Men’s, women’s and U21 groups for the 2024 International Canoe Federation Canoe Polo World Championships in Deqing have been confirmed. 

Scheduled to be held from October 15 to 20 in the northern Zhejiang province, the flagship event is returning to Asia 20 years after Miyoshi in Japan hosted the 2004 edition. 

The qualification process for the 2024 edition started with the previous World Championships in 2022 in Saint-Omer, with teams also securing their sports through the continental championships last year and wildcard entries. 

The groups in Deqing will provide plenty of challenges as coaches and athletes seek to progress to the next round. The men’s competition will see six groups with two qualifying out of each group. World number one Germany is pitted with Japan and Belgium in Group A. Second-ranked Spain will face New Zealand and Sweden in Group B. 

World number three Italy have been placed along with three Asian teams in Chinese Taipei, Malaysia and China. Great Britain, Australia, the United States and Poland are in Group D. 

Reigning European champions Denmark will be the one to beat in Group E featuring Switzerland, Hong Kong and South Africa. Iran and Singapore will join heavyweights France and Portugal in Group F. 

The women’s competition will see four groups with three qualifying in each. World number one Germany faces Denmark, Great Britain, Australia and China in Group A. France, the 2022 silver medallists and second-ranked nation, are in Group B with the Netherlands, Chinese Taipei and Iran. 

Italy, Spain, Singapore and Hong Kong will battle it out in Group C while New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland and Japan will complete the final Group D. 

In the U21 category, where the top three teams progress, Spain is the top-ranked men’s team and will play Denmark, Belgium, Lithuania and Austria in Group A. 

Group B will see Germany, New Zealand, Switzerland, Japan and Singapore while 2022 bronze medallists and world number three Italy are with Great Britain, Chinese Taipei, the Netherlands and Australia in Group C. 

Fourth and fifth-ranked Poland and France, respectively, are favourites in Group D along with Czechia and China. 

The women’s U21 competition will see two groups of six compete for the world title, with world number one Germany facing France, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Chinese Taipei and China. 

Defending champions and second-ranked New Zealand will be eyeing a repeat of their performance from 2022 along with Spain, Great Britain, Singapore, Thailand and Australia in Group B. 

“After many hours of planning and hard work by the ICF Canoe Polo Committee, the Organising Committee and the Chinese Canoe Association, we are thrilled to soon welcome the best teams in the world to Deqing,” ICF Canoe Polo Committee Chair Greg Smale said. 

“I would like to thank the various team leaders for all their work in ensuring teams will be present, despite logistics proving to be hard in some cases and wish all the success they seek. 

“I would also like to thank the city of Deqing and acknowledge how special it will be that everybody will be able to walk from their hotel to this city venue, the organisers for their support to the special invites of Czechia U21 men and Thailand U21 women and manufacturer CPS for all the rental equipment be provided”. 

“The future of the sport is bright. To be in China with so many strong qualified teams, the significant representation of Asian teams, the return of past greats Australia in all four categories and of course China in all four categories. I know teams will ask: 'How good are the opposition?', especially those not known or seen less regularly. We will soon know!”

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