stop there. In late October, they applied to host a Major event, one of the four biggest competitions globally, in 2025. Back then, Silver Leetma, a member of the organizing team, estimated a 20% chance of being chosen.
Christmas came with a significant surprise: the fantastic success story will see its next chapter in 2025 as Estonia hosts a Major event. Matthias Vutt, part of the organizing team, discussed the significance of this achievement, how it happened, and what it entails.
"If we draw parallels with tennis, where four major tournaments also take place annually, we earned the right to host an event like Wimbledon or the French Open," illustrated Vutt.
In addition to the Tallinn stage, there will be three other Majors in 2025, including the World Championships in Finland and two events in the USA. This marks the first time in the history of disc golf that two Major events will be held in Europe in the same year.
Talking about the conditions for organizing a Major, Vutt didn't reveal anything particularly specific. Naturally, a top-notch course is required, and there are significant demands to ensure the overall well-being of the players during the competition.
"Players must be treated in a certain way. They must have a separate parking area, relaxation rooms, and zones where they stay. Also, the distance from the airport and the harbor to the competition center, accommodation options, and various other standard requirements are essential," Vutt gave examples.
Did the big news come as a surprise? "It can be taken both ways. In our own circle, there are both pessimists and optimists. According to some, the probability of this happening was 20%, while others thought it was 80%. We are more surprised because we didn't think it would happen so quickly," admitted Vutt.
The organizers of the EM have previously talked about a long-term plan to bring progressively higher-level competitions to Estonia. Now, it's officially confirmed on paper, opening the possibility to discuss longer-term collaboration with supporters. It's also a significant victory for the city of Tallinn, which is titled the European Sports Capital for 2025.
"The city has repeatedly expressed that getting such an event to Tallinn in 2025 is very important for them! At the same time, it gives us extra work and the need to increase the team," analyzed Vutt. "The work will slowly begin. In a couple of weeks, we will learn the date of the World Championships in Finland, and based on that, we will determine the date of our event. It must take place two to three weeks before or after the World Championships."
As for the budget, if the date is set, Vutt said the first step would be to reserve the Song Festival Grounds. After that, a meeting will be held once a quarter to set the conditions for the competition. Since the event under the Major banner is of a higher level, lasting four days and including more practice days than the EM or DGPT event, the speculated budget is larger.
"We have preliminary thoughts that the budget could be in the range of €800,000 to €900,000. For the EC, that number was €330,000, next year it's €600,000, and now there's about a 40% jump," said Vutt. "Firstly, it's a longer event, so the rental cost of the Song Festival Grounds increases. In addition, the payouts are larger, and the organizing team also expands."
"The course next summer must be essentially the same as what will come in 2025," admitted Vutt. "Next summer, players have the only opportunity to thoroughly play through it. On the other hand, looking at it gives us the opportunity to attract even more world-class players here."