One would only assume that given the recent success for the World Indoor Lacrosse Championship in Langley that the sport would be on the radar for other upcoming events.
While we mention it was a success, I am not off base mentioning that the crowd for the event were simply dreadful, with the exception of the final championship game.
Possibly due to the fact that Canada was playing the number 2 ranked team the Iroquois Nation, which to say the least was exciting.
Coquitlam hosted the U-19 Men’s Championship that was played at Town Centre Park , an area unable to play host to over 8,000 fans, which might be an indication as to why we are hearing of the recent withdrawal.
I am hearing that the 2022 World Lacrosse Men’s World Championship organizing committee has made it official and announced it is withdrawing its bid to host the event in Coquitlam July,2022.
Apparently they have sent an “official letter” indicating it’s withdrawal to host of the event to World Lacrosse, the International Federation for both Men’s and Women’s lacrosse as well as the Canadian Lacrosse Association.
The announcement is being made jointly earlier today (October 18th) by the Coquitlam Organizing Committee for the 2022 World Lacrosse Men’s World Championship, the Canadian Lacrosse Association and World Lacrosse.
The outgoing Tournament Chair Cliff Pascas told the media “With mixed emotions, I wrote to the Canadian Lacrosse Association and World Lacrosse this week on behalf of our organizing committee to inform them of this decision.”
He continued “Our driving impetus for this decision is the opportunity to allow for the game to receive maximum exposure in a major market as lacrosse looks to return to the Olympic Games.”
It’s reported that the organizing committee was informed that another organization with additional capacity and the ability to stage the event in a major media market has expressed interest in hosting the tournament and will provide more details in the next while.
Pascas mentioned “Our committee believes we would have done a first-class job hosting this tournament, but with the opportunity ahead and a company with a full-time staff capacity and access to a major population center, we feel it is in the best interest of the sport to allow it to stand on the biggest stage.”
He continued on to say “We all love the sport of lacrosse, and we recognize the tremendous opportunity that exists to have a World Championship played in a major television market at this time in the history of the sport; this is a potential watershed moment.”
“We are proud of our previous efforts to host two successful Under-19 men’s lacrosse championships in 2008 and 2016 in Coquitlam, and we have every confidence we would have done well in hosting the senior men’s tournament in the summer of 2022,” Pascas said. “We are happy to support in transition to ensure success in 2022 in a new market and we wish the very best to the next host and to all participants in the event.”
Joey Harris, President of the Canadian Lacrosse Association told the media “Canada is one of the founding nations in the Creator’s Game, and the Canadian Lacrosse Association has always supported its members in their efforts to host the lacrosse World Championships.”
While this is a loss for the sport not to return to the area, there is no doubt they might return in the future – well here’s hoping!!!
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