Thailand is one of nine first-time entrants in the 2014 FIL World Championship.
The
World Comes to
Denver
A record 38 nations will play 142 games over 10 days
By Corey McLaughlin T
he last time the world championships were held in the United States in 1998, only 11 nations competed and the entire tournament was played on Baltimore’s Homewood Field. This year’s tournament will include 38 nations, feature at least 60 games on ESPN’s family of networks and will utilize up to nine fields at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo., just for the championships. Coupled with festivals that will feature teams from the under-11 age group through 60-and-over players, it’s the largest international lacrosse event in history.
There are nine first-time entrants in the field: Belgium, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Israel, Russia, Thailand, Turkey and Uganda.
A Publication of US Lacrosse
White Division Latvia, Scotland, Switzerland, Thailand
The hotbed of Latvian lacrosse is Druva, a small rural village in the southwestern part of the
country. The club team from there, the Druva Dynamite, has won three of the last four national championships, with five club teams competing for the title this spring. Four of Latvia’s North American-based players have college experience, including brothers Riley and Eli Lasda, who currently play at Albany. … Scotland, which features former Stony Brook star Jordan McBride and his brother, Jimmy, will play in its fifth games while Switzerland its second. … Thailand makes its debut. Lacrosse passion runs deep for Thailand Lacrosse Association president Payu Nerngchamnong, who wanted to bring the 2018 world championship to the developing lacrosse country before it was awarded to England.
Red Division Austria, Belgium, Germany, Hong Kong
Vienna is the hub of the sport in Austria, where there are men’s and women’s seasons in the Austrian Lacrosse League. Men’s teams also play in the Czech box league and all teams travel throughout the summer to European tournaments. The Austrians finished 21st in their world debut four years ago. … In Belgium, given the country’s small size, players need not drive more than hour for an organized practice, usually held at the International School of Brussels. That’s where Emile Drijvers learned the game. He’s been the best player in the Belgian league since it started in 2005. Diego Spillebeen also is a homegrown talent to watch. Former Canisius long-stick midfielder Brendan Murphy gives the first-time participant some experience … In the densely-populated city of Hong Kong, playing fields are often located beneath skyscrapers. The HKLL was established in 2003 with four men’s teams. There now are 12 men’s teams and seven women’s. … Germany was bumped from the Blue Division in December via FIL membership vote, which decided to elevate the Iroquois to the top division despite them technically finishing in last place in the 2010 games because they did not participate.
July 2014 >> LACROSSE MAGAZINE 63
©HKLA; ©TLA
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