Today, Day Three of the IKF WKC 2019 in Durban, all the preliminary pools will be fully decided and each team’s path towards final rankings will be charted. Standing out in the schedule is the Pool E game that will see European silver medallist Germany take on Portugal, who finished just one place lower on the podium at the IKF EKC last year. That game will be in Hall Two, the Globe, at 15.30 local time. Other games worth noting are Catalonia versus New Zealand, Hong Kong versus Slovakia and South Africa versus Japan, to decide third and fourth placings in Pools A, C and E respectively. Due to the close games in Pool B, a team from there is likely to proceed to the top 16 as the best fourth place finisher, unless Poland beats Ireland by a wide margin. Although it is unlikely to match the final outstanding game in Hall One, KwaZulu Natal University’s Westville Campus yesterday, in the equivalent slot on today’s schedule, Belgium’s meeting with England should also be worth following and is likely to give us a strong indication on the prospects for both teams through the rest of the tournament.

In this post you will find a daily updated recap with all IKF press reviews, results, best images and videos from all games played during this Day 3.

These are the games scheduled to be played on Thursday, 3 August 2019 (Day 3):

*(Venues) Hall 1: ‘University’ – Hall 2: ‘The Globe’
Hall 1: KZN Westville Campus Indoor Sports Centre – Hall 2: ‘The Globe’ at Suncoast Boulevard Marine Parade

From 1 to 10 August 2019 the IKF World Korfball Championship 2019 is taking place in the city of Durban, South Africa. Twenty national squads are competing to be the new World Champion in this 11th edition of the most important international korfball tournament.

All the games are live streamed through IKF YouTube channel and on IKF data website www.worldkorfball.sport together with all the results, statistics, top scorers and updated ranking pools.

– Day 1 press reviews ► www.korfball.sport/?p=21829
– Day 2 press reviews ► www.korfball.sport/?p=21897

Day 3 reviews, results, rankings & videos:

Pool A

In the first game of Day Three at KwaZulu Natal University’s Westville Campus, with the opportunity to progress from Pool A into the top 16 on the line, both teams started nervously, taking poor shooting options, throwing up air balls and having obvious passes picked off. Goals were difficult to come by as both teams’ defensive ends tended to dominate. Catalonia squeezed out a three goal lead at halftime, making better use of their chances, and a penalty miss just before half time by New Zealand showed just how bad the nerves were. By the end of the third quarter there was still all to play for with the score standing at 11-9. Although two quick goals for Catalonia to start the final 10 minutes ought to have made the difference, New Zealand was not ready to lie down. Coach Manon Wiegerink brought on Simon Cooper and Sam Bennetts, with the latter making an instant impact, scoring within seconds of his introduction, though in the end it was not enough and Catalonia was able to run down the clock. New Zealand is now likely consigned to playing for 17th place, though their body language at the end showed that they believe they could have done better. Such a strong performance against one of the European heavyweights of korfball, however is something they will be able to reflect on positively in due course. Top scorer for New Zealand was Nicole Lloyd with six, while for Catalonia captain Javier Sanchez scored four. Final score 15-13.

In the next game, which was to decide the winner of Pool A, The Netherlands found the Czech Republic more difficult to overcome than the teams they dismissed on the two previous days. However, despite the fact that the world champions did not achieve the same levels of champagne korfball as they have so far in Durban, the game was never really in doubt. At the end of the first quarter Mick Snel fired up a potential buzzer beater, letting fly almost from Namibia and landing it, only to have referee Miguel Wensma disallow it for leaving the Dutch superstar’s hands momentarily too late. Coach Wim Scholtmeyer rotated his entire bench into the game at half time, which may have disrupted the rhythm of the game slightly, though he and his players strive for perfection, and will not be fully satisfied with this, even though the Czech team deserves credit for making their opponent work harder than they have so far this week. Final score 23-7.

Pool A ranking after Day 3 results:
1st: NED (9 pts) – 2nd: CZE (6 pts) – 3rd: CAT (3 pts) – 4th: NZL (0 pts)

Pool B

In the first Pool B game at the Globe today, Chinese Taipei faced Australia in Pool B, renewing the longest running international korfball rivalry outside Europe. Chinese Taipei showed their style and class from early on with two seemingly effortless goals by Ya-Wen Lin in the first two minutes. While Australia fought hard to try and create challenges, they struggled under the defensive pressure of Chinese Taipei. For the Asian champion, class was evident in every department, delighting the large crowd that had come to support them with some magical movement and passing. Australia however never loses their fighting spirit, and that was not going to occur today either, particularly as they were also buoyed by vocal support from the local South African crowd. When they are in this form and dominating, Chinese Taipei usually makes a raft of substitutions around half time and today’s game was no exception, which means that players end up sharing the goals, rather than anyone dominating the statistics. Although some outrageous shooting by Australia meant that they won the final quarter, the day belonged to Chinese Taipei, who showed why they are serious medal contenders. Final score 30-14.

Ireland, without a win in the tournament so far, needed not to be thrashed in this game to be sure of finishing as the best fourth place team. They fancied going better than that, and led Poland for most of the game, albeit not by a wide margin. At half time the scores were level 7-7. For Ireland Shay Conroy was making most impact. After the break Ireland again started the half better than Poland, re-establishing a three goal lead, which looked to be enough, particularly after Conroy turned his defender to score a sneaky and apparently vital goal with nine minutes remaining. As the minutes ticked by however, Ireland found their lead eroding, and their inability to manage the clock again caught them out. First Poland captain Kyzystof Rubinkowski brought the margin back to a single goal, then, shortly after coming into the game for the first time, substitute Adam Doroszuk evened it up with 28 seconds remaining. When Ireland couldn’t then convert what would effectively be a golden goal, Poland took the ball down the other end for Rafael Diadik to convert the most dramatic of buzzer beaters, from the back of the court, to secure a game that his team had not led for the entire 40 minutes to that point. Still, it was almost certainly enough for Ireland to progress to the top 16 as the best fourth place team. Final score 14-13

Pool B ranking after Day 3 results:
1st: TPE (9 pts) – 2nd: POL (6 pts) – 3rd: AUS (3 pts) – 4th: IRL (0 pts)

Pool C

Hong Kong took on Slovakia in the final game at the Globe, with the winner heading for the top 16 and the loser consigned to the ghetto of places 17 to 20. Slovakia made a positive start and went out to a three goal lead halfway through the first quarter, captain Peter Busik again running the show for his team. Hong Kong came back though, with Kwok Kuen Ham leading the charge. By half time the score was 7-9. Slovakia managed to hold the lead through the second half, though never made it sufficiently comfortable to put Hong Kong out of the game until the final minute. Peter Busik scored five while Peter Fabik and Zuzana Busikova four each. After originally falling short of qualification for this tournament, and having not participated at an IKF WKC since 2003, making the top 16 is an excellent achievement for Slovakia, and marks this tournament as a success for them already, possibly with further accomplishments to come. Hong Kong, meanwhile, coming into this tournament ranked 11, will be disappointed not to have won a game in their pool and will be anxious to make the most of their games for the lower places. Final score 16-18.

After England really struggled for much of the game yesterday against Slovakia, and bearing in mind Belgium’s apparent renaissance at this tournament, this game started more slowly than expected, and was all tied up after eight minutes. However in the final two minutes of the first quarter England flinched and Belgium scored five while conceding only one. Belgium continued that theme in the second quarter, while England generally struggled to match their opponents’ intensity and accuracy. By half time the Diamonds had eased out to a 14–5 lead. England had the better of the third quarter, though Belgium was mostly content to hold them at bay, confident that the advantage was big enough and that England didn’t have the power to eat the lead. In the final quarter, Belgium recalibrated and picked up the pace again to finish comfortably ahead. Jordan de Vogelaere and Brent Struyf top scored with five each, while Davesh Patel’s four made him England’s top scorer. Final score 22-12.

Pool C ranking after Day 3 results:
1st: BEL (9 pts) – 2nd: ENG (6 pts) – 3rd: SVK (3 pts) – 4th: HKG (0 pts)

Pool D

After the fireworks of yesterday’s final game, when they yielded to China by golden goal, in the third game today at the Westville Campus, Suriname played their bench against Macau China. Despite missing several easy chances, they still eased away to a comfortable lead by 20-0 at half time. Men’s Heng Wong earned a big cheer when he scored his team’s first goal after 23 minutes, subsequently adding two more. Goals were shared around by Suriname with recent DOS’46 signing Vladimir Slot top scoring with eight. Final score 33-4

After their amazing victory last evening over Suriname, China was a little flat at the start of this Pool D game against Hungary at the Westville campus. Hungary, on the other hand was well up for a contest, confident and fizzing with energy at the prospect of taking on the world number four. Making the most of controlled aggression in the rebound, they raced to an 8-2 lead after eight minutes, and although China came back strongly in the second quarter, Hungary still had the advantage at half time by 14–15. China’s female players, Jammy Zhao and Xin Li found their shooting groove in the third quarter and managed to tie the game up, clawing back a lead that Hungary had re-established. Dongjie Zhang and Yongbin Yang scored a sharp goal each to take their team three clear with ten minutes left, then more clinical finishing to go five ahead with five remaining and essentially put the game beyond the valiant Hungary, who couldn’t maintain their initial high energy. Remaining undefeated and justifying their superior ranking for the second time in two challenging days, China sealed the top place in the pool, confirming Hungary will take third place. Final score 29-24.

Pool D ranking after Day 3 results:
1st: CHN (8 pts) – 2nd: SUR (7 pts) – 3rd: HUN (3 pts) – 4th: MAC (0 pts)

Pool E

European Korfball Championship 2018 silver and bronze medalists Germany and Portugal faced off in a battle for the top place in Pool E in the third game at the Globe on the beach in Durban today. Even though the scoring was not rapid for either team, Portugal managed to score three unanswered goals at the end of the first half to assume the lead. Germany exerted strong pressure at the start of the second half, though took four minutes to pull a goal back. Almost continual attack from Germany in the third quarter, with the ball hardly ever in the hands of Portugal, saw no advantage accruing for the Germans who, despite Dominic During and Timon Orth totally dominating the rebound in their end, could not find their shooting accuracy, while Portugal, with far fewer chances, was much more clinical. And so it continued in the final quarter. Portugal established a four goal lead with five minutes remaining through an excellent long range bomb, under shot clock pressure, from Tiago Luz, which essentially locked Germany out of the game. Final score 14-10.

With an enthusiastic crowd in the Globe to support the host, South Africa offered their most positive performance in this tournament so far, matching Japan through the early stages, with RF van Niekerk, in particular, making good use of his experience. As the game proceeded, however the superior fitness of Japan became evident, and South Africa was unable to counter the speed and accuracy of Yu Furuki and Yuko Anzai. In this the third IKF WKC that Japan has attended, today was their historic first ever win, sending them through to the top 16 when the tournament resumes after tomorrow’s rest day, while South Africa will battle for the minor places. Final score 10-19.

Pool E ranking after Day 3 results:
1st: POR (9 pts) – 2nd: GER (6 pts) – 3rd: JPN (3 pts) – 4th: RSA (0 pts)

Referees & jurys daily apointments

Click here to see the appointments.

More information about the tournament

Official websites of the tournament ► www.korfball.sport ► www.ikfwkc2019.com
Live streaming games, results and statistics on ► www.worldkorfball.sport
IKF WKC History event booklet ► Read .pdf document

This tournament is also a qualifying event for The World Games 2021 that will take place in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, from 15 to 25 July 2021. More info ► www.theworldgames2021.com

Discover more from all participants reading #TheTeamFiles Interviews ► korfball.sport/wkc2019

Follow the #WKC2019 on social media!

You can also follow all the tournament on IKF official channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram:
► facebook.com/korfball.org
► twitter.com/korfball
► instagram.com/korfball_org

More info and special content can be found on LOC’s tournament profiles:
► facebook.com/ikfwkc2019
► twitter.com/ikfwkc2019
► instagram.com/ikfwkc2019

Day 3 Image gallery

By Marco Spelten: actionphotography.nl – korfbalfoto.nl

As the first day of August dawns over the beaches of Kwa Zulu Natal, all 20 participating teams are now itching to put months and years of training into action on Day One of IKF WKC 2019 in Durban, South Africa. All teams trained yesterday in one of the two tournament venues, along with the referees and jury members. A few even managed to arrange training games, which renewed old rivalries, established new acquaintances and gave the coaches the opportunity to make final adjustments.

Today is important for all 20 teams, of course. However, for Ireland, New Zealand, Macau-China and Suriname it is even more so as they each appear at a their first ever IKF WKC. Ireland, New Zealand and Macau-China each has an almighty mission today, taking on respectively Chinese Taipei, The Netherlands and China, ranked two, one and four. Suriname, in contrast, ranked number 20 by the IKF, take on ninth ranked Hungary. In the case of Suriname, represented by a squad drawn from the ranks of Dutch korfball, that ranking is deceptive and they are aiming for a much higher position. With Hungary also aspiring to qualify for the World Games 2021, Birmingham, USA, their meeting today, at Hall Two, on Durban’s spectacular beach, should be one of the highlights.

Also catching the eye will be the encounter between the Czech Republic, ranked number seven, and Catalonia, which sits five places lower in the rankings. These two European korfball stalwarts have both contested the medal positions within the last three IKF WKC tournaments, and will be desperate to start this event positively.

We are ready for a fascinating day and an intriguing tournament.

These are the games scheduled to be played on Thursday, 1 August 2019 (Day 1):

*(Venues) Hall 1: ‘University’ – Hall 2: ‘The Globe’
Hall 1: KZN Westville Campus Indoor Sports Centre – Hall 2: ‘The Globe’ at Suncoast Boulevard Marine Parade

Day 2 matches post ► https://korfball.sport/?p=21897

From 1 to 10 August 2019 the IKF World Korfball Championship 2019 is taking place in the city of Durban, South Africa. Twenty national squads are competing to be the new World Champion in this 11th edition of the most important international korfball tournament.

All the games are live streamed through IKF YouTube channel and on IKF data website www.worldkorfball.sport together with all the results, statistics, top scorers and updated ranking pools. In this post you will find a daily updated recap with all IKF press reviews, results, best images and videos from all games played during the day.

Day 1 reviews, results, rankings & videos:

Pool A

Since the draw for this tournament was made, New Zealand’s  introduction to the IKF WKC 2019 was always going to be a steep challenge, and so it proved as The Netherlands, TeamNL Korfbal, used this first game at Kwa Zulu Natal’s Westville Campus to show their prowess. Their slick passing, superior court awareness and intuitive understanding of each other, based of course on hours of training, made the game appear effortless. A 10-1 lead at the end of the first quarter had increased to 23-3 by half time. New Zealand coach Manon Wiegerink made a series of substitutions just prior to and at half time, giving most of her squad the experience, and privilege, of facing the Dutch onslaught. Wim Scholtmeijer, in contrast stuck with his starting eight right to the end. Esther Cordus and Mick Snel were particularly ruthless for the victors, while for New Zealand, youngsters Boris van Bruchem and Chelsea Ruiz showed their potential. In the end the score was 41-5.

A real scrap in the first half between the Czech Republic, ranked number seven, and Catalonia, which sits five places lower in the rankings. Early on both teams struggled to score with any fluency, though Czech edged ahead by 3-1 at the end of the first quarter. Catalonia started the second quarter in a higher gear to equalise the score in little over a minute, then both matched each other goal for goal and by half time it looked as if this game would meet expectations of turning into a classic. Using their tall boys under the post in the classic style that has brought them success in the past, however, enabled Czech to squeeze their opponent out and edge ahead, leaving Catalonia with no answers to take back the game. Lenka Faltynkova and Alexandr Vyroubal made important contributions, while Alba Rosa caught the eye for Catalonia. By the final whistle the Czech Republic was victorious by 17-14

Pool A ranking after today’s results:
1st: NED (3 pts) – 2nd: CZE (3 pts) – 3rd: CAT (0 pts) – 4th: NZL (0 pts)

Pool B

Ireland scored the first goal of the IKF WKC 2019 with a running shot in the second minute at The Globe, Hall Two, on the Durban beach and in sight of the spectacular Moses Mabhida Stadium. Although Chinese Taipei struggled for fluency, they still eclipsed the tournament debutante during the first quarter by 5-2. In the second quarter Ireland’s two substitutions increased their stability. While Chinese Taipei put up plenty of shots and controlled the offensive rebound, their percentages were not at their usual high standard. With the score at 8-4, the Irish went through two minutes where every shot found its mark and four consecutive goals took the score to 8-8. Although Chinese Taipei stepped up, in the last second of the half Ireland scored again to make it 10-10. At the start of the second half Chinese Taipei substituted a whole section and took the match away. Ireland struggled under the increased defensive pressure and Chinese Taipei asserted their dominance, though their shooting percentages will have to improve if they want to protect their ranking at the end of this tournament. Ireland meanwhile will be delighted to have outplayed the Asian champion and world ranked number two for an entire quarter. Final score 27-14.

Poland dominated the first half, proving too strong under the post, better drilled and quicker to every ball, establishing a comfortable half time lead over Australia by 8-14, running contrary to IKF ranking expectations, where Australians sits at number 10, three places above their European opponents. At the start of the second half however, Poland fell apart as the Australians began to assert themselves, being pressured into shot clock violations on several occasions and giving the ball away too easily. Australia took over the momentum and came back from six goals down to bring the score to 18-17 with four minutes remaining. However, Poland then managed to readjust their focus on the game and take back control over the last few minutes to win by two, 19-21, likely setting themselves up for an easier run into the last 16 of the tournament, once the initial pool games are concluded on Saturday.

Pool B ranking after today’s results:
1st: TPE (3 pts) – 2nd: POL (3 pts) – 3rd: AUS (0 pts) – 4th: IRL (0 pts)

Pool C

Belgium started this game with the level of fierce intensity they will need if they are to reclaim what they have always considered their rightful place in world korfball’s highest echelons. However, when Slovakia found the pace of the game, they were able to rein in Belgium to finish the first quarter at 6-3. Given space, Belgium were scoring with almost every attempt, to take the game to 15-7 at half time. Prior to this tournament, after two miserable years for Belgium, where by their own high standards they have slipped, this was an impressive and efficient performance, showing precision and control. Slovakia was competitive for some periods, though as the score indicates, they were really no match for their more accomplished opponent. For Belgium all players made an approximately even contribution to the scoring, which reflected the strong team ethos they have brought to Durban. Having previously made his mark at the IKF WKC as a referee, making his playing debut at this level for Slovakia, Peter Busik top scored for his team with five goals. At the final whistle Belgium was ahead by 34 -12.

England set up their tactics absolutely right, focusing their attack at one end of the field on making chances for Neala Brennan, who duly stepped up to score six goals in the first half. At the other end Hong Kong China struggled to build any momentum as England took complete control of the rebound. At half time the score was 17-9. Sixth ranked England managed to hold the world number 11 at arm’s length in the early stages of the second half, though with both teams making substitutions! Some ode the pace and consistency ebbed away. At the end the score was 30-17, leaving both teams to look forward to their remaining pool games against Belgium and Slovakia.

Pool C ranking after today’s results:
1st: ENG (3 pts) – 2nd: BEL (3 pts) – 3rd: SVK (0 pts) – 4th: HKG (0 pts)

Pool D

Coming up against China in their first ever IKF WKC game was always going to be a daunting prospect for the lowest ranked team at this tournament, Macau China. China proved to be absolutely dominant, playing some attractive dynamic korfball. While the score did not necessarily reflect this, Macau did show some promise, and will cause problems for some of the other teams this week, particularly as they gain experience. Several of China’s goals were worthy of any Dutch showreel. They pass the ball so quickly and recycle efficiently, always finding a spare player for the second shot. While they may need a little more consistency in their shooting against the teams they are likely to meet towards the end of the tournament, this performance suggests they will be a threat to anyone. For the victors, Dongjie Zhang ran the show, controlling his section and scoring six, while Qing Wang and Jammy Zhao each scored eight. Macau has athletic skills and speed, though needs to be less predictable. Final score 42-8.

Featuring at the Globe, Hall Two of the IKF WKC 2019 in Durban, Suriname made their first appearance at a world championship in any sport, showing that the excitement about their arrival in international korfball is not misplaced. Playing well controlled korfball, with the experience of their players on display, they worked and waited to successfully execute the right opportunities. At the other end, it took most of the first quarter for Hungary to adapt to the smothering defensive pressure applied by Suriname. They had to work for positions around the post, and had difficulty moving the ball quickly enough, which put them under shot clock pressure. At half time the score was 4-14, with Ivan Karsters and Gerald van Dijk dominating the scoring for Suriname, the latter combining particularly well with Blauw-Wit Korfbal League club mate Randell van der Steen to make life hard for their Hungarian opponents. With the result effectively decided, the second half became scrappy. Both teams fought hard for rebound and assist positions, which resulted in multiple fouls around the post. Unlike the other three debutants today, Suriname recorded a rare feat, with a win in their first ever IKF WKC game and a final score of 12-24.

Pool D ranking after today’s results:
1st: CHN (3 pts) – 2nd: SUR (3 pts) – 3rd: HUN (0 pts) – 4th: MAC (0 pts)

Pool E

In the fourth game of the first day at KwaZulu Natal University’s Westville Campus, Portugal took on the host, showing their serious intent by starting with the same eight in the same formation that ambushed Belgium to secure that historic bronze medal at the European Korfball Championship, 2018. Portugal showed their strength in the first quarter, stifling South Africa in defence and attacking with cool precision to lead by 1-8 at the first break. By half time the theme had continued with great ball movement in attack and aggressive interceptions in defence to increase the lead to 2-14. Portugal’s Pedro Correia making his usual telling contribution, combining height and mobility, while Luise Costa’s speed caused continual problems for South Africa. Coach Isabel Texiera made several changes at half time, while Elsie Theyse-Hulsbos introduced veteran Werner Basson for the first appearance at his fifth IKF WKC. With both coaches using every member of their squad, and the result already firmly concluded, structure and fluency dropped away in the final quarter. By the time referee Dan-Lin Huang blew her final whistle, Portugal had extended their lead to 4-36.

A gallant Japan took the fight to Germany, making life more difficult than the European silver medalist might have expected. However, the score mounted steadily and Germany had secured a 15-6 lead at half time, albeit the six scored by Japan in 20 minutes matched their total number of goals in all the games they have previously played at two IKF WKC tournaments. Coach of Germany Wilco van den Bos made seven substitutions at half time, which initially disrupted the flow that his team had built, though not to a degree that would give Japan any real hope of changing the result. Keisuke Mashiba scored an excellent shot from extreme distance, then Dominic During made a sensational rejection, from behind, of a Sho Furuki shot right under the korf, to keep the game interesting in the third quarter. Although Japan was comfortably beaten by the world number five, with a final score of 37-12, they showed enough to indicate that they will very likely achieve their stated objective of a first ever IKF WKC victory some time in the next few days.

Pool E ranking after today’s results:
1st: POR (3 pts) – 2nd: GER (3 pts) – 3rd: RSA (0 pts) – 4th: JPN (0 pts)

Referees & jurys daily apointments

Click here to see the appointments.

More information about the tournament

Official websites of the tournament ► www.korfball.sport ► www.ikfwkc2019.com
Live streaming games, results and statistics on ► www.worldkorfball.sport
IKF WKC History event booklet ► Read .pdf document

This tournament is also a qualifying event for The World Games 2021 that will take place in Birmingham, Alabama, USA, from 15 to 25 July 2021. More info ► www.theworldgames2021.com

Discover more from all participants reading #TheTeamFiles Interviews ► korfball.sport/wkc2019

Follow the #WKC2019 on social media!

You can also follow all the tournament on IKF official channels on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram:
► facebook.com/korfball.org
► twitter.com/korfball
► instagram.com/korfball_org

More info and special content can be found on LOC’s tournament profiles:
► facebook.com/ikfwkc2019
► twitter.com/ikfwkc2019
► instagram.com/ikfwkc2019

Day 1 Image gallery

By Marco Spelten: actionphotography.nl – korfbalfoto.nl