IKF Council decides to host 24 teams next year in Taipei: Hungary and Slovakia join earlier qualified teams from Europe

Update 1 December 2022: The dates of the IKF WKC 2023 have been announced. Chinese Taipei Korfball Association and IKF are looking forward to welcome the korfball community from 20-29 October 2023.

Original post 27 November 2022:

The Council of the International Korfball Federation, in consultation with the Local Organizing Committee of the 12^th IKF World Korfball Championship, has decided that the WKC 2023 will have 24 participating teams. It is the first time the World Championship will have 24 countries and regions taking part, following the 20 teams that took part in the 11^th World Korfball Championship in Durban, South Africa, in 2019.

The decision to expand the size of the event follows the large number of countries and regions that have or will take part in the qualifying events. This is a testimony to the versatility of the IKF member countries following the Covid-19 Pandemic. Growth has been particular in Africa – with a record 6 countries taking part in last month’s All Africa Korfball Championships, held in an innovative format in Abidjan (CIV) and Lusaka (ZAM) – and Asia – with a record 12 countries taking part in this week’s Asia Oceania Korfball Championship in Pattaya (THA). The Americas have seen a decline in participation as countries are struggling with the economic crisis aftermath of the pandemic.

The following countries have qualified until now:

Host: Chinese Taipei

Europe: Belgium, Catalonia, Czech Republic, England, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Turkey. Further either Ireland or Switzerland has qualified directly*.

Africa: Morocco, Zimbabwe

First reserves Europe: 1) Switzerland or Ireland*, 2) France

First reserves Africa: South Africa (IKF AAKC South), Ivory Coast (IKF AAKC North/West)

From Asia and Oceania, 7 countries will qualify (in addition to the host country), among which at least one Oceanian country.

From the Americas, 2 countries will qualify. The IKF Pan American Korfball Championship will be played next month in Buenos Aires (ARG).

* Ireland and Switzerland played in parallel European qualifiers, while only one of the two countries will qualify directly. The IKF Council has decided that out of these two countries, the country that will have the highest position in the new IKF World Ranking per 1/1/2023 will qualify directly. The other country will be first reserve from Europe.

_{Header image: Marco Spelten}