Hockey / Twenty Countries Committed to 2019 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship

Twenty Countries Committed to 2019 World Indoor Lacrosse Championship

Date:  Source: Canadian Lacrosse Association
LANGLEY, BRITISH COLUMBIA - The biggest field ever in the history of the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Indoor Lacrosse Championship is set to take the stage in less than one year’s time.
 
A record 20 countries will look to go for gold next September with Langley Events Centre as the venue when the Championship will be contested for the first time on the West Coast.
 
The event runs September 19 to 28, 2019 with Langley Events Centre as the primary venue, and the LEC Fieldhouse and Aldergrove Credit Union Community Centre serving as secondary locations.
 
This will the fifth edition of the Championship, which is held every four years, and Canada is gunning for a fifth consecutive gold medal having beaten the Iroquois Nationals in the Championship final all four times. The United States have also made the podium in each of the four events, taking the bronze medal.
 
The trio of lacrosse heavyweights will be joined by Australia, Austria, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, England, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, Serbia, Scotland, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland.
 
The countries were revealed at a press conference at Langley Events Centre on Tuesday morning (October 9).
 
The 2015 event – which was held on the Onondaga Nation and in Syracuse, NY – featured 13 teams. The inaugural event in 2003 featured six teams while eight competed in both 2007 and 2011.
 
“We are excited to honour Canada’s game and celebrate the world as 20 teams from around the globe come to Langley next year,” said Rita Rogers, Associate Director, Event Development and Coordination for Langley Events Centre.
 
“The Township of Langley is counting down the days to the 2019 FIL World Indoor Lacrosse Championship and looking forward to welcoming the world to Langley Events Centre,” said Township of Langley Mayor Jack Froese.
 
“Our enthusiastic fans, committed volunteers, and strong, supportive business community will ensure this is an unforgettable event for both the teams and audiences participating in this exciting competition.”
 
One of Team Canada’s hopefuls is Port Coquitlam’s Curtis Dickson, an Event Ambassador for the 2019 FIL World Indoor Lacrosse Championship.
 
“There is nothing quite like representing your country. Playing on the world stage is pretty cool and I have been fortunate enough to do it three times now,” he said.
 
Dickson played for Canada in 2014, 2015 and again this past summer (2018), winning a pair of gold medals in the first two competitions and then silver at the 2018 event.
 
The middle of those three events was indoor lacrosse while the other two were field competitions.
 
“It is a special moment to represent your country and hear your (national) anthem,” he said. “That is what everyone is there for, to play for their country. It is a pretty special experience.”
 
The Championship will be contested at Langley Events Centre, a venue Dickson – also known as ‘Superman’ in lacrosse circles – has had more than his fair share of success in. In 10 career National Lacrosse League games at
 
LEC with the Calgary Roughnecks, Dickson has 34 goals and 32 assists for 66 points, a hefty 6.6-points-per-game average. And in another five games as a visitor to LEC with the Maple Ridge Burrards of the Western Lacrosse Association, Dickson has tallied 11 goals and 19 points.
 
He would love nothing more than to build on those gaudy stats, all the while helping his country go for a fifth consecutive gold medal at the World Indoor Championship.
 
“You get to play with a lot of guys you are usually playing against, meet new people and travel to some pretty cool places,” Dickson said. “And I have been fortunate enough to do this a few times now.”
 
But playing for Canada – on home soil and just a half hour or so from home – would be an amazing opportunity.
 
“It would be pretty cool (to play so close to home) especially since I didn’t get the chance to do it (back in 2008),” he admitted.
 
Dickson’s parents were able to travel to watch their son play for Canada in 2014 in Denver, but they were unable to watch him in 2015 in Syracuse or this past summer in Israel.
 
“If I am fortunate enough to be chosen for this team, it would be pretty special to have so many family and friends nearby and able to watch with it being just down the road,” he said.
 
Pre-sale orders are currently being accepted for the Championship with sales to the public beginning November 5. For more information on the event, please go to www.wilc2019.ca.
 
About the Canadian Lacrosse Association
Founded in 1867, the Canadian Lacrosse Association (CLA) is the governing body responsible for all aspects of lacrosse in Canada. Our organization is comprised of 10 Member Associations representing nearly 85,000 individual participants, including coaches, officials, and athletes of all ages and abilities. The CLA's mission is to honour the sport of lacrosse and its unique nation-building heritage, by engaging our members, leading our partners, and providing opportunities for all Canadians to participate. The CLA oversees the delivery of numerous national championships and the participation of Team Canada at all international events sanctioned by the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL). The CLA is proud to be affiliated with partners that share the same vision and values, including our corporate partners - New Balance Athletics, Warrior Sports, NormaTec Recovery Systems, Canadian Red Cross, Westjet, and Baron Rings - as well as our funding partners the Government of Canada, the Coaching Association of Canada, and the Canadian Lacrosse Foundation. For more information on Canadian Lacrosse Association and the sport of lacrosse, visit our website at www.lacrosse.ca and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
 
 
For more information, contact:
 
Gary Ahuja
Manager, Corporate Communications & Media
Ten Feet Sports and Entertainment Ltd | Langley Events Centre
Office: 604.455.8830
Cell: 604.613.5242