What program awaits each category at the Liberec Junior Championship? Schedules of individual Czech teams are already known!

From June 28th to July 2nd, 2023, the U16, U20, and U23 categories will compete for valuable medals

U16 Junior National Team

The youngest junior ball hockey players have a very busy schedule! In this category, a total of eight teams will compete, including two from Canada and two from the Czech Republic. Following them, there will be teams from the United States, Great Britain, Slovakia, and Switzerland! These eight teams are divided into two groups. Group A consists of Canada West, Slovakia, Great Britain, and the Czech Republic White. On the other hand, Group B contains teams from Canada East, the Czech Republic Red, the United States, and Switzerland. The biggest favorites of the tournament are the Canadians, who have their sights set on the gold medals! Each team in the group will play 3 matches, and the top two teams will advance to the semifinals, which will either open or close the doors to the final for them. The third and fourth teams from the groups will play in the "small" semifinals, determining their final placement. How far will the Czech teams, represented by the White and Red ball hockey players, go in the tournament?

Schedule of the World Championship for the U16 category. Photo source: ISBHF.

U20 Junior National Team

In the U20 category, there will be 5 teams: Czech Republic, Canada, USA, Switzerland, and Slovakia. These teams will compete against each other in the preliminary group stage to determine their rankings. The top four positions guarantee advancement to the semifinals. The fifth team will have to settle for a placement match, where they will face a local team from Liberec. The semifinals will feature the classic battles between the first and fourth teams, as well as the second and third teams. Will the Czechs reach the final and defend their gold from 2018?

The schedule of the World Championship for the U20 category. Photo source: ISBHF.

U23 Junior National Team

Similarly, the tournament in the U23 category will feature a quintet of teams with the addition of the Great Britain selection. However, the tournament format in this category is entirely different! All nations - Czechs, Canadians, Americans, Slovaks, Swiss, and Britons - will have to strive to collect as many points as possible in the preliminary round! Why? Because only the top two teams from the overall standings will advance to the final. How will the Czech players, who have had the World Championship postponed several times, perform in Liberec?

The schedule of the World Championship for the U23 category. Photo source: ISBHF.

What can we expect from the U18 juniors and U21 junior women at the tournament?

U18 Junior National Team

The U18 category will play from July 3rd to July 6th with the same format as the U20 juniors because only five teams have gathered in this age category. Czech Republic, United States, Switzerland, Slovakia, and Canada will have their insurance in the four spots advancing to the semifinals. The last team will face the local selection. The Czech U18 boys believe in gold! They would like to repay Canada for the defeat at the World Championship in St. Johns, where they narrowly missed the title of world champions.

The schedule of the World Championship for the U18 category. Photo source: ISBHF.

U21 Junior Women's National Team

We must not forget about the talented U21 junior women who will have their place in Liberec to compete for the title of world champions! Alongside the Czechs, Canadian, American, Slovak, and British teams will also be battling for the title. After the group stage, the top four teams of junior women from these countries will compete for a spot in the final of the Liberec championship. How will the Czech female ball hockey players be feeling?

The schedule of the World Championship for the U21 category. Photo source: ISBHF.