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Revised IKF Competition Calendar 2021-2023

The current worldwide corona crisis is having a major impact on the complete sports world and unfortunately, korfball is not an exception. Multiple IKF events already have been cancelled or postponed. Amongst these events are Elite events like; the AKC 2020, the EKC A&B 2020 and the U21 WKC 2020 and the World Games 2021.

While the impact of the cancellations and postponements goes beyond the year of 2020, the IKF had to revise the complete competition calendar for the coming years. This has led to the following major structural changes in the IKF competition calendar for 2021-2023:

  1. For the U21 events, we will move to a World Championship cycle of three years (Continental Championships in 2019, 2022 and 2023, and World Championships in 2021 and 2024). For the U21 WKC 2021 we will keep the same age reference dates as originally planned for in 2020.
  2. Due to having The World Games in 2022, and the European Championships in 2021, we have chosen not to play a European Championship in 2022. This serves to avoid having too many senior events in the same year. A number of teams (exact number to be determined later) in the European Championship A-Division in 2021 will qualify directly for the 2023 World Championship. Should the corona crisis develop next year such that a proper preparation for the European Championship Division-A is not possible, this decision regarding qualification may be reversed.
  3. The remaining European qualification places for the 2023 World Championship will be obtained in one or two European WKC Qualifier(s), to be played in 2022. Countries that have already qualified through the 2021 European Championship, hence are not playing in these Qualifiers.
  4. The European Championships Division-A 2021 and the WKC qualifying event(s) in 2022 will also decide which 14 countries directly qualify for the European Korfball Championship’s in 2024. The remaining two places will be contested at the IKF EKC Round 1 in 2023.

From 2023 onwards, the calendar will revert to the previously decided calendar. To this end, the IKF Exco has awarded the 2026 European Championship to the Czech Republic, due to the fact that the 2022 European Championship will not take place.

The exact continental qualification quota for the 2023 WKC will be determined by the IKF Council before the end of this year.

Here you find the Global Competition Overview and underneath you find the precise competition calendar for the coming three years.


2021
 

Event Month Host Status
IKF Europa Cup (?) To be decided
IKF Europa Shield (?) To be decided
IKF U19 & U16 AK4C February Thailand
IKF U19 WKC 2-4 April Czech Republic Confirmed
EKC U15 June ??
KWC U17 June The Netherlands
IKF U21 EKC Round 1 June/July ??
IKF U21 WKC 10-17 July Chinese Taipei Confirmed
IKF AKC August Korea
IKF Beach Korfball WKC August ??
IKF Europa Cup Round 1 September ??
IKF EKC Division-B October Poland
IKF EKC Division A October-November Belgium

* The continuation of the European club competitions is currently examined. Ultimately the 1st of July 2020 a decision will be taken on how to proceed.

* The exact dates of most of the events are waiting final confirmation. Those will be communicated when finalised.

* U21 EKC Round 1: For the European countries that are not qualified for the IKF U21 WKC in Chinese Taipei 2021, the aim is to organise a three days event to qualify for the U21 EKC Final Round in 2022.

 

2022

Event Month Host Status
IKF PAKC January or December 2021 ??
IKF Europa Cup January ??
IKF Europa Shield January ??
IKF AAKC March/April ??
IKF U19 EKC (Open) April ??
IKF Asia U19 & U16 AK4C March/April ??
IKF U21 AOKC May or September ??
EKC U15 June ??
KWC U17 June The Netherlands
IKF U21 EKC Final Round June ??
World Games 13-17 July United States Confirmed
IKF AOKC August ??
IKF Beach Korfball (EU, AS, ?) August/? ??
IKF Europa Cup Round 1 September ??
IKF European WKC Qualifier(s) October/November ??

* PAKC: Depending on the bid of the host country the event will either be scheduled at the end of 2021 or at the beginning of 2022.

2023

Event Dates Host Status
IKF Korfball Champions League Satellite Final 27-28 January Catalonia Confirmed
IKF Korfball Champions League Challenger Final 4-5 February Germany Confirmed
IKF Korfball Champions League Final 10-11 February Netherlands Confirmed
IKF Beach Korfball World Cup (Asia) May
IKF U19 World Korfball Championship 7-9 April Belgium Confirmed
IKF U21 European Korfball Championship June
European Korfball Championship U15* June
Korfball World Cup U17* July
IKF Beach Korfball World Cup (Europe) 25-26 August Poland Confirmed
IKF Korfball Champions League Round 1 September
IKF World Korfball Championship 20-29 October Chinese Taipei Confirmed
IKF European Korfball Championship First Round November
IKF Korfball Champions League Round 2 November
* IKF patronaged event

 

While the effect on the competition calendar is substantial, the IKF Executive Committee believes to have found a reasonable balance between the quality of the international competition calendar, the burden on national federations and athletes, and the feasibility of the calendar given the many challenges that the IKF will be facing over the next few years.

Obviously, the further evolution of the current corona crisis is unclear, and new developments later this year or next year may force us to revise any of the decisions now made.