Denmark wins the IPCH World Championship 2022 in Sursee
Denmark has won the IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Championship 2022 in Sursee (Switzerland), that took place from 9 to 14 August. They beat The Netherlands in a very exciting final by golden goal. It’s the first golden title for the Danes. Switzerland claimed the bronze against Finland, also by golden goal. We would like to take a look back at this memorable week.
The IWAS Powerchair Hockey World Championship 2022 in Sursee was a real success. After having to postpone and later cancel the European Championship of 2020 because of COVID, the Powerchair Hockey community was more than ready to meet again at the highest level.
The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) had the difficult task of making sure everybody’s expectations were met after years of waiting. To make it more interesting, we welcomed 10 nations to a championship for the first time ever! This was a great idea but also put an extra pressure on the LOC to arrange enough space for so many people. Last but certainly not least, there was still a pandemic luring around the corner.
Ten teams and lots of officials, staff and volunteers from three continents all travelled to Sursee, Switzerland. They all had one goal: give their best and reconnect with each other.
Arrival
In the weekend of 6 and 7 August, everybody arrived at the venue. They had travelled many hours and were keen to get themselves installed and well rested before the start of the competition. LOC had given each team a specific building to stay in, which added to the atmosphere.
On the 8th and 9th of August, volunteers and official had a tight schedule. They had to classify athletes, do speed controls, inspect documents and control the chairs and equipment of the athletes. Between all these appointments, teams could train to get a feeling of the official floor and be absolutely ready to battle.
Group games
On Tuesday the 9th of August, Denmark and Australia already played the first group match. This was followed by the opening ceremony, which marked the official opening of the tournament! After this beautiful moment, it was time for action: the Swiss host played the opening game against Italy. While athletes gave their best on the field, there was a battle between the many supporters from both nations. With the Swiss crowd swinging their cow bells and the Italians hitting big bottles with sticks, it was a battle of who was the loudest. It certainly intensified the already very exciting game. Switzerland managed to score the winning goal 12 seconds before the final whistle. You could tell much more excitement was yet to come.
The following days, many thrilling games unfolded in the hot sports hall that was filled with exciting supporters. Even when certain nations only had a few supporters, their crowd certainly was able to compensate with loud shouting and instruments.
Many officials and volunteers worked hard to make sure everything went as smooth as possible both on as off the field. For the stay at home supporters, there was livestream with the familiar voice of Claus Vestergard. He was often accompanied by Jan Oehninger, former player for the Swiss team.
The finals
The final games brought lots of thrill and excitement with them. Both the bronze and golden final were decided by a golden goal! Switzerland claimed the bronze against Finland, The Netherlands claimed silver and Denmark has become IPCH World Champions of 2022!
The final ranking was:
- Denmark
- The Netherlands
- Switzerland
- Finland
- Italy
- Germany
- Spain
- Belgium
- Canada
- Australia
The World Ranking List (WRL) has been updated based on all teams’ performances and can be spotted in the bottom left of our website. This is the current world ranking top 3:
- Denmark 128.40
- Netherlands 107.07
- Switzerland 96.08
IPCH would like to thank LOC for the great organization, and all officials, volunteers, athletes, staff and supporters for all their great efforts at the World Championship! It will certainly be remembered.