The Federation of International Bandy -FIB- is conducting an evaluation among players to understand how they experienced the main championships of the past season. The initiative, led by the FIB Athletes Committee, seeks to gather ratings and opinions on tournament organisation, with the aim of improving the experience for athletes, technical officials, organisers and spectators.
The federation is working from a simple idea: international championships are not measured only by sporting results, but also by the conditions surrounding competition. Transport, venue and hotel locations, warm-up areas, locker rooms, ceremonies, support services and the competitive atmosphere are all part of the overall quality of a tournament. Listening to players makes it possible to identify what works and what needs to be corrected before future editions.
Players’ requests are starting to receive answers
After the World Championships 2025 -WCS-, the Athletes Committee submitted five main requests to host countries for future championships: equal prizes and recognition between genders, including MVP awards and player of the game honours; the availability of stationary bikes for warm-up; massage tables; adequate access to a gym or warm-up facilities near the arena or hotel; and tea, hot drinks and fruit during games.
The new survey was conducted after the women’s and men’s WCS Group A events in Pori, Finland, and the women’s and men’s WCS Group B events in Uppsala, Sweden. Rebecca Draper, chair of the Athletes Committee, welcomed the results and highlighted high levels of satisfaction with transport, venue and hotel locations, pre-game ceremonies, and off-ice warm-up and cool-down facilities.
Pori and Uppsala receive positive feedback
Draper said the athletes are “extremely grateful” to the host countries and organisations for their hospitality, support and dedication throughout the events. She also stressed that the efforts made to respond to player requests and create a positive, welcoming environment “did not go unnoticed”, and that the investment of time, care and resources helped make the Pori and Uppsala championships memorable both on and off the ice.
The report also identified areas for improvement. Players asked for more on-ice warm-up time before games and pointed to issues with locker room arrangements. Draper acknowledged that tournament schedules limit available time because of the number of teams and games, but explained that athletes would like more time on the ice to prepare for matches whenever possible. She also noted that, at one of the venues, the locker room arrangements were impractical and did not provide equal conditions across teams and genders, which led to low scores.
Atmosphere, identity and a competition closer to the player
One of the elements most appreciated in Pori was the inclusion of individual or team goal songs. Players valued this detail as a personal and distinctive element within the tournament atmosphere. The music created energy during games, strengthened team identity and helped connect teammates, supporters and athletes from different countries through a shared experience.
Draper concluded that players recognised and appreciated the hosts’ effort to create an atmosphere that was both competitive and enjoyable for all participants. In parallel, the FIB is also moving forward with the development of its anti-doping programme following the latest online meeting of the FIB Anti-Doping Committee -ADC-. The priority for 2026 will be the implementation of the new World Anti-Doping Agency -WADA- Code, which will enter into force on 1 January 2027, and the updating of the FIB Anti-Doping Regulations -ADR-. The committee, chaired by Håkan Nyberg and also including Axel Lust and Peter Rönnerfalk, reviewed the testing statistics from the first quarter of 2026 and the implementation of the Testing Distribution Plan -TDP-, with the aim of preparing the risk assessment and testing plan for 2026-2027.
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