World Championship 2009 – India’s Surprise Run to the Final

In the ball hockey world of 2009, few believed that the Indian men’s national team could make it all the way to the World Championship final. Traditional powerhouses such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Canada, and the USA were considered the main favorites. Hardly anyone was betting on India, yet the biggest surprise came from them.

In their group, India began the tournament with the need to prove they were more than just a curiosity. In their very first match they defeated Slovakia, followed by a clash with the favored Czech Republic, which they lost, but India nevertheless showed that they could keep pace with the world’s elite. They concluded the group stage with a win over Switzerland and entered the playoffs from second place.

In the quarterfinals, India did not stumble and advanced to the semifinals after a victory over Italy, where they faced the national team of the USA. The Indians narrowly defeated the Americans, paving their way to the final. The final match against the Czech Republic was played in front of a large crowd. India took the lead twice during the game, but the Czech team demonstrated its strength and turned the score in its favor. Toward the end of the match, India equalized, sending the game into overtime. In the extra time, Czech captain Petr Novák decided the match, and India ultimately fell 3–4.

At the World Championship in Plzeň, one of the members of the Indian team at the time – forward Sharny Kaila – recalled the tournament as follows: „The first word that comes to mind when you say the World Championship Plzeň 2009 is HEARTBREAKING! But still, even though we lost in a heartbreaking way in overtime… Plzeň 2009 was without a doubt the most memorable experience of my entire ball hockey career. I would even rate it higher than winning World Championships with Team Canada in 2003 in Sierre, Switzerland, and in 2005 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. With Team Canada, we were big favorites because we had players like Alex Burrows, Benoit Gilbert, Paul Roy, and Chicky Mentis, just to name a few. In 2009, when I represented Team India, it was simply different. I believe it was the first time Team India played in the ‘A’ division. We went into the tournament just happy to be there, and honestly, we did not expect to go that far. I don’t think anyone expected to see us in the final. We were the underdog story. The entire experience was just unforgettable. From little kids asking for autographs before and after games, to packed stands and loud chants – it was something none of us had ever experienced before! Plzeň was a beautiful city, and visiting the stunning castles and bridges in Prague was one of the highlights.”

What was crucial for reaching the final and whether the team had the strength to defeat the Czech side, he answered as follows: „We knew we had great players, and we believed that if we played strong team defense, we could surprise some teams. And as the tournament went on and we had early success, that belief only grew stronger. We relied heavily on our special teams. We had a strong power play and penalty kill. In the playoffs, we took it one game at a time and left everything on the floor. When Team Canada was eliminated early, the door to the final was open for anyone. Yes, I believe it was possible to beat the Czech team in the final. It was a very even game, the lead swung back and forth, and it was 3–3 after regulation. In overtime, anyone could have won. One shot… one goal!!! That was all it took at that moment. Unfortunately for us, that one shot came from the Czech captain before any of us. The rest is history.”

Sharny Kaila is pictured with his brother and team captain, Smiter Kaila. Photo source: Sharny Kaila’s personal archive.

World Championship 2019 – Finland Shocks the Czechs in the Semifinal

For fourteen years, Czech ball hockey players had a near-automatic claim to a medal, something that felt as much a part of their sporting identity as the lion on their jerseys. Since 2005, when they last left a World Championship empty-handed, they had always managed to secure a medal and returned home with the sense that they belonged among the world elite. However, 2019 relentlessly broke that tradition. Košice’s Steel Aréna became the stage where the Czech national team stumbled, finishing in fourth place for the first time in many years.

The tournament had not started badly. The Czechs played confidently, skillfully, and with the awareness that history was on their side. But a World Championship is never about the past; it is always about current form, and that proved fatal for the Czechs. Their opponents were ready: Slovakia, driven by the home crowd; tough Finland; and relentless Canada.

The semifinal was the moment when it was decided whether the tradition would continue. The Czechs entered against Finland with determination, but luck and scoring efficiency were not on their side. And when they later played for bronze against Canada, the disappointment of the semifinal seemed to weigh on the whole team. When the Czech delegation left Košice, they carried no joy or celebration, only quiet resolve. The fourteen-year streak had ended. The disappointment of 2019 became part of Czech ball hockey history, a reminder that medals are never guaranteed and that even the strongest teams must occasionally face setbacks to rise again.

Czech forward Martin Kruček evaluated his team’s performance in Košice as follows: „There were many factors behind the failure at the 2019 World Championship in Košice. I have experienced seven World Championships, so I have something to compare and evaluate. Hopefully, no one will be upset, but I’ll be blunt. The main problem was too much freedom and irresponsibility from some players. Curfews weren’t respected, a few beers in the evenings… All of this affected recovery and preparation for the next day. This changed significantly by the 2022 and 2024 World Championships, where the players’ approach was completely different – and the result was two finals. Another aspect was a lack of cohesion and weak chemistry among the lines. In the group stage, practically only one line performed well, while the other three were still finding their rhythm. Key players unfortunately did not carry their league form, and the missing points were noticeable. I also see the non-selection of Tomáš Fejfar as a significant negative; he could have been called up later, but that did not happen. The team’s strength was certainly there. Unfortunately, the combination of poorly organized lines, lack of personal responsibility, and some decisions by the coaching staff ultimately led to failure. However, these experiences influenced the next cycles, resulting, as I said, in two finals. One could even say that this failure paradoxically helped build a stronger and more cohesive national team."

World Championship 2022 – Slovakia Without a Medal for the First Time

The Slovak men’s ball hockey team has been among the absolute elite of world ball hockey since the early days of the championships. The first World Championship took place in 1996 in Bratislava. From that inaugural tournament until 2019, Slovakia earned a medal at every championship, demonstrating consistent performance and a top position among the global elite. Their record is impressive, including four consecutive gold medals from 2013 to 2019.

However, 2022 brought a major turning point. The championship was held in Laval, Canada. Although Slovakia advanced from the group stage in second place, they were eliminated in the quarterfinals after losing to Greece. They ultimately finished in 5th place, marking the first time in the history of the championships that they did not win a medal.

This result showed that even strong traditions and historical successes do not guarantee continued victory, and that competition in world ball hockey is growing. For the national team, it was a warning sign: the era of their dominance had ended. Slovakia’s medal hegemony was interrupted in 2022.

Milan Rampáček, a member of the golden generation and the current coach of the Slovak team, assessed the Laval championship as follows: „After all these years, it’s really hard to evaluate, but some things didn’t go as we had all hoped, and just talking about a fifth consecutive title never does any player’s head any good and unnecessarily weighed on us. If I assess it soberly, teams like Canada, the Czech Republic, and the USA were slightly ahead in Laval, and we didn’t reach the same level of quality as they did. But the goal that decided our failure against Greece was foolish and naïve, and big teams don’t make such mistakes. However, this is already behind us, including Visp in 2024, so there’s no need to dwell on it. We need to look forward and assemble a team in Ostrava that will be strong and difficult to beat at every single position."