Twenty Countries Committed To 2019 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship
The
biggest field ever in the history of the Federation of International Lacrosse
(FIL) World Indoor Lacrosse Championship is set to take the stage in less than
one year’s time.
A
record 20 countries will look to go for gold next September with Langley Events
Centre as the venue when the Championship will be contested for the first time
on the West Coast.
The
event runs September 19 to 28, 2019 with Langley Events Centre as the primary
venue, and the LEC Fieldhouse and Aldergrove Credit Union Community Centre
serving as secondary locations.
This
will the fifth edition of the Championship, which is held every four years, and
Canada is gunning for a fifth consecutive gold medal having beaten the Iroquois
Nationals in the Championship final all four times. The United States have also
made the podium in each of the four events, taking the bronze medal.
The
trio of lacrosse heavyweights will be joined by Australia, Austria, Costa Rica,
the Czech Republic, England, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Mexico, the
Netherlands, Serbia, Scotland, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland.
The
countries were revealed at a press conference at Langley Events Centre on
Tuesday morning (October 9).
The
2015 event – which was held on the Onondaga Nation and in Syracuse, NY –
featured 13 teams.
The inaugural event in 2003 featured six teams while eight
competed in both 2007 and 2011.
“We
are excited to honour Canada’s game and celebrate the world as 20 teams from
around the globe come to Langley next year,” said Rita Rogers, Associate
Director, Event Development and Coordination for Langley Events Centre.
“There
is nothing quite like representing your country. Playing on the world stage is
pretty cool and I have been fortunate enough to do it three times now,” he
said.
Dickson
played for Canada in 2014, 2015 and again this past summer (2018), winning a
pair of gold medals in the first two competitions and then silver at the 2018
event.
The
middle of those three events was indoor lacrosse while the other two were field
competitions.
“It
is a special moment to represent your country and hear your (national) anthem,”
he said. “That is what everyone is there for, to play for their country. It is
a pretty special experience.”
The
Championship will be contested at Langley Events Centre, a venue Dickson – also
known as ‘Superman’ in lacrosse circles – has had more than his fair share of
success in. In 10 career National Lacrosse League games at LEC with the Calgary
Roughnecks, Dickson has 34 goals and 32 assists for 66 points, a hefty
6.6-points-per-game average. And in another five games as a visitor to LEC with
the Maple Ridge Burrards of the Western Lacrosse Association, Dickson has
tallied 11 goals and 19 points.
He
would love nothing more than to build on those gaudy stats, all the while
helping his country go for a fifth consecutive gold medal at the World Indoor
Championship.
“You
get to play with a lot of guys you are usually playing against, meet new people
and travel to some pretty cool places,” Dickson said. “And I have been
fortunate enough to do this a few times now.”
But
playing for Canada – on home soil and just a half hour or so from home – would
be an amazing opportunity.
“It
would be pretty cool (to play so close to home) especially since I didn’t get
the chance to do it (back in 2008),” he admitted.
Dickson’s
parents were able to travel to watch their son play for Canada in 2014 in
Denver, but they were unable to watch him in 2015 in Syracuse or this past
summer in Israel.
“If
I am fortunate enough to be chosen for this team, it would be pretty special to
have so many family and friends nearby and able to watch with it being just
down the road,” he said.
***
Pre-sale
orders are currently being accepted for the Championship with sales to the
public beginning November 5. For more information on the event, please go to www.wilc2019.ca.
-30-
For more information,
contact:
Gary Ahuja | Manager,
Corporate Communications & Media
Ten
Feet Sports and Entertainment Ltd | Langley Events Centre
Office: 604.455.8830 | Cell: 604.613.5242
Email:
Gary@tfse.ca
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