Angela Baumgartner: Our goal must be to improve

We will continue to train hard

How is the Swiss women's national team preparing for the World Championships?

In May 2025, approximately 50 players who wanted to showcase their skills for the 2026 World Championships attended a tryout. Since then, we have been training together about once a month. The squad was finalized at the end of January. We will continue to train hard and play test matches until the World Championships to be optimally prepared.

How many players are participating in your preparations? Is there a lot of competition within the team?

Initially, there were 50 players. The coaches constantly gave us instructions on how we could improve and what needed to be improved. The coaches periodically reduced the squad until, at the end of January, the final roster was set, consisting of 25 players and 3 reserve players.

What does women’s ball hockey look like in Switzerland? Are there any regular competitions here?

Currently, seven teams participate in the Swiss championship. Before the start of the championship, teams can choose between the 5v5 or 4v4 format. The game duration was adjusted to 3 x 15 minutes for the 2025/26 season. Each team plays a home and away game, followed by playoffs. This results in 12 games in the qualifying round, followed by playoff semifinals and a final.

It was a wonderful and enriching experience

You participated in the last championship, which was held in your home country. What are your memories of it?

The memories of Visp 2024 are wonderful. The atmosphere of being able to play at home was fantastic. The players' families and friends were there to support us all. For us, this was a very special World Championship. Firstly, we were able to field a women's national team again after 10 years, and secondly, we were able to host the World Championships at home. For every player, it was a wonderful and enriching experience.

You finished seventh in Visp and Raron. What are your goals for Ostrava?

So far, we haven't defined any specific goals as a team. However, it's clear to me that we're traveling to Ostrava to win. We want to give Canada and the USA a tough time and maybe even beat Slovakia. (smiles) Our goal must be to improve. We need to score more goals and be more energetic than we were in Visp. We'll see where we ultimately finish after the World Championships. Personally, I think fourth or fifth place should be our target.

Championships in the Czech Republic are known for their high quality, and the last championship broke attendance records. What are your expectations for the championship? Have you ever been to the Czech Republic?

I'm expecting fantastic, exciting matches with a large crowd creating a great atmosphere. Top-level street hockey and plenty of surprises. I'm really looking forward to the World Championships and to visiting the city of Ostrava. I've never been to the Czech Republic before and I'm very excited to get to know the country soon.

Swiss national team at the home championship in 2024. Photo source: Facebook Visp-Raron2024.