John Liljelund hopes the 2022 World Games in American city Birmingham will help boost floorball in the United States ©Getty Images

International Floorball Federation (IFF) secretary general John Liljelund hopes the 2022 World Games in American city Birmingham will help boost the sport in the United States.

The US entered the floorball tournament at the 2017 Games in Wrocław but endured a torrid tournament, losing 17-0 to Switzerland and 20-0 to eventual winners Sweden.

Liljelund believes the development of the sport has been positive in the country, however, and the World Games provides the perfect opportunity to place floorball in the shop window.

"The development of US floorball has been positive in recent years and the national team has also developed," he said. 

"It will still be quite tough for the USA against the top teams, but I believe they will perform better on home ground."

Floorball's promotion efforts before the World Games have been impacted by COVID-19 ©Getty Images
Floorball's promotion efforts before the World Games have been impacted by COVID-19 ©Getty Images

The IFF's promotion of the sport leading up to Birmingham 2022 - which was moved back a year due to COVID-19 - has also been impacted by the spread of the pandemic.

"We had a lot of plans which have been delayed or altered due to COVID-19," said Liljelund. 

"We still plan to organise some floorball clinics, our workshop programme in starting floorball, and seminars for the PE teachers and YMCAs to promote the sport in Birmingham.

"The goals are to showcase floorball in Alabama as an interesting and competitive sport, with the object of gaining local visibility and interest, especially as our sport is not yet very big over there. 

"We are successful if we can attract a local audience to the matches, and leave a legacy after the event in the shape of a new floorball hub in Birmingham and Alabama."