The Philippine National Floorball men’s team overcame a slow start to defeat Australia, 6-2, in its opening match of the 2024 World Floorball Championship in Malmö, Sweden. The victory marks a strong start for the Philippine squad, which is making its third consecutive appearance at the prestigious event.
Played at the Baltic Hall, the match saw the Philippine team trailing, 2-0, after the first 15-minute period. The early deficit was the result of two quick goals by Australia. David Noney opened the scoring at the 9-minute mark, followed by Liam Perry, who capitalized on a power play after Philippine goalie Patrik Nessbo was penalized for tripping.
However, Team Philippines regrouped in the second period, tightening its defense and asserting control over the game. The Filipinos blanked Australia in the subsequent periods, limiting their opponents to goals the Aussie scored in the first period.
The 6-2 result in Malmö was a marked improvement over the Philippines’ earlier encounter with Australia in Manila last May, where the Filipino side claimed a 5-3 victory. That win set up Team Philippines’ triumph at the Asia-Oceania Floorball Championships and a spot in the World Championship, demonstrating the Filipino team’s growing strength in international competition.
Simon Andersson was instrumental in the second-half surge, scoring three goals across the second and third periods. Melvin Alm Mendoza opened the scoring for the Philippines, while Rhondell Esguerra and Simon Sicat Larano also added key points to the scoreboard.
The 15th Men’s World Floorball Championship, which runs from December 7 to 15, features 16 teams divided into four groups. Each team plays a round-robin format in the group stage, with the top two from groups A and B advancing directly to the quarter-finals. Teams finishing 3rd and 4th in groups A and B, along with the top two from groups C and D, will move on to the first play-off round.
The Philippines and Australia are in Group C along with Estonia and Canada. Australia lost its opening match to Estonia, 5-3. Estonia also beat Canada on Sunday, 9-3.
For the Philippine team, the appearance in Sweden is a significant milestone as they compete against some of the world’s best floorball teams. Many players on the squad are of Filipino-Swedish descent, reflecting the deep ties between the two nations in the sport.
Sweden, the dominant force in floorball, has won 10 of the 14 World Championship titles since the tournament began in 1996, with Finland claiming the other four championships.
Despite the competition, the Philippines’ strong showing in its opener has fueled hopes of advancing further in the tournament.
