In the first match to determine which teams will make up the top four and contest the medals, world number four Germany needed to overcome world number six Czech Republic. In a very even first half, the lead changed hands several times as neither team could establish a decisive advantage, and typically each would strike back during the first attack after conceding the lead. Six minutes into the second half Czech Republic coach Ivo Kracik made a key substitution, bringing Eliska Zieglerova into the match. Within nine minutes she had scored three, including putting her team two ahead for the first time in the match with 6.40 minutes remaining. While Germany fought back from what was subsequently a three goal deficit, the pressure was too much and their composure left them. At the end, the Czech team celebrated ecstatically at their 20-19 victory, meaning they, rather than their higher ranked rival, will fight for a medal on the final day.

Belgium had to work on Tuesday to overcome Suriname, while Portugal put up a mighty battle on the same day before falling to the host. This was another close contest, at least until the final quarter. Belgium only managed to establish their first three goal lead just before half time as Portugal captain Pedro Corriea’s rebounding excellence kept his team competitive. Portugal managed to almost stay within touching distance, though in the final seven minutes they failed to score, while Belgium rolled on, increasing their lead to 26-18, the Van Maldeghem sisters Joke and Lise top scoring with six and four respectively.

After struggling against Germany on Tuesday, the prospect of England setting a serious challenge for the Netherlands was slight. So it proved, as the defending world champion was eight up after six minutes and raced to a 22-1 half time lead. Several substitutions followed the break for both sides, though after being substituted for injury on Tuesday, Blake Palfreyman did not take to the pitch at any time for England. In games such as this the Netherlands are playing against themselves: rating themselves on their shooting percentages, and how quickly they turn over the ball in defence. Top scorer: Sanne van der Werff, with eight, final score 36-2.

After several tight contests today, the fourth quarter final featured two teams who have won plenty of admirers this week: the champions of Asia and the Americas, promising another exciting match. These two met at the same point in South Africa in the 2019 WKC, when Chinese Taipei held a narrow lead all the way to prevail by 20-18. This time Suriname established a lead through most of the first quarter when Chinese Taipei fell behind for the first time so far in the tournament. In the second quarter, who else but Taipei talisman Ya-Wen Lin hit two quick goals to put her side ahead, though only by the most slender of margins as prodigy Iske van Ginkel kept Ya-Wen relatively quiet, and combined well with Randell van der Steen to keep Suriname fully in the contest: the large crowd totally absorbed by a fascinating clash of continents and styles. Both coaches went to their bench in the third quarter, though neither could gain the break they so dearly sought and with 10 minutes left to play the match was still even: despite the relatively low score, one the highest quality contests we have seen so far at this WKC. Two excellent shots from distance by Ya-hui Cho in the first two minutes of the final quarter gave Chinese Taipei a buffer and some breathing space, putting the pressure right back on the Pan American champions. Several breaks to keep the floor dry, calm down some overheated tempers and deal with an injury, then another to replace a bent post, ratcheted up the drama and tension as the fourth quarter reached a crescendo, both coaches using smart substitutions to fully weaponise their most effective players. With three minutes left, Shu-Ping Chu put the host team three up, and despite the otherwise immaculate Cho missing a penalty, it was a bridge too far for a heroic Suriname, who gave it their all, but fell short. Final score: 19-15.

These two teams already met at this tournament, in the second phase of pool play, where Germany prevailed by 15-8. With the score in their favour by 7-4 after the first quarter, a similar result, though a higher scoreline looked likely. For England Tiggy Warner showed well, and teenager Hannah Bealey has shown enough at this her first senior international tournament to suggest that she has a bright future. For Germany, always dependable to maintain scoreboard momentum, Steffen Heppekausen top scored with seven. Germany led throughout, though never totally dominated: nor did they need to. They go will fight for fifth place on the final day, while England will play for seventh. Final score: 20-14.

An excellent contest between two teams who have given the spectators plenty of entertainment already this week, both growing in confidence through the tournament and peaking at the right time. Evenly matched, through the first three quarters there was no appreciable advantage for either team. In the final quarter Suriname edged ahead, with Thomas Visser and Iske van Ginkel scoring at crucial moments. Coach Ivan Karsters made several astute substitutions to keep his key players at their most effective. For Portugal, Luise Costa and Isabel Almeida played a key part. In the end the Pan American champion prevailed by 17-14, and will finish the tournament in the contest for fifth place.

As with the meeting between these two on Tuesday, the Czech Republic was unable to make a contest of this match. As has been the case in all their matches, free flowing korfball was to the fore, the with the Netherlands running out as easy winners. After the first quarter, the Netherlands had a 14-1 advantage. By the end Fleur Hoek and Daan Preuninger had scored seven each, while for Czech, youngster Jitka Pavlickova continued to embellish her reputation. While the Czech Republic scored more than they did against the world champion on Tuesday, and slightly reduced the margin, the Netherlands cracked the 40 goal mark for a win by 41-13, and therefore march on to the final on Sunday.

