IKF EKC 1st Round: The last chance for a place in the European B 2024 has arrived!

The final qualifier for next year’s IKF European Korfball Championship B-Division will take place from 24 to 26 November 2023 in Saint-Jean-Bonnefonds, France. The national teams of Armenia, Scotland, Serbia, Wales and France will play in a 3-day round-robin to decide which are the best 3 teams that qualify to play next year’s IKF EKC-B in Kemer, Türkiye, from 14 to 19 October 2024.

Ireland, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland and Türkiye are already qualified after the IKF EU Korfball Championship Qualifier-B in 2022 and the final ranking achieved in the last IKF World Korfball Championship 2023 in Taipei.

The Fédération Korfbal France will host this exciting and decisive event, in collaboration with local governments, clubs, partners and sponsors. All matches will be played in the Gymnase Du Fay, with free entrance for everyone. You can find more information about this event and all the activities planned during these 3 days on the LOC’s official website: www.ekc2023.com

Day 1

The IKF European Korfball Championship B-Division qualifier kicked off with a bang as Serbia edged out Armenia in an intense 20-9 match and France cruised past Scotland with a convincing 15-10 victory.

In the opening match, Armenia and Serbia showcased their tactical prowess and unwavering determination, captivating the audience with a closely fought encounter. Serbia’s sharpshooting attackers proved to be a handful for Armenia’s defence, but Armenia’s resilience and strategic play kept them in the game until the final whistle. Serbia ultimately emerged victorious thanks to a goal by Dusan ZDRAVKOVIC in the final seconds to secure victory with a narrow 9-10 scoreline. Peter PERKOVIC top scored in the match for Serbia with 6 goals.

The second match of the day saw France, the host nation, take on Scotland in a highly anticipated clash. France, buoyed by the enthusiastic home crowd, asserted their dominance from the start, establishing a commanding lead. Scotland fought valiantly, but France’s superior ball control and clinical finishing proved too much to handle. France secured a comfortable 15-10 victory, setting the tone for an exciting tournament ahead.

Day 2 of IKF European Korfball Championship Qualifier Unfolds with Thrilling Matches

Day 2 of the IKF European Korfball Championship B-Division qualifier delivered another round of captivating matches.

In the first match of the day, Wales overpowered Serbia with a convincing 29-18 victory. Wales’s sharpshooting attackers and cohesive teamwork proved unstoppable, leaving Serbia’s defence struggling to keep up.

The second match saw Armenia face off against Scotland, a clash that ended with Scotland securing a decisive 20-9 win. Scotland’s tactical play and clinical finishing were the key factors in their victory, while Armenia’s spirited performance kept the crowd engaged.

France, the host nation, continued their winning streak, defeating Serbia 19-17 in a closely contested match. Both teams displayed exceptional skills and determination, but France’s tactical advantage and home-court support proved to be the deciding factors.

Scotland, eager to maintain their winning momentum, took on Wales in an encounter that ended with Scotland emerging victorious with a narrow 15-14 margin. The audience were kept on the edge of their seats until Tamzin ELLIS scored the winning goal in Golden Goal extra time for Scotland.

France rounded off Day 2 with a 19-12 win over Armenia. However, the host nation didn’t have it all their own way. The final scoreline suggests that it was a comfortable victory for France, but this was not the case. It was a great performance from Armenia against a strong French team. There was nothing to separate the teams at half-time with the scores level at 8-8. France pulled ahead in the second half buoyed on by the passionate supporters in the sold-out sports hall.

With the final three matches of the tournament scheduled for tomorrow, the stage is set for an exciting conclusion to the IKF European Korfball Championship B-Division qualifier. Don’t miss out on the action as teams battle it out for a chance to represent their countries in the finals.

FINAL RANKING

DAY 3

The final day of the IKF European Korfball Championship Qualification Event in Saint-Jean-Bonnefonds, France, saw three matches being played. Wales v Armenia, Serbia v Scotland, and France v Wales

Wales vs. Armenia | Wales played against Armenia in the first match of the day. Wales dominated the match and won 31-8. Nick Wilkins top-scored for Wales with 6 goals. This victory secured qualification for Wales in the European finals in 2024.

Serbia vs. Scotland | Serbia played against Scotland in the second match of the day. At half-time Serbia was leading 12-6 with the Scots looking out of ideas. However, during the second half Scotland managed to claw their way back into the match and leveled the scores at 16-16 and then again at 18-18. Even with the nine goals scored by Scotland’s Rebecca Fitch Jefferies Scotland was unable to stop the sharp shooting of Nikola Perkovic #14 and Petar Perkovic #16. Serbia won the match 22-20. With this win, Serbia secured their place in the European finals in 2024, and Scotland missed out.

France vs. Wales | The final match of the tournament was played between hosts France and Wales. It was a thrilling match, with both teams putting up a great fight. However, Wales emerged victorious, winning the match 18-16. Stephane Moulanger top scored for France with 6 goals, with Wales’ James Wilcox scoring 5 more to take his tally for the tournament to 15.

HOW TO FOLLOW

Fans around the world will be able to watch and enjoy live all games through the IKF live streams available on www.worldkorfball.sport and youtube.com/ikfchannel, with all the statistics, results, top scorers and rankings.

*Click on the top-right icon ≣ to view and watch live all games scheduled

ON SOCIAL MEDIA

You will find the best images, clips and highlights, visiting the official IKF profiles (see below) and via the hashtags #EKCR1 and #korfball: