Lao Floorball Pioneers Aim to Inspire New Generation of Players

The Vientiane Floorball Group made a powerful debut within the latest 2023 Bangkok Floorball Event on 5 November, securing a formidable second place of their division, surpassing groups from Singapore and Thailand.

“After falling behind already within the first minute, to come back flip the sport round and get the win was big,” stated Emanuel Lakongseng, a passionate Vientiane floorball crew participant. 

The Vientiane Floorball Membership gathers as soon as per week for apply periods and pleasant matches. The membership takes satisfaction in its roster of normal Lao gamers and supplies monetary assist for his or her participation in worldwide tournaments.

“In Vientiane, we’re practising on a a lot smaller court docket, so to have the ability to try this in opposition to a crew taking part in the place they prepare each week actually units the tone for the remainder of the weekend,” Emanuel added.

Reflecting on the most recent Bangkok event, he additionally acknowledged the unfamiliar floor in comparison with their standard concrete coaching floor.

Floorball, a type of flooring hockey originating in Sweden throughout the Sixties, was launched to Laos in 2004 by Finnish expatriates. It holds reputation in quite a few northern European nations and was included within the Southeast Asian Video games solely in 2015.

“We’ll, for positive, proceed to attend the annual Bangkok event,” stated Emanuel. “One other dream is to have sufficient feminine gamers to have the ability to ship a ladies’s crew to affix in Bangkok as effectively.”

He additional expressed his enthusiasm for the promising way forward for Lao floorball, emphasizing that 2024 holds thrilling prospects for this sport. 

“We’re planning to have a avenue floorball event for college kids in grades 9 and 10 subsequent yr,” he stated. “[Our] dream is to see a Lao Floorball Federation established, to supply youngsters and youth with one other sports activities choice, and to have a Lao crew compete on the SEA Video games in 2025 the place Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam”