Lidköping, Sweden 13-15 March
RUSSIA WORLD CHAMPION!
Photo: Olle Modin
Russia became World Champion for Men 17 in Lidköping, Sweden. In the final, Russia won 7-2 against Sweden. It was very well deserved.
The team dominated the match from start to finish and Sweden never came close. Russia continued its offensive style of play throughout the match and it never gave the Swedish team any chance to take control of the game.
THE GOALS IN THE FINAL
0-1 (02) Vladislav Fedorenko, assist Mikhail Shirshov
1-1 (19) Rasmus Skarps, assist Ludde Bjernulf
1-2 (22) Artur Shelpaikov. assist Mikhail Shirshov
1-3 (41) Andrei Busygin, assist Ivan Brovkin
1-4 (51) Ivan Kondratev
1-5 (52) Ivan Kondratev, assist Vladislav Fedorenko
2-5 (62) Vladimir In-Fa-Lin, assist Måns Racov
2-6 (69) Andrei Busygin, assist Vladislav Fedorenko
2-7 (78) Vladimir Mikhalchenko, assist Mikhail Shirshov
Best players in the final
Mikhail Shirshov, Russia and Vladimir In-Fa-Lin, Sweden
BEST PLAYERS
Best midfielder and Most Valuable Player
Mikhail Shirshov, Russia
Best forward
Ivan Kondratev, Russia
Best goal keeper
Mathias Amlie Sandvik, Team Europe
Best defender
Karl Tagesson, Sweden
Best goal scorer
Arvid Tapper, Sweden
One of the teams is “Team Europe” – Ambassadorial team of the tournament!
Team Europe ambassadorial team at the FIB 2020 World Championship Men 17 has a tremendous growth potential to attract more players to the sport worldwide. FIB has an active strategy and policy to realize this potential with the help of all the different national bandy associations. In this respect much focus is placed on promoting the sport and recruiting young players from an early age to the game, and not least – to retain them.
To achieve this in practice, the bandy sport needs champions and ambassadors that can be good and inspirational role models. The best motivators and role models for youngsters are other youngsters and ideally from their own countries i.e. in this case other young bandy players. To build momentum and exponential interest for the sport among the younger generation, there must be a wide and concerted effort from both “developed” bandy nations (typically A-group WCS nations) and “developing” bandy nations (typically B-group WCS nations).
The “developing” bandy nations need the help of developed bandy nations to gain more exposure and interest for the sport. In conjunction with FIB 2020 World Championship Men 17 in Lidköping, 13-15 March, FIB in collaboration with Jan Wang Norderud and Magnus Alm has taken the initiative to introduce a “Team Europe” as an ambassadorial team for the sport in line with the objective of generating more interest and awareness among youngsters in developing bandy countries in Europe.
With this intent and purpose in mind, and to achieve a full and adequate 11-a-side team with a representative standard of bandy
sporting skills and competing capabilities, it has been decided that the team can be made up of a mix of indigenous players from developing bandy nations in Europe and from the US.
Importantly, the latter players have dual nationality (hold two passports) and have a strong affiliation and affinity to their second (mother/father) countries through family ties and other forms of friendly connections. They are fluent in both countries’ language and culture and as such they may represent very effective ambassadors and advocates of the bandy sport in their other second nationality
countries.
Hence, FIB recognizes this group as a group of players with dual nationality as an untapped resource, and in line with FIBs development strategy, FIB has taken the innovative step to form a Team Europe Men 17 that will participate in the WCS in Lidköping with a primary objective to muster more interest and awareness in developing countries. In this case Team Europe has been allowed to participate in
the WCS Men 17 together with Finland, Norway, Russia and Sweden.
Therefore, and on these grounds, FIB assumes that the respective associations of the developed countries participating in the WCS Men 17 will respect and support this initiative of an ambassadorial Team Europe and welcome the team into the tournament. That is in the interest of all the individual bandy associations and of the bandy sport collectively and worldwide.
