Poprad is actively preparing for the Junior and Women’s Ball Hockey World Championships

These meetings culminated in a press conference held on April 15, 2025, at the Poprad City Hall, with representatives from the City of Poprad and members of the Slovak Ball Hockey Union in attendance.

On this occasion, the mayor of Poprad, Anton Danko, stated:
“Except for a few regional capitals, Poprad is the city with the most developed sports infrastructure in Slovakia. That’s why the organizers of this world championship can fully benefit from the conditions and opportunities we are able to offer all participants. I’m glad that the city of Poprad could contribute to organizing this significant international sporting event, and I believe it will be successful both in terms of sport and fan attendance.”

The U20 Junior Ball Hockey World Championships will take place from July 2 to 6, 2025. Matches for both junior men and women will be held at the Poprad Ice Stadium and in the gym of the Secondary Sports School.

The organizers aim to break the attendance record from previous championships in this age category. To help achieve this, entry to all matches will be free for children and youth under the age of 15.

Miroslav Dragun, President of the Slovak Ball Hockey Union, commented on the topic for the website hokejbal.sk:
“We definitely want to beat the attendance from the last championship. I believe especially our fans will rally. We have a strong base in eastern Slovakia, and I’m convinced the host city will also play a role. The view of the Tatras is beautiful, and I believe it will attract many international fans as well.”

Fans will also be pleased with accompanying attractions, such as a fan zone in front of the ice stadium and an exhibition ball hockey match featuring Slovak legends.

“We’ll certainly use this championship to promote our sport and to recall the successes we've achieved. But there are still many elements in preparation, and we’ll inform the public about them as soon as possible,” said the championship organizing committee chairman Ondrej Buday for hokejbal.sk.

The official ambassador of the championship is Patrik Svitana, a native of Poprad and a former Slovak ball hockey national team player. He has three gold medals from the Men's World Championships and also represented Slovakia at the U20 World Championships in 2008, where he won silver.

“To watch the junior elite in my hometown – I’m really looking forward to that. I also played in the U20 World Championships, and it was a fantastic experience. I hope lots of people come out – our region has a lot to offer. But it will be the games themselves that draw people in. I can’t wait,” Svitana told hokejbal.sk.

Tickets are already available for presale:
https://www.ticketportal.sk/event/ISBHF-World-U20-Mens-Womens-World-Junior-Ball-Hockey-Championships-Poprad-Slovakia?imedium=timeline

Photo: poprad.sk