On Saturday, February 5th, the Federation International of Powerchair Football Association (FIPFA) announced that the FIPFA 2022 Powerchair Football World Cup hosted by the Australian Powerchair Football Association scheduled to take place in Sydney, Australia, October 2022 will be postponed until October 2023.

The event has been delayed by another year due to the impact of Covid and the ongoing variants, which continue to affect all in the World.

FIPFA and the Local Organising Committee are committed to putting on a safe event for everyone.

Ricky Stevenson, FIPFA President, said, “This will be disappointing news for our players and all involved, but ensuring everyone is safe and well before, during, and after the event is the key reason for making this difficult decision.”

Dr Andy Harper, Chair of Local Organising Committee, said, “The difficult decision to postpone the FIPFA Powerchair Football World Cup until October 2023 was made after extremely careful reflection, which considered the breadth and complexity of the impacts of postponement. It is felt that the current situation with the SARS COVID II pandemic, and the lack of surety on a range of matters, expose players and support networks, the tournament and perhaps even member federations to undue, and at this stage, avoidable risk. The LOC does, however, want to emphasise its commitment to organising the tournament and remains eager to welcome you to Sydney, to share and play and enjoy this great game for this amazing community.”

All ten teams which have qualified for the 2022 event will attend a meeting with FIPFA and the Local Organising Committee within the next week to discuss plans and possible situations they may face while attending this international event.

The FIPFA 2023 Powerchair Football World Cup will take place in the same city of Sydney, Australia, in October 2023. We look forward to the 4th Powerchair Football World Championship, where the next World Champion will be crowned.