Based on the history and form of these teams, this has been the most eagerly awaited match of the tournament, heightened further by the spectacular contests that each has won in recent days. Driven by adrenaline and a pulsating crowd, Chinese Taipei found their radar and controlled the first quarter through some excellent long distance shooting. Belgium stayed in touch though, behind by three after the first 10 minutes. Coach Detlef Elewaut initiated a Belgium come back by tinkering with his lineup, installing the van Maldeghem twins together in one division. That worked to stem the flow of goals from the female Chinese Taipei players, at least for awhile, and at half time Belgium had taken the lead. Hometown coach Bird Hsieh initiated some tactical changes of her own however, to maximise the threat of her strikeforce, particularly Ya-wen Lin and Ya-hui Cho who, like all their teammates, were buoyed by the loud and passionate support coming from the bleachers. As time marched on, the impossible became the inevitable: with two minutes left Chinese Taipei had reasserted a three goal lead and there was no way back for Belgium. In front of their ecstatic fans the home team prevailed by 21-19, and for the first time ever shut Belgium out of a final reckoning with the Netherlands. History.

Portugal made the better start with their more expansive style, taking a lead at the end of the first quarter by four goals. When Miguel Costa was forced to leave the match with an ankle injury on 15 minutes, after he had already contributed three goals, it looked to be a blow to Portugal, though doubled down on the importance of their female players as the focus of their attacks. In the third quarter the defences took control, with Portugal in particular dominating the rebound through Pedro Correia and Afonso Lourenco. England failed to score, and Portugal did only slightly better, scoring just a single goal to extend their lead to five. In the final quarter England coach Rob Williams made several tactical substitutions to chase the score, which worked to reduce the deficit to four goals with four minutes remaining, though by then it was too late, and his substitutions were at their limit. With two minutes left to play and a six goal advantage, Portugal coach Carla Antunes could afford to substitute her captain and totem Correia, playing in the national colours for the final time: he took the flowers and the acclaim of the crowd for an exceptional international career, the last chapter of which, securing a 19-13 victory, means his team now automatically qualifies for the 2025 World Games.

Both these teams blend passion and precision. Today at least the mix for Suriname was the more successful. Built around the two rebound rocks of Randall van der Steen at one end and Wayne Stienstra at the other, Suriname profited greatly from Vladimir Slot slotting a game high eight goals to impale the hopes of Germany. Although these two met at the 2019 WKC and twice at last year’s World Games, with Germany winning all three, this time the tide turned and Suriname transformed it into an exhibition. Maybe Germany couldn’t recover from the disappointment of their loss to the Czech Republic, even with sharp shooting Steffen Heppekausen stiffening their resolve with four goals. Coach Ivan Karsters and his exuberant team turned it into a procession, winning with ease and storming to fifth place by 26-10.

Smarting from their defeat in the semi-final by Chinese Taipei, which excluded them from the gold medal match for the first time in history, Belgium came out with a cold and focused purpose against the Czech Republic, building a six goal lead to the first quarter. Although the Czech Republic famously beat Belgium at the European championship in 2002, there was to be no repeat of that today. Sharing the goals across the starting eight, and adding more from the regular rotation of their bench, Belgium was in no mood for an upset, and the Czech Republic could only feed on scraps with no real chance of a party. However, coming from an IKF ranking of eight prior to this tournament, a fourth placing still represents a gratifying achievement for a team that looks set to remain in the upper echelons of international korfball for the next few years. With some young players ready to learn from this experience, including the 20 year old van Maldeghen twins, maybe Belgium has time on their side to make up for the disappointment they experienced at this tournament at the World Games and beyond. For the Czech Republic Lenka Faltynkova took the flowers, while veteran Vlatsmil Krejci showed that as a 40 year old, he still has what it takes, scoring five. Final result: 26-11 and the bronze medal to Belgium.

In an eagerly anticipated final, itense defence and ferocious rebound pressure left Chinese Taipei without the time and space they enjoyed in their previous matches, resulting in their precise shooting performance deserting them. Although their faithful and fanatic supporters, who filled the Taipei Gymnasium to overflowing, cheered their every move, it was not to be: as they have done for all other editions of the WKC, except 1991, the Netherlands dominated the final. Olav van Wijngaarden was everywhere, scoring five, as did Fleur Hoek, the two superstars and their team-mates too fast, strong and technically adept for Chinese Taipei, who were only occasionally able to show the form that had driven them to the final. This was the match the Netherlands had been waiting for, and although the hosts made it more of a contest than all the others that have wilted before them, the result was still an emphatic victory for the defending champion: 27-9.