The World Dodgeball Championships are coming to Graz, Austria, and the event is positioned to be the biggest in the history of the sport. From August 11th to 17th, host federation Dodgeball Austria is expecting to welcome 100 teams from over 30 countries worldwide, a significant increase from 2022, which was the biggest championships to date.
The 2022 World Championships were held in Edmonton, Canada, where 67 teams from 15 countries competed in 6 divisions, covering both the cloth and foam formats. It was the first time that both formats were contested at a single event, and it earned hosts Dodgeball Canada the award for Sporting Event of the Year from Edmonton Tourism. Austria will be the perfect host for this event, as the national program is one of the topped ranked in the world and captured 3 medals in Edmonton. Austria is also the seat of the European Dodgeball Federation, which is holding its largest ever continental championships this month in Osijek, Croatia.
As with Edmonton, Graz will be an open World Championships, with all WDBF Member Federations invited to compete. The focus of the event continues to be the growth and developing of the sport, while maximizing exposure and member opportunity for high-performance competition. Graz is the capital city of the Austrian province of Styria and the second-largest city in Austria. The city is known as a college and university city, home to more than 60,000 students. Its historic centre (Altstadt) is one of the best-preserved city centres in Central Europe. In 1999, the city’s historic centre was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Graz was designated the Cultural Capital of Europe in 2003 and became a City of Culinary Delights in 2008. Team registration will open this month. Please visit Dodgeball.at/worlds24 for more information as it becomes available. For more information on the World Dodgeball Federation, its Members, programs, and events, please contact duane@worlddodgeballfederation.com