Singapore to make bid to host 2027 World Tchoukball Championships

SINGAPORE - The Tchoukball Association of Singapore (TBAS) celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2027 and it plans to mark the milestone with a big bash – by hosting the World Tchoukball Championships and winning two gold medals on home soil.

TBAS president Delane Lim announced its intention to bid for the event on the sidelines of a signing ceremony for the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the association and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) at ITE College West on July 13.

Singapore has hosted five tchoukball regional championships, including two at the youth level, and three world youth championships since 2010, with the world tournament set to be the first for the Republic if the bid – which kicks off in 2025 – is successful.

Lim said it would take at least a year to prepare for hosting the championships, adding that TBAS is working on securing accommodation and venue spaces.

He said: “The host of the championships is rotated across the regions. As the last world championships were held in Europe, and the one before that in Asia-Pacific, the next host should be a Pan American (country). But we are going to submit our intent to bid when it opens.

“I believe that Singapore will be the best destination for the world championships. We have proven that we are good hosts.”

Held every four years, the 32-team tournament was last held in the Czech Republic in 2023, when Chinese Taipei and Switzerland won the men and women’s titles respectively. The Singapore men’s team placed third, while the women were fifth.

Men’s team player Isaac Tan, 25, is looking forward to competing on home soil.

He said: “I’ll definitely feel proud to represent the nation. If it’s being held in my home, with my friends and family there, there might be more of a sense of motivation.”

To help achieve its goal of clinching double world titles in 2027, TBAS’ MOU with ITE will see sports facilities at the ITE College East, West and Central added to the association’s current training bases at Bendemeer and Broadrick secondary schools. This will provide athletes with consistent access to high-quality training environments, said the TBAS.

The centres of excellence at ITE’s campuses will provide coaching support to its tchoukball teams, organise tournaments and outreach programmes, as well as tap on its pool of about 2,500 student-athletes to help build the talent pool.

At present, more than 20 per cent of the national senior and Under-19 players are from ITE.

The Singapore tchoukball teams will next feature in the July 19-21 Asia-Pacific Youth Tchoukball Championships in Malaysia and the Asia-Pacific Tchoukball Championships in Hong Kong from July 26 to 28.

ITE chief executive officer Low Khah Gek said: “This partnership provides students valuable opportunities for authentic learning with TBAS through professional and performance training with the national athletes and coaches. ITE students can mingle with the professional players and experience first-hand professional training at a competitive level.”