U18 World Championships in Chile: Club Llanquihue prepares great event – Match schedule confirmed
- 17 September 2024
The best U18 fistball national teams in the world are returning to Llanquihue: around 18 years after the last U18 Fistball World Championship, the world championships for young fistball players will once again be held in southern Chile. 9 teams in the male U18 and 6 teams in the female U18 will take part in the World Championship.
Fistball has played an important role in the Chilean club Gimnástico Alemán Llanquihue since it was founded 70 years ago. Fistball has a long tradition in this small town of just under 20,000 inhabitants in the south of the country, and the club has produced numerous national players who have represented Chile at international events. The club has also played host to South American Championships, World Senior Games and even an U18 World Championship. “The 2nd World Championships for Men’s U18 and 1st World Championships for Women’s U18 were held from January 4 to 6, 2006,” says Jörn Verleger, President of the International Fistball Association (IFA): “It was a great fistball festival. We are convinced that we will also have a great Fistball World Championship in 2024.”
From October 31 to November 3, the club area of the Club Gimnástico Alemán Llanquihue, which is located directly on Lake Llanquihue with a view of the Osorno and Calbuco volcanoes and is considered one of the most beautiful fistball grounds in the world, will once again host the best U18 national teams.
The participating teams in Chile
A total of 15 teams – 9 in the men’s U18 and 6 in the women’s U18 – will be competing for the title in Llanquihue. In the U18 men’s competition, defending champion Germany will be up against strong international competitors. From Europe, European champions Austria, Switzerland and Denmark will be competing at the World Championships, while the teams from South American champions Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Namibia (Africa) and India (Asia) will be joining them from America. In the women’s U18 competition, defending champion Germany will be joined by Austria, Switzerland (all Europe), Brazil, Chile and Argentina (America).
The format is almost identical in both competitions. The national teams will first play matches against every other nation in a preliminary round group before moving on to the other rounds. “We want to give young fistball players the opportunity to play a match against every nation. Especially at a young age, we think it is important that as many games as possible take place,” explains Gastao Englert, Chairman of the IFA Sports Commission: ”We are looking forward to many exciting matches.”
Organizers are planning a big event
In addition to the matches in the preliminary round and the final round, the club’s organizers would like to hold a big party on the club grounds. “Hosting the U18 World Championship is a great honour for the club,” says Rodrigo Böttger, who is part of the World Championship organizing team. Preparations have been underway since the award in autumn 2023 and the venue has been modernized in recent months. “We will do everything we can to make the delegations feel at home here,” announces Böttger.
The club is planning a big party on the final weekend, which should not only attract fistball fans to the venue. The organizers are expecting a large crowd for the placement matches – including the medal matches on Sunday. There will be a ticket office with cheap ticket prices on all days. The club is supported in the organization by regional and local politicians as well as companies in the city. Böttger: “We are looking forward to a great Fistball World Championship here in Llanquihue.”
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