Image credit: Nicola Studeny
Following the success of its landmark 2022 World Championships in Edmonton, Canada, the World Dodgeball Federation (WDBF) has continued to expand its global footprint with record participation, new youth programmes, and community-driven initiatives that reflect the sport’s inclusive spirit among its 70 national federation members.
From regional championships in five continents to the largest world event in the sport’s history in Graz, Austria, dodgeball’s international journey has accelerated in communities around the world – in both high-performance programmes at multi-sport events and grassroots initiatives in refugee sport programmes.
From Edmonton to everywhere: 2023 Continental Championships
The 2022 World Championships in Edmonton were a defining moment for the WDBF. For the first time, the federation’s two official disciplines – foam, a six-ball variant of the sport popular in the Americas and Asia-Pacific, and cloth, a five-ball version dominant in Europe and Africa – were contested together on the same stage, signalling a unified global vision for the sport.
Building on that momentum, the WDBF sanctioned five continental championship events in 2023, marking an important next step in global alignment and regional development.
Over 50 countries took part in regional tournaments hosted in Argentina, Morocco, Croatia, Singapore and the United States, each event showcasing local energy and international competitiveness. These championships provided athletes with more opportunities to compete at a high level while strengthening ties between national federations and their continental governing bodies.
The success of this regional model reinforced the WDBF’s commitment to sustainable growth – one rooted in collaboration, accessibility and consistency across continents.
“Our focus has always been to create a sport that connects people,” said WDBF president Duane Wysynski. “The 2023 season showed that dodgeball can thrive anywhere – from North Africa to Southeast Asia – while maintaining the same high standards of play and community spirit.”
WDBF president Duane Wysynski says the governing body is aiming to connect people through the sport (Image credit: Gabriel Gareth Foo)
Graz 2024: A record-breaking world stage
The WDBF achieved a new milestone in 2024 with its tenth World Championships, held in Graz, Austria. The event was the largest in the sport’s history, bringing together more than 1,400 athletes and officials from 36 countries, with representation from all six continents – a first for international dodgeball.
The tournament highlighted not only the sport’s expanding reach but also the growing professionalism of its presentation. Matches were held in world-class venues, supported by international broadcast coverage and professional event operations that set new standards for future editions. The WDBF was pleased to welcome Miami and Mexico-based PX Sports, who brought the finals to more than 25 million households in Latin America and the southern United States.
“The Graz Championships were a clear demonstration of how truly global our sport has become,” said Max Golda, WDBF vice president and president of the European Dodgeball Federation. “To have every continent represented for the first time shows the strength of our community and the appeal of dodgeball around the world.”
The success of the championship had the added effect of attracting new federations to the fold, including longstanding organisations that had not been aligned with the WDBF in past years. This included the Egyptian Dodgeball Federation, which attended Graz as a guest, and the Saudi Dodgeball Federation, which joined the WDBF in May 2025.
The World Youth Open: Investing in the next generation
In early 2025, the WDBF extended its global calendar with the introduction of the World Youth Open, held in Calgary, Canada. Designed for players aged 9 to 17, the event welcomed youth teams from around the world to compete across three age categories.
The event provided national federations a chance to prepare the next generation of international athletes, ensuring that dodgeball’s rapid global growth is supported by a deep pipeline of young talent.
“The World Youth Open is about building the future,” said WDBF deputy president Brian Li, whose squad from Hong Kong swept gold in all three divisions. “It’s a chance for kids to see that dodgeball isn’t just a schoolyard game – it’s a global sport with opportunities to travel, compete, and grow. They can play at the highest level and foster a love for both the sport and the community.”
The World Youth Open was introduced earlier this year (Image credit: Megan McCaffrey)
Sport for good: Partnerships with UNHCR and the Peace for Development Refugees Initiative
The 2024/2025 season has also underscored the WDBF’s belief that sport can be a vehicle for social impact. In partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Sport for Refugees Coalition, the federation delivered a series of training seminars at the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya in December 2024.
These sessions provided local coaches, youth leaders, and participants with the tools to use dodgeball as a platform for community building, teamwork, and mental wellbeing.
In September 2025, the WDBF also supported the Peace for Development Refugees Initiative (PDRI) in organising a “Dodgeball Event for Unity” to mark International Peace Day. The event brought together refugees and local youth to play and celebrate inclusion under the theme Dodgeball for Peace.
“Our partnership with the Coalition and with the team in Kakuma reflects our values as much as our competitions do,” Wysynski explained. “These are the initiatives that create real change in communities and are exactly the types of programmes for which sport is so well suited.”
Looking ahead: A growing calendar and expanding horizons
With momentum continuing to build, the WDBF is now in the final stages of selecting the host for the 2026 World Championships, an event expected to once again set a record for participating nations. Interest has been expressed by a variety of nations, including Argentina, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand.
Meanwhile, the focus in 2025 has returned to the Continental Championships, where the next generation of hosts, including Mexico, Chile, Ivory Coast, Ireland and Malaysia, have welcomed athletes and fans from across their regions. Each event represents not just a competition, but an opportunity to strengthen local sports infrastructure and bring new audiences into the game. These championships engage more than 2,000 athletes from 50 countries worldwide.
“Every host nation brings its own energy and perspective, bringing new success stories for our developing members,” said Wysynski. “The African Championships, for instance, saw the international debuts of Burkina Faso and Liberia. Both are new programmes with very limited funds and severe economic challenges. Not only did they manage to make the trip to represent their nations, but they returned with medals.
“Successes like these result in access to school programmes, government funding and stronger commitments that lead directly to better outcomes in health and safety in those communities.”
A connected, sustainable future
As the WDBF continues its steady expansion, the federation’s priorities remain clear: to create opportunities for participation at all levels, to build meaningful partnerships, and to use sport as a bridge between cultures. They continue their work with TAFISA, CSIT, and the World Police and Fire Games, and have just finalised an agreement with ChezaPlay to bring more opportunities for dodgeball and other traditional sport to Southern and Eastern Africa.
The last three years have demonstrated that dodgeball has evolved from an emerging sport into a truly global movement – one driven by collaboration, inclusivity, and passion. From the record-setting championships in Graz to youth development and humanitarian engagement, the WDBF is aiming to combine growth with purpose.
“Our progress is a reflection of the people behind the sport such as players, volunteers and federations who believe in what dodgeball represents,” said Wysynski. “The community has grown stronger every year – from eight member federations in 2018, to more than 70 today. And the future looks brighter with every event we host.”
Wysynski also hopes that the WDBF’s application to Sport Accord will be approved in May 2026.
“This would be a seminal moment for the sport,” he said. “The culmination of ten years of work, ten years of trust from leaders around the world, and ten years of believing that we can make a difference.”
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