The Council of the IKF has decided to add four more teams to the sport's World Championships ©IKF

The International Korfball Federation (IKF) has announced that the 2019 World Championships will be expanded to 20 teams, four more than previous editions.

The Council of the IKF met in the Dutch city of Dordrecht, where the European Korfball Championships are currently taking place.

Reigning champions The Netherlands are set to contest the final tomorrow (October 30) against Belgium.

One of the focal points of the meeting was a number of decisions regarding the 2019 World Championships, due to take place in Durban in South Africa. 

The decision was taken to expand the competition’s field because of the continued growth of the sport in nations in Africa and the Americas.

In order to avoid having to reduce the number of countries qualifying for the flagship event from Asia and Europe, it was decided to increase the number of participating countries overall from 16 to 20.

The competition size has been increased following the growth of the sport in various regions around the world ©IKF
The competition size has been increased following the growth of the sport in various regions around the world ©IKF

A new competition format has also been proposed which outlines the total duration of the event will not exceed the current 10 day schedule, despite its growth.

As part of the proposals, elimination matches would start immediately following the pool stage contests.

The qualification quota for each of the Continental Federations was also decided, with two places awarded to the Americas, two for Africa, six for Asia and Oceania and finally 10 for Europe.

The Council also confirmed the rules for korfball4, a new dynamic format of the game where teams of four compete rather than eight.

Both a one-korf and two-korf format were regulated, enabling member countries to now set up leagues and tournaments in both.