Neuchâtel, Switzerland, December 6, 2019 – As the 2019 edition of the Women’s World Floorball Championship approaches, the best players from around the world are gearing up to thrill and floorballize spectators everywhere.
Holders Sweden are aiming for a ninth world championship crown, and coach Asa Karlsson has an array of top talent to call upon. Anna Wijk, Amanda Delgado Johansson, Moa Tschöp and Emelie Wibron have all been named in the squad for Neuchâtel, and they will be hoping to propel the Swedes to glory once more.
Hoping to dethrone the Swedes are Scandinavian arch-rivals Finland, who finished runners-up to the Swedes two years ago. Leading sniper Veera Kauppi will carry Finnish hopes on her shoulders, as they aim to secure gold for the first time since 2001.
Vying for a podium place are host-nation and world number three Switzerland, who will be hoping to cash in on home advantage and secure a medal in front of their fans. Corin Rüttiman is the lynchpin in Rolf Kern’s team, who are on the hunt for their first title in 14 years. Hoping to scupper their hopes and those of the Finns in Group A are Germany and Poland. The Germans have a dangerous outlet of their own in Anna Lena Best, while the Poles can rely on their own “Holy Trinity” of Justyna Krzywak, Weronika Noga and Dominika Buczek.
Fourth, Fifth and sixth seeds the Czech Republic, Latvia and Slovakia occupy Group B with Sweden, and all will be hopeful of sneaking a top two spot for automatic passage to the quarter-finals. Czech captain Eliška Krupnová will be playing in her fifth World Championship, having been part of the squad that secured their only medal in this competition, a bronze back in 2011.
Latvia and Slovakia have so far been deprived of a podium finish in this competition, but both teams will be desperate to put that record to rights in Neuchâtel. Simona Grapena is one of Latvia’s top talents looking to lift her country, while Slovakia’s star player Paulína Hudáková will be key if they are to better their fifth place finish two years ago.
Elsewhere, eight more hopeful nations will be battling it out to reach the quarter final stage and cement their place among the best in the world. Denmark, Estonia and Norway are three of Europe’s emerging sides and will be battling it out in Group C with Asia’s top seed Japan. In Group D, anglophone nations Australia and the USA will be hoping to spring a surprise of their own, while Singapore and Thailand complete the lineup to add some Southeast Asian spice to a mouthwatering group of underdogs.
16 teams. Three podium places. One champion. Neuchâtel is ready, and the floorball world waits to discover who will reign supreme in 2019.