Distinguished guests and Floorball friends,

On behalf of the International Floorball Federation (IFF) I have the pleasure and honour to announce the 2009 WFC in Sweden, which is the seventh edition.

In December 2008 on the 11th we got it! That is we received from the IOC recognition for Floorball! You should all be proud of this, because it is only due to hard work by all parties involved, and by the fact that Floorball is a growing sport of this millennium, attracting the youth and the internet generation that we got IOC Recognition.

Now the hard work has started with the IOC recognition as a pillar, and based on our mutual “IFF Strategical Vision for 2009-2020” which was decided by the GA in 2008 in Prague. Our Vision is:

“To be the internationally approved sole owner of the dynamic sport of Floorball and to ensure all its different forms and identities and to serve as an attractive sport for all. Being a healthy organization with sufficient human and financial resources, with over 100 national member associations, which are having and organizing their own national championships, and with five continental confederations. Floorball is adaptable to be played on a global level taking into consideration all the different infrastructural conditions, according to the standardised game rules, with a World Floorball Championships played with participants from five continents, based on the qualifications and being on the program of the Universiade, the World Games, and/or the Olympic Games until 2020”.

Now we shall all go from words to action!

During the WFC which is the last edition for the women being organized in the “old style” with an A and an B division, the Floorball representatives, the Presidents and the Secretary Generals meet for the summit handling vital topics the year we do not organize the General Assembly. On the agenda for the Presidential Meeting is amongst other topics “what do the member associations need from the IFF”, in order to jointly meet with our Vision, and for information purposes all members have been asked to fill out a form on the web in that case. Another vital issue is “how do we organize the IFF events in the future, relations between IFF and the organizers”, not the technical aspects such as how many teams or when in time, but from the organizers and participants point of view, under what circumstances is an IFF event organized and coordinated amongst all parties concerned. It is also vital that we meet as such, and as usual upcoming IFF events including the vital University Championships in 2010, will be presented.

The Swedish Floorball Federation, in co-operation with the city of Västerås, organizes the WFC. IFF is pleased with SIBF as an organizer having already staged three World Floorball Championships in Sweden 1996, 1999, and 2006.  The IFF conveys many thanks to the Swedish Floorball Federation in cooperation with the city of Västerås for organizing the WFC 2009.

Looking forward to seeing you all and a thrilling tournament,

Yours sincerely,

Tomas Eriksson
IFF President