Photo: Singapore Floorball Series
Floorball has gained popularity in Singapore in recent years, but how much about the sport did you know? Here are are some interesting facts!
(1) Nobody knows where floorball was first invented
Sweden, Finland, Norway, Canada and the US all claim that the game originated in their country, as locals found a way to play ice hockey even when it was not snowing or icy outside! The first modern game of floorball was played in Gothenburg, Sweden in 1968, but versions of the game have been played as early as 1958 in the US.
(2) Singapore is the first Southeast Asian country to play floorball
Floorball only made its way to Singapore in 1994, when it was introduced by Swede brothers, Filip and Stefan Dahlgren. Many people thought it was unlikely that a sport coming from ice hockey would ever become popular in hot and sunny Southeast Asia, but the Dahlgren brothers had other ideas. Starting with Singapore, they introduced floorball to the rest of region.
(3) Singapore holds multiple floorball championship titles
Despite floorball being such a new sport, Singapore teams have already clinched several championships, including the Women’s APAC WFC 2005; the Men’s APAC WFC in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010; and the Myanmar SEA Games 2013, where floorball was featured as a demonstration sport! Today there are around 10,000 active floorball players in Singapore, in approximately 200 schools and 100 local clubs.
(4) It goes by several names
The sport is called salibandy (“hall bandy”) in Finland and innebandy (“indoor bandy”) in Sweden and Norway. This is to differentiate it from bandy, a winter sport that can be played outdoors. Floorball also goes by the name unihockey in Switzerland and Ireland. This is a shortened version of “universal hockey,” which is a simplified version of hockey.
(5) Floorball is played on a rink
Although the playing area looks similar to that of a table tennis court, it is actually called a ‘floorball rink’. This is because it draws its name from ice hockey, which is also played on rinks.
(6) It is a wheelchair friendly sport
Floorball is a fast-paced sport that emphasis speed, skill and technique rather than physical strength, making it a great sport for people with disabilities. Floorball sticks and balls are also very lightweight and do not pose much threat of injury. Wheelchair floorball can be played with the exact same rules as a typical floorball game. However, when floorball became an official sport at the 2017 Special Olympics World Winter Games, teams played 3-on-3 (instead of the usual 5-on-5).
(7) Singapore hosts international floorball competitions
Singapore has been hosting international floorball competitions since 2005, with the Women’s WFC at Woodland Sports Hall, ITE College East and the Singapore Indoor Stadium. This year, major competitions like the Women’s Asia Oceania Floorball Confederation Cup (AOFC) and the Men’s World Floorball Championship Qualifiers (WFCQ) return to Singapore. The women's series is currently live streaming on ActiveSG Circle where you can support (click here) Team Singapore as they play on home ground and vie for honours against 5 other teams!
At the schools’ level, the National School Games' floorball competition comes to an exciting close with the 3rd/4th and final placings for the A Division girls and boys on 24 May. You can catch all the action here. Don't miss it!
Photo: International Floorball Federation
Related Articles
Related Topics
Related Events & Programmes
Related Articles
Related Topics
Related Articles
View AllRelated Topics
[BlogPost 164438712123 NSG 2024 Badminton: Senior Div Girls Quarter-Finals, BlogPost 164238055490 Evergreen Aleksandar Duric Still Making Headlines at 53, BlogPost 164170080646 NSG 2024 Rope Skipping: Junior Div Girls Freestyle Team Finals, BlogPost 162884973666 Move and Rest Better With Data From Your Own Body, BlogPost 163393049482 Life Comes Full Circle For Serangoon Garden Secondary School's Fahrish Khan, BlogPost 163258797651 Making Golf a Sport for All, BlogPost 162512222328 NSG 2024 Sepaktakraw: Senior Div Yuhua Primary School vs Qihua Primary School, BlogPost 162233592997 Gritty Lions Suffer Loss to China, BlogPost 162089384371 On Your Mark, Get Ready, Go Running, BlogPost 161670652697 Lions' Excellent Showing Against China, BlogPost 161435270031 Ogura Optimistic for Exciting Clash against China, BlogPost 161127614758 The Future of Basketball in Singapore: Why 3x3 is Here to Stay, BlogPost 161033673012 The Active Lifestyler's Guide to the New ActiveSG Delta Sport Centre, BlogPost 161128356680 Grand New Champions Crowned at WTT Singapore Smash 2024, BlogPost 160844835218 NSG 2024 Table Tennis: C Div Boys Pool Round, BlogPost 160210745115 NSG 2024 Basketball: Senior Div Girls Tampines Primary School vs Frontier Primary School, BlogPost 159881180544 Whirlwind Return to Women's Football, BlogPost 159633541417 Singapore Smash to Elevate a New Legacy, BlogPost 158983580420 NSG 2024 Rugby: B Div Damai Secondary School vs Peirce Secondary School, BlogPost 159003960202 SFA Fiesta: Kicking off 2024 to a Roaring Start, BlogPost 158830735126 NSG 2024 Football: B Div Girls Preliminary Round Meridian Secondary School VS Bowen Secondary School, BlogPost 158536989718 Team Nila Volunteers Recognized At Awards Ceremony, BlogPost 158270107806 NSG 2024 Hockey: B Div Boys Preliminary Round Raffles Institution VS St. Hilda Secondary School, BlogPost 157966862615 NSG 2024 Floorball: B Division Preliminary Rounds Kick Off!, BlogPost 157562433712 What Is Safe Sport?, BlogPost 157559446197 Sengkang Secondary: Cultivating Well-Rounded Footballers, BlogPost 157368261167 New National Training Centre for Cricket at West Coast Ground, BlogPost 155340164987 Active Ageing with Joey Bonifacio, BlogPost 155930815517 Inaugural Singapore Youth League kicks off from 24th February 2024, BlogPost 155340164727 Bukit Canberra : the Coolest Spot in the North, BlogPost 155368905255 How Padang Fandi Inspired Ayden to Chase his Dream, BlogPost 154755572826 Ageing Backwards with Elizabeth Cheang, BlogPost 154094657315 Running For Fitness, BlogPost 153318636178 Excitement Builds for FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup 2024, BlogPost 153198644247 World's Top Four Confirmed for 2024 HSBC Women's World Championship, BlogPost 149413941770 Cultivating Your Kids’ Interest in the Outdoors, BlogPost 149413941163 Making Sport More Appealing for Our Kids, BlogPost 149412549409 Solo Or Team Sport – Choosing the Best for Your Child, BlogPost 151197478798 Former Lions Stalwart Baihakki Khaizan Sheds Light on New Accreditation to Elevate Grassroots Football and Youth Development, BlogPost 80703591291 New Year, Fitter You! Here are the top 3 workouts for the New Year, BlogPost 81171151456 7 Reasons Why Sports are Great for Children’s Mental Health, BlogPost 80542065330 17 Best Yoga Classes & Studios in Singapore [+ Rating & Prices], BlogPost 149404351798 From Brush to Lens: A Student's Journey in the World of Art and Sports Photography, BlogPost 149402825063 The Benefits of Active Parenting, BlogPost 149397832009 Sweden Claim 9th Straight Gold at the Women's World Floorball Championship, BlogPost 149397831449 Lion City Sailors Win 2023 Singapore Cup, BlogPost 148511324266 Pitch Perfect with Jonathan Teo, BlogPost 148511724402 Seniors: Increase your flexibility bit by bit with these stretches, BlogPost 147866574167 A Valuable Experience In Spain for Singapore's National Development Centre U-14 Boys, BlogPost 146915317264 How one magical Kallang night changed the lives of Abirami and Daania forever]