Bandy-Building blocks in place with US upbeat after bandy World Championship

PORI, Finland, Jan 18 (Reuters) - The United States left the Bandy World Championship on Sunday with mixed emotions, balancing signs of progress against a backdrop of structural limitations, after finishing fourth in the men’s tournament and third in the women’s event.

The competition offered a snapshot of where American bandy stands and where it hopes to go next.

Bandy is a hybrid of ice hockey and soccer, played on an ice field up to four times the size of a hockey rink with 11 players on each side. The goals are 2.1 metres high and goalkeepers have to stop shots from a ball that travels at a high speed.

In a sport shaped as much by infrastructure and scale as by skill, the U.S. measures progress not only in medals but in participation, resilience and long-term growth.

Chris Middlebrook guided the U.S. women’s team, while Chris Halden led the men’s side, with Sweden again finishing top.

The Swedes underlined their dominance at the worlds by winning the women’s and men’s events, beating Norway 9–1 in the women’s final and Finland by the same score in the men’s.

According to Middlebrook, however, the very scale that defines the sport is also what limits its growth.

"Building a bandy rink can cost around five million dollars and usually requires government or community support. Running it is also expensive," he told Reuters earlier this week.

He noted that there was only one full-size bandy rink in the U.S., the John Rose Oval in Roseville, Minnesota which serves as the sport’s de facto national home.

"All teams play there, across three men’s divisions plus a women’s league with three teams - so effectively four leagues -all based at one rink and run by one group of people, all volunteers," Middlebrook added.

"But the key is that the rink has to be more than just for bandy. In Minnesota, it is a destination. Speed skaters use it. Recreational skaters use it. It can even be converted into multiple hockey rinks. That is how it becomes financially viable and valuable to the community."

STARTING SMALL IS THE SOLUTION

While bandy can be difficult to develop due to the size of the field required, Halden believes the solution lies in starting small.

"Smaller venues, lower barriers. It might sound strange to purists but we cannot wait forever. Sweden has indoor rinks and starts training in August. That is a massive advantage and one reason they are getting even better," Halden said.

Sweden have been the country to beat in recent years, particularly after Russia were banned from major international bandy competitions following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The Swedes have won the last three men's tournaments and all of the women's editions except one since that event started in 2004.

"To close that gap to Sweden is extremely difficult," Middlebrook said. "We try every year but it is a long process. One thing I will say about our players is that they do not get discouraged."

While neither the U.S. men’s or women’s teams reached the top of the podium at the World Championship, the two coaches remain upbeat about the future of the sport.

"When you look at the scores, you might miss the bigger picture. Winning is not the sole purpose of our programme. We always show up. We always compete," Middlebrook added.

"We are proud of what we have built over 45 years, and we will keep going."

(Reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Clare Fallon and Ken Ferris)