The 2026 IKF World Beach Korfball Championship will kick off on November 6th at Relang Beach on Shenzhou Peninsula in Wanning City on the southeast coast of south China's island province, Hainan.

The competition, which will run through November 8th, marks the first time for the highest-level international beach korfball competition to be held in China and brings another major international sporting event to the Hainan Free Trade Port.

Nearly 200 athletes from 16 countries and regions, including China, the United States, the Netherlands, France, and Portugal will gather in Wanning to compete on the picturesque coastline, bringing the excitement of beach korfball to the city's clear waters and sandy shores.

Guo Qilin, vice-president of the Asian Korfball Federation, said that bringing the championship to Hainan was no easy task.

The event was originally scheduled to take place in Portugal. China's bid highlighted the benefits of the Hainan Free Trade Port's visa-free entry policies, Wanning's natural coastal and beach resources, and the city's well-established infrastructure and supporting facilities for hosting major sporting events. These advantages ultimately won over the International Korfball Federation, bringing the world championship to Shenzhou Peninsula.

Holding the championship in Wanning will not only create an international platform for exchanges in the sport of korfball in China, but also help unlock the potential of the city's coastal and beach resources and promote deeper integration between sports and tourism.

Originating in the Netherlands in 1902, korfball is a mixed-gender team sport. At the World Games 2025, held in Chengdu, capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province, China's beach korfball team finished sixth.

As the host nation, China's national beach korfball team has already arrived at Shenzhou Peninsula and begun the second phase of pre-competition training.

Making the most of their home advantage, the players are fine-tuning their techniques and refining offensive and defensive strategies on the sandy court. The team is pushing hard during the final preparation period ahead of the championship, and plans to deliver a strong performance on the world stage.

Excitement surrounding the championship extends beyond the competition itself. Several related activities are also being held, including specialized training courses for korfball coaches and referees and introductory korfball lessons for young people at local schools featuring visits by members of the national beach korfball team.

By combining a top-level international sporting event with training and grassroots outreach, the organizers aim to promote korfball more widely and lay a strong foundation for the sport's long-term development in China.