Women’s World Challenge Presented by Citi returns to Green Bay

World Para Ice Hockey announced the Women’s World Challenge presented by Citi will return to Green Bay, USA, for a second consecutive year. The event will take place from 31 August to 3 September, featuring Canada, Great Britain, USA, Team Europe and Team Asia. 

The tournament will serve as a steppingstone to an eventual Women’s World Championships in 2025. The ultimate goal is to expand female participation in Para ice hockey worldwide and one day add it to the Paralympic Winter Games programme.

“After a very successful inaugural event which encouraged more women to take up our sport, World Para Ice Hockey is excited to bring back the Women’s World Challenge to Green Bay,” said Michelle Laflamme, World Para Ice Hockey Manager. “This event has already created more opportunities for women to take up Para ice hockey, and the long-term benefits of making this an annual affair are endless. We are looking forward to having more athletes and teams join us this year in Green Bay.”

Citi will return as the presenting sponsor as part of the IPC’s PARA SPORT grassroots to high performance programme. Together, Citi and PARA SPORT aim to help change the narrative around people with disabilities and provide Para athletes and their member organisations with a platform to drive social progress.

“The success from the first Women’s World Challenge was a powerful step toward establishing the first women's World Championships. Citi remains committed to supporting sponsorships enabling progress across the globe,” said Ryan Djabbarah, Citi’s Global Head of Sponsorships, Entertainment & Experiential.

“We’re proud to continue our collaboration with World Para Ice Hockey and to help move the needle when it comes to increasing female engagement in the sport and changing perceptions of people with disabilities," Djabbarah added.

At last year’s inaugural event, Team USA went undefeated to win gold on its home ice. Canada claimed silver and Team World won bronze. This year marks an expansion of the event, with Team Europe and Team Asia joining for the first time to replace Team World. 

The tournament will return to Green Bay’s Cornerstone Community Centre, which was built in 2000 as an ice hockey and skating venue.

“The greater Green Bay area is excited to once again be hosting the Women's World Challenge,” said Brad Roethlisberger, Chair of the Local Organising Committee (LOC). “Last year’s event created a lot of excitement and exposure for the sport and female athletes. We look forward to building upon last year’s success to promote Para ice hockey to the entire world. Our goal as the organisers is to help the sport achieve a World Championship event in 2025 and then a 2030 Paralympic event for women.”

Athletes who are interested in joining Team Europe or Team Asia are encouraged to contact World Para Ice Hockey at info@worldparaicehockey.org.

About Citi

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