On the evening that the women’s team of Longa '59 played its first European Top Teams Cup competition this year, René Hartman of Topvolleybal Lichtenvoorde and Managing Director of The Ortho Company Elsedien de Groot signed an agreement. From now on, Longa ’59 will be known as Plantina Longa.

The agreement was drawn up from start to finish in just one day. Yesterday morning, Ms De Groot saw a photograph in local newspaper De Gelderlander, showing ‘a somewhat disappointed Longa player’, wearing a shirt with no sponsor’s name. “I then called manager Theo Hofland at Longa, for an appointment today. I know just how much of a go-getter he is.” No sooner said than done. The deal was sealed the same day, much to the satisfaction of Hofland. “Thanks to Plantina, over the next few years we will be able to build on Longa’s plans for the future.”