Broomball in Sweden

Broomball is quite a new sport in Sweden
and has, until now, lived a rather slumbering existence since it was first introduced in 1989.

This year did Mick Sletten an European tour with an All-star team from USA and Canada (team Budweiser). One of the stops where made in a small northern town in Sweden called Sveg.

The first broomball-team ever in Sweden
was then put together by some players from a local Floorball-team.

(Floorball is an explosive European indoor type of Landhockey with light carbonfiber-sticks and a light plastic ball. The sport is almost a "non contact sport" so the players doesn't have any helmets or other protections. )

Quite fun actually. At the same time did a team from Finland (where they play Russian short-stick Broomball) hear about this, and came over. The All-star team did off course win this three-nations tournament, but the Sveg-players had found a call. They wanted to introduce this sport in Sweden.

During the following years where a couple of games fought against Finland, but it was nearly always the same Swedish players as in -89. In -97 did the thought about participating in Challenge Cup 3 woke up. Players from Stockholm, Gothenburg and Sveg was recruited and our first real National team, with players from all over the country, was put together.

The team did pretty well in Challenge Cup, and the tournament gave us hope for the future. Our games against Kanata (USA) 2-4 and Canada C (Edmonton Eclipse) 0-0 showed that, if we could play like this with our 50% rookie-team, could this be fun in the future.
Shortly after where The Swedish Broomball Association (SBF) founded, which is a part of IFBA. In Sweden we play full-contact Broomball according to the rules set by IFBA.
In Mars 1999 was the first Swedish National Championships held in Sveg and we have a small league running this season (1999-2000).
Since then has the number of teams slowly growed to 13 (November 2000) all over the contry, including ladies and coed teams. We in the 99ers has also started a collaboration with a High-scool and a University here in Gothenburg to increase the intrest for the sport.

If you like to get in touch with someone in Sweden about broomball, just e-mail to us and we will see to that you'll get in contact with the right person.