The World Freestyle Football Association has announced today the final details of the event that culminates the competitive season: the World Freestyle Football Championship, which this year will take place in the fascinating city of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.
The 2023 World Championship, organised together with the prestigious Kenyan agency Homeboyz, will be held at the Bomas of Kenya on Saturday, November 25th. The event will be broadcast live on the official YouTube, Facebook and Twitch channels of the WFFA starting at 15h EAT / 13h CET / 7am ET.
The event week will include not just the highly anticipated World Finals, but also a series of legacy activities in Nairobi. These initiatives are aimed at giving back to the local community and spreading the word about the benefits of Freestyle Football for kids and teenagers.
The World Freestyle Football Championship will bring together the best 32 freestylers on the planet, coming from all regions of the world through the six qualifying events of the WFFA Pulse Series:
- Online Pulse Mombasa for Africa
- Pulse Riga for Europe
- Pulse New York City for North America
- Pulse Córdoba for South America
- Pulse Hiroshima for Asia-Pacific
- Pulse Online for the rest of the world
The list of participating athletes includes the two current World Champions, Caitlyn Schrepfer from the USA and Erlend Fagerli from Norway, as well as a collection of first-class talents from all continents:
- Angelique Ferreira (South Africa) and Ali Yahia Ouahmed (Algeria), representing Africa
- Melody Donchet (France), Aguska Mnich (Poland), Yoanna Dallier (France), Jasmijn Janssen (Netherlands) and Anastasia Bagaglini (Italy), as well as Tristan Gac (France), Jesse Marlet (Netherlands), Joan Sitjar (Spain), Tim Hoekman (Netherlands) and Nicolas ‘Nicox’ Rivière (France), representing Europe
- Mathilde Fortier (Canada) and Yahaira Zapata (Mexico), as well as Patrick ‘Patshaw’ Shaw (USA) and Fahed Albreiki (USA), representing North America
- Laura Biondo (Venezuela), Diana ‘Karol’ Rojer (Panamá) and Marisa Cintra (Brazil), as well as Sebastián ‘Machine’ Peña (Colombia), Sebastián ‘Boyka’ Ortiz (Colombia) and Julián ‘KMP’ Sosa (Colombia), representing South America
- Moeka ‘Moe-K’ Sakurai (Japan), Mai Yasutake (Japan) and Miharu Miyoshi (Japan), as well as Jay Hennicke (Australia), Hiroyuki ‘Hiro-K’ Kaneko (Japan), Philip ‘PWG’ Warren Gertsson (Philippines) and Akinobu ‘Aki’ Komine (Japan), representing Asia-Pacific
A team of international elite judges will evaluate the performance of the participants following the official Rules of Freestyle Football, available on the website of the Association. The list includes prestigious former freestylers and experts in the sport, namely:
- Andrew Henderson, 2014 World Champion, from the UK
- Kamal ‘Kamalio’ Ranchod, from South Africa
- Yo Katsuyama, from Japan
- Sven Fielitz, from Luxembourg
- Andreas Cetkovic, from France
“This is the first World Final after the implementation of the Pulse Series qualification system, and honestly, we couldn’t be more proud of how everything has been so far,” said Steve Elias, President of the WFFA. “Our partnership with a top-notch agency such as the Homeboyz ensures that the event will be nothing short of sensational. We really can’t wait to meet the athletes in Kenya and kickstart the competition!”.
“It’s an honour for me to be able to defend my World Championship in such a captivating location as Nairobi” declared Caitlyn Schrepfer, current female World Champion. “I’ve been working hard this year to be at my best in Kenya and can’t wait to face the best female freestylers in the world there. No doubt it will be a fantastic experience!”.
“We are honoured to host these international tournaments in Kenya”, added Myke Rabar, President of the Kenyan Freestyle Football Federation. “It highlights our commitment to promoting Freestyle Football, and in the meantime, it provides a platform to showcase our beautiful country and boost tourism”
For more information about the World Freestyle Football Championship, follow the official channels of the WFFA or visit the corresponding Event Page.
For more information about the activities of the WFFA, follow its official channels to get the latest updates!
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