The Most Important World Championship Qualifier of My Career
At the end of May, I competed in the most important World Championship qualifier of my career.
I had previously played in two World Championship qualifiers—South Korea in 2018 and Singapore in 2022. (The 2020 qualifier was scheduled to take place in Thailand, and I had already joined the national team camp before it was canceled on the very same day due to the pandemic.)
Now, back to the most recent qualifier in the Philippines.
Why did it mean so much?
The answer is simple: qualifying meant earning a place at the World Championship in Sweden.
The opportunity to play a World Championship in the country where I was born and raised, in front of my family and friends—that was the extra motivation that made every moment so important.
I still remember being six or seven years old, already obsessed with floorball. I wrote the word "GLOBEN" (Stockholm's iconic arena) on a sheet of paper and taped it to my bedroom door. Inside my room, I built a homemade goal using a chair and blankets as the net, spending hours playing floorball by myself.
Twenty-five years later, that dream is becoming reality.
It won't be Globen, as I imagined back then—but it's close enough.
Match 1 – Thailand vs. South Korea
It had been a long time since I last faced South Korea. They've always been a technically skilled team and a challenging opponent.
This time, however, our determination and quality made the difference.
We dominated from start to finish, winning 18–1, and I scored the all-important 14–1 goal.
Match 2 – Thailand vs. New Zealand
In my opinion, New Zealand was the biggest surprise of the tournament.
They're a very good team and competed well against both us and the other top nations in the qualifier.
We eventually won 6–3, a result we fully deserved.
If they continue developing at this pace, I have no doubt they'll become a regular World Championship team in the future.
Match 3 – Thailand vs. Philippines
Playing against the host nation meant facing a loud and passionate home crowd.
Our goal was to secure qualification as early as possible.
We knew the easiest path would be winning the group, which would give us a more favorable semifinal opponent and help us avoid Australia—an opponent that has caused us problems in the past.
So we talked before the game about turning the crowd's energy into motivation rather than pressure.
That's exactly what we did.
We came out with incredible intensity and never took our foot off the gas, earning a convincing 8–3 victory.
Match 4 – Semifinal vs. Singapore
This was the match we had been preparing for all tournament.
For us, it felt like the real final.
A win would guarantee our place at the World Championship.
The first period was tense, filled with nerves and frustration.
But everything clicked in the second period.
We turned a narrow 2–1 lead into 7–1, eventually winning 10–1.
I contributed two assists, and with the final whistle, our ticket to the World Championship was officially secured.
Match 5 – Final vs. Philippines
With qualification already secured, we entered the final perhaps a little too relaxed.
The Philippines defended extremely well throughout the game, making it difficult for us to create scoring opportunities.
You could tell they wanted the title more than we did that day.
They deservedly won the match and celebrated first place in front of their home fans and families.
Congratulations to them!
Looking Ahead
Five games in five days.
Intense.
Demanding.
Unforgettable.
The tournament marked another milestone in my career.
Not only will I have the opportunity to play in my fifth consecutive World Championship, but I'll also get to do it on what feels like home soil.
Next up are the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Thailand in November, followed shortly afterward by the World Championship in Malmö, Sweden, in December.
An exciting few months lie ahead.
Thanks for reading, and if you'd like to follow my everyday life as a Thai national team player, you can find me on Instagram at @chusakn.
See you next time!
Nick
