VM i innebandy - en turnering med mycket känslor, både goda och onda

You may have read about me before, and if not, you can find my previous posts here on the blog.

Over the past few months, I've competed in the World Championship Qualifiers in Singapore and the World Games in the USA. Normally, there are around two tournaments per year, but 2022 has been anything but ordinary! A big reason, of course, was the World Games. The third tournament added to the calendar was the recently concluded World Floorball Championship in Switzerland, where Sweden claimed the title. I had the honor of once again sharing my journey with the Thai national team, and here's the latest chapter.

On October 31st, just about a week after my 30th birthday, it was time for another national team camp. Our World Championship training camp began in Kloten. Aphichet Ratanaprathum, Yotsaphong Chaipring, Lukas Phraiwan, Prakasit Namsawang, Urban Rinefalk, and I landed in Zurich shortly after midday. On the first night, we stayed at a small Ibis hotel near the airport while waiting for the rest of the squad to arrive.

November 1st was the day the entire team gathered. We moved to Hotel Allegra in central Kloten, which was probably one of the best hotels I've stayed at during my time with the national team. The rooms consisted of two separate bedrooms with two beds in each, offering plenty of space. That day, we had our first training session, lasting two hours and focused entirely on fitness-based floorball drills. It took a lot of energy—but it turned out to be only the beginning.

The following day, November 2nd, training started at 8:00 a.m. and lasted for more than three hours. It was probably one of the toughest sessions I've ever done. The upside was that we were finished by lunchtime, which was much needed.

On October 3rd, it was time to move again—this time to the official World Championship hotel in Zurich, where Team Thailand was based. Sweden stayed in Winterthur. With only two days remaining until the tournament opener, we played a practice match that evening. Our coach rotated players frequently, trying to find the best combinations for the tournament. Personally, I was worried about my place in the starting lineup after sitting out the entire third period.

That feeling of uncertainty—performance anxiety—is something that has followed me throughout my career. The feeling of not being good enough. The pressure to always perform. At times, it has completely broken me.

When telling your story, it's easy to focus on the fun moments and the highlights. But there are also darker times, moments when confidence hits rock bottom. I want to take this opportunity to thank my partner and my family, who have always listened, offered advice, and lifted me back up every time I've fallen.

Back to the tournament.

Friday, November 4th, was dedicated to a light practice session, mainly to get a feel for the playing surface and soak in the atmosphere of the arena. Later that day, during our team meeting, the starting lineup for our opening game against Canada was announced. I was incredibly happy to hear that I would be starting.

At 8:00 p.m. on November 5th, the opening faceoff against Canada finally took place. We knew this was a must-win game if we wanted a chance to advance to the Round of 16. The first period was evenly matched, and if I remember correctly, the score was tied after 20 minutes.

Unfortunately, Canada pulled away in the second period. We lost both our game and our composure. We started arguing with the referees—the classic mistake—and Canada took full advantage of it. We tried to fight back in the third period, but Canada managed the game well and secured the victory.

The following day was a rest day. I took the opportunity to recover and also had the pleasure of appearing on the SPNL Podcast, which you can listen to on Spotify.

Listen here >>

On November 6th, we faced Singapore in a regional derby. We won the match fairly comfortably. Although Singapore closed the gap on the scoreboard, we managed to secure all three points.

Our final group-stage match was against Estonia—a game we absolutely had to win. We started exactly according to plan, but Estonia gradually took control and eventually defeated us quite comfortably.

The placement matches were next, and another derby awaited us. This time, we faced the Philippines, a team we had beaten several times over the past few years. That history gave us confidence, and once again we came away with the win. The game followed a very similar pattern to our match against Singapore.

Australia was our final opponent, with 13th place on the line in front of an incredible crowd of 4,400 spectators. It was an amazing atmosphere and a game that swung back and forth, with both teams taking the lead at different times.

Heartbreakingly, we lost 6–5 with just two seconds remaining. It was a painful defeat. One small consolation, however, was that I finally scored my first World Championship goal since 2016, when I last found the net at the World Championship in Latvia.

It was a tournament full of emotions—both highs and lows. A tournament filled with great expectations that ultimately ended in disappointment.

But regardless of the results, it's always a joy to reunite with what I consider my second family: my teammates and coaches. Every tournament creates memories that last a lifetime, and I'm already looking forward to the next one in May, when the SEA Games take place. I hope I'll have the honor of sharing that journey with you as well.

Thank you for reading!

Nick Narkprasert