Inclusive cup,
aims to be the biggest in the world

The first edition of the Skellefteå Floorball Cup will be held at the end of April this year. 25 different classes for women's, men's, youth, corporate and parasport teams make it the world's most inclusive floorball cup . The ambition is that it will also be the most fun and eventually also the world's largest.

- The joy and that everyone can participate should permeate everything, says the initiator and cup general Jonas Fahlman.

Skellefteå is currently undergoing a major social transformation with several large business establishments that are expected to attract thousands of people to the place in the coming years. Jonas hopes that the Skellefteå Floorball Cup will be another contribution to this positive development.

- Skellefteå has lacked a really big sports cup and that's how the idea was born. Our goal for the first edition is 100 participating teams and we have good hopes of even surpassing that and then growing further. The vision is to eventually become the world's largest, before the Storvreta Cup, which had 520 participating teams last year, and we will already have foreign teams on the field this year," he says.

The matches will be played in seven central halls and proximity is something that the organizers place great value on.

- It should be easy to get to the matches. "A team from Kiruna asked how they can get between the stadiums and I said that it's walking distance no matter where they play. Being able to offer that is quite unique," says Jonas.

In addition to the cup experience, participants will be offered added value in the form of courses, lectures and camps. IBK Dalen's Norwegian star Ketil Kronberg will hold a camp for the outfield players and Pontus Boman, goalkeeper coach for the Swedish women's national team and Pixbo Wallenstam IBK, will train the goalkeepers.

- Ketil is a legend and the player who has played the most World Cups of all time. He is also an appreciated instructor and will take good care of the players. Pontus has World Cup gold with the national team on his resume and the fact that he grew up in Skellefteå makes it a little extra fun, says Fahlman and continues;

- We will also offer a leadership lecture and a course in parenting linked to their child's sporting activities, which accompanying parents can attend if they wish. These are added values that give great strength to our event.

Six local associations organize the cup together. Skellefteå Parasportförening is one of them.

- The other five associations have extensive experience of hosting traditional match events. The parasport class has special conditions and therefore it feels good that Skellefteå PSF is already at the drawing board. They also have their own channels to attract teams to the parasport class, says Jonas.

Leif Andersson sits on the board of Skellefteå parasport association, which was founded in 1969, and he is also a playing coach in the floorball team.

- It will be very fun with a cup that extends over two days for parasports. We already have a cup in our own organization that is decided on the same day, says Leif and continues.

- "We have an exchange with parasport associations in Piteå, Luleå and Umeå and I hope there will be several teams in our class.

The facts

Skellefteå Floorball Cup

When: 28/4-1/5.

Where: Balderhallen A and B, Eddahallen, Lejonströmsskolan, Campushallen, Anderstorpsgymnasiet and Florahallen.

Classes: A total of 25. Everything from women's and men's to youth, parasport and business classes.

Organizers: Skellefteå Floorball Club, Skellefteå IBK, Skellefteå IBS, Clemensnäs IF, Rönnskär Railcare IF and Skellefteå PSF.