EuroHockey 5s Championships (Walcz, Poland) – August 6th to 9th
The EuroHockey 5s Championship returns to Walcz for the third time with hosts Poland looking to retain both the men’s and women’s titles this weekend.
The competitions will also have an impact on potential qualification for the Hockey 5s World Cup 2028 and so every match matters in terms of boosting chances on that front.
Women’s competition – click here for full stats and live scores
The women’s competition features four nations this time with Poland joined by Ukraine, Sweden and Bulgaria. Each side will play each other twice in a round-robin group stage before playing medal matches on Sunday.
For the hosts, they have a fresh, ambitious group and a strong desire to make the most of competing on home soil.
Their team brings together players from different club environments – four from Poznań University of Technology, three from KS Start Brzeziny, two from UKS Swarek Swarzędz and Anastazja Szot who is based in Italy – combining international experience with younger athletes who are ready to take on greater responsibility.
For several members of the squad, the tournament represents an important opportunity to gain experience at senior European level and demonstrate their potential in the national colours.
The majority are in their early 20s and making their debut in this format; there is symmetry with the outdoor and indoor senior setups with coach Krzysztof Rachwalski overseeing this team too.
Their final preparation period was focused on adapting to the specific demands of Hockey 5s: quick decision-making, direct attacking play, constant transitions and strong communication.
Particular attention is also being given to creating clear roles and building understanding within a group assembled specifically for this format. Playing in Wałcz