Slovak U20 coach Michal Salajka: We are very excited; it will be a premiere for my coaching team

How challenging is it for you and your colleagues to assemble the final squad for the 2023 World Junior Championship in Liberec?
We don't have the final roster yet, as we are still in preparation and the league is ongoing, so many players are in contention for the national team jersey. We will announce the roster at the beginning of June.

What will you demand from the players? What does it take to earn the national team jersey?
We are still in the process of selecting players, and to make it into the national team, they must meet a specific high set of skills. Each player has their individual qualities, and based on how well they fit into our style of play, we will choose the players.

How is the preparation of your team going so far? What are you focusing on?
We will be in full preparation in May and June. Currently, we are focusing on tactics and the style of play we want to demonstrate at the tournament. We are also addressing special situations in the game, such as power play and penalty kill. Every player on the team must meet the conditioning requirements of a national team player, so our team will be excellently physically prepared, which will be our strength.

There will be no easy opponents at the tournament. What do you expect from the other participants?
We expect high physical and tactical readiness from every team, as ball hockey has made significant progress in recent years in these aspects.

What are your ambitions for the tournament?
I will keep the specific goal to myself, but we definitely want to prove that Slovakia belongs among the top ball hockey teams.

How much are you looking forward to the tournament overall?
We are very excited; it will be a premiere for my coaching team. The team is in excellent spirits, and we are just waiting for the tournament to begin.