SINGAPORE – The memory of the last-minute 7-6 loss to Germany at the 2019 Women’s World Floorball Championship (WFC) in Neuchatel, Switzerland, is still etched in the mind of national floorball vice-captain Mindy Lim, as that ended Singapore’s hopes of securing a historic quarter-final spot.
Both sides will face each other again at the 2023 edition in the Republic after world No. 13 Singapore were drawn with ninth-ranked Germany in Group C on Tuesday and she hopes that they can make amends this time.
“I was playing in that game in 2019 and we were so close to qualifying for the next round,” said the forward at the group ballot ceremony at Parkroyal Beach Road.
“We were shocked that we were able to be on par with them and thought we could’ve won that match. So when Germany’s name came out, I was like it’s really time for us to show them again what we’re able to do.”
National women’s coach Lim Jin Quan added: “Our players are excited to go up against Germany and we want a win this time round.”
Completing Group C are Australia and France, who are ranked 11th and 27th respectively. While Mindy is confident of her team’s ability to match their group rivals, she noted that they would also have to keep in mind other teams’ changes.
The 26-year-old said: “We’ve played against Germany and we know we’re on par with them. It was an unlucky goal at the death in 2019... For Australia and Germany, there’s a high chance of us being able to beat them, but we have to put in the extra effort to win.”
Defending champions Sweden, who have won 10 editions of the competition, are in Group B with Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic, while 2021 runners-up Finland are in Group A with Latvia, Norway and Switzerland.
The Women’s WFC is returning to Singapore this year, nearly two decades after the Republic last hosted the event in 2005. The Dec 2-10 tournament will be only the second time that the biennial Women’s WFC is held outside of Europe.
International Floorball Federation secretary-general John Liljelund said: “To have a championship outside of Europe does not only show the development of floorball in Singapore but also in South-east Asia.
“The 16 teams who are coming to the championship are all here to fight for the gold medal, and to achieve and bring the sport forward. This is very important for the whole floorball community.”
In the 2005 WFC, Singapore came in 11th out of 17 teams in the two-division tournament. At the 2019 WFC, the national women’s team achieved their best-ever finish of 12th out of 16 teams since the tournament switched to a one-division format in 2011.
That feat was achieved shortly after they retained their gold medal at the 2019 SEA Games, following a 3-2 win over Thailand in the final. At the last edition of the world championship in 2021, the Republic finished 14th.
While she acknowledged that there would be some advantages playing at home, Mindy also noted that competing in Singapore comes with pressure.
She said: “There will be a home-ground advantage in that we won’t have to adapt to the time difference like we usually do when we are overseas and weather plays a part because we’re all used to more humid weather so all these factors can be helpful to us.
“But, at the same time, when your family members and friends come, they want you to perform well. The pressure is from ourselves to showcase our best. Ultimately, when the whistle blows a few minutes into the game, we’ll be able to do well.”
It is a busy year for the national floorballers, who will be aiming to retain their title at the May 5-17 SEA Games in Cambodia after the sport did not feature at the previous edition.
When they come back from Cambodia, they will have a training camp with world No. 1 Sweden, before the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in November.
