Today, the Nationals Committee and Dodgeball Canada have announced that this year’s National Championship will be rescheduled for 2021. With the unknowns surrounding travel and gathering restrictions in Canada, the decision was made to reschedule the event in the first half of 2021. A recent survey of our Provincial Sport Organizations (PSOs) found that the majority of provinces support this decision as it will allow them to plan their participation with more certainty.
“Protecting the health and wellbeing of our dodgeball community is our top priority. As our country continues the fight against COVID-19, we’ve had to make the tough, but necessary decision, to reschedule our beloved Nationals for next year. I want to thank Dodgeball Edmonton and their organizing committee for graciously agreeing to remain as hosts for 2021. I know they’ve worked hard to plan a great tournament and we’re elated that their efforts will come to fruition. We look forward to reuniting with our dodgeball communities across the country to play dodgeball when it is safe to do,” said Duane Wysynski, President of Dodgeball Canada
“Dodgeball Edmonton would like to thank the athletes, volunteers, and event partners for their continued support and open dialogue throughout this process. With the approval from Dodgeball Canada and the community at large, we are fully prepared to host Nationals in Edmonton in 2021, and will be using this time to ensure a safe and exciting dodgeball experience for our athletes next year. We are working closely with our event partners, venues, and Dodgeball Canada, and will relay tournament details as they are updated in the coming weeks and months. ” commented Paul Laking, co-owner of Dodgeball Edmonton, the organization taking the lead organizing the event.
The following news brings up several questions with respect to qualifications and the teams who are scheduled to compete at Nationals. Dodgeball Canada will be meeting with the PSOs in the coming weeks to discuss several scenarios and more information will be shared once available.
Additionally, the new date is likely to impact how the Canadian National Team selection will take place. Dodgeball Canada will be hosting a live Q&A via Twitch with Head Coach, Victor Gravili to answer questions on this topic on Tuesday, April 28. More details will be shared via social media.