By Spy Uganda
The field for next year’s World Lacrosse Men’s Championship is set after Uganda won the final spot.
Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport with its origins from the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century.
Uganda overcame Kenya 9-8 after three periods of overtime to secure Africa’s place at the tournament in San Diego.
The Ugandans have appeared at two World Championships before and there will be no debutants at the 2023 tournament.
Uganda’s triumph brings to an end a qualification process which began at the 2018 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship in Israel.
The top 10 finishers who were full World Lacrosse members – the United States, Canada, Haudenosaunee, Australia, England, Japan, Israel, Germany, Scotland and Ireland – all qualified automatically.
Eighth-placed Puerto Rico and the Philippines, who were 10th, were not eligible for automatic qualification but did come through the regional process.
Peru, Jamaica and Mexico joined Puerto Rico as the Pan-American qualifiers.
Hong Kong, New Zealand and South Korea like the Philippines came through Asian qualifying.
Eleven more European teams complete the line-up – Wales, Finland, Italy, Latvia, Switzerland, Austria, The Netherlands, Sweden, Poland, Denmark and the Czech Republic.
The US hosts will be the defending champions in San Diego.
Snapdragon Stadium at San Diego State University is set to host the Opening and Closing Ceremonies, the first match, semi-finals and the medal matches.
The tournament was moved from 2022 to 2023 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated postponements.
World Lacrosse is hoping it will return to California in 2028 for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Lacrosse is one of nine sports on an Organising Committee shortlist for addition to the programme.
