Tournament info

13. 5. 2023 - Editorial Staff

Liberec 2023 unveils its logo! What is the International Hockeyball Federation President promoting for the event?

The ISBHF World Junior Championship in 2023 will be held in Liberec and already has its official logo! The International Street and Ball Hockey Federation will oversee the top international event and is enticing all Czech and foreign ball hockey fans to attend. The Junior World Championship in Liberec will be the first world ball hockey championship in a long time to take place without COVID-19 measures.

The Czech Republic has already hosted many world championships, including two Junior World Championships. In 2000, the Czechs hosted the event in Kralupy nad Vltavou, and in 2012 in Pisek. Now, promising world ball hockey players will gather in Liberec, where ball hockey is flourishing. The Czech Republic is thus continuing its successful history of hosting world events. The most memorable event for Czechs was the 2009 World Championships in Plzen, where the Czechs became world champions. The 2017 WC, which took place in Pardubice, had a similar format. Each of these world events had its logo, and this event is no exception! "The logo of the Liberec Junior World Championship 2023 is intended to demonstrate its size and importance," said the Czech-Moravian Ball Hockey Union (ČMSHb) and the International Street and Ball Hockey Federation (ISBHF).

"We were very interested in hosting the event, even when it was "just" for three age categories. It was not easy to win the bid, as the United States was the other candidate. I am pleased that, thanks to the good diplomatic work of my colleague Olga Bircakova, we can host all junior categories in the Czech Republic. And why Liberec? The longer we prepare for the World Championships, the more positive arguments we have. The main reason was the presentation of ball hockey in this regional city and cooperation with the local club. The presence of three halls, their high-quality facilities, accessibility from the airport, and sufficient accommodation capacity near the sports facilities were all significant factors in the decision-making process. I believe that Liberec will be an experience for players and fans to remember," said Martin Komarek, the chairman of the Czech-Moravian Ball Hockey Union about hosting the Junior World Championships in the Czech Republic, adding, "The aim of this event is to make the first worldwide event of junior ball hockey a celebration of this beautiful game played by the best juniors. With the level of preparation and organization of the entire project, we would like to return to the time before the COVID-19 pandemic." According to the Czech-Moravian Ball Hockey Union, around 800-1000 athletes are expected to participate in the tournament.

The Junior Championship will start on June 28th and end on July 6th, 2023. Czech, Canadian, American, Slovak, British, and Swiss teams will be competing at the tournament. The world of ball hockey will be on display in the categories of juniors under 16, 18, 20, and 23 in the halls of Liberec, with junior women under 21 not to be forgotten! The ISBHF has added new categories for junior men under 23 and junior women to this world event, as their original championships were canceled due to the pandemic. "The Czech Republic is a great place to host the Junior World Championship. This is the first official Junior World Championship since 2019, and all nations will participate. Events in the Czech Republic are always well-organized. The Czech-Moravian Ball Hockey Association (ČMSHb) always provides the necessary resources for a smooth event. The Czech Republic always has enough volunteers and can plan world events perfectly; everything is very structured," praised Elio Pascuzzo, the President of the International Street and Ball Hockey Federation (ISBHF), who believes that Czech fans will not miss this home ball hockey tournament of world-class proportions!

More detailed information about the upcoming Junior World Championship in Liberec 2023 are provided on the newly launched website liberec2023.com! Tickets for the tournament are on sale at ticketportal.cz.

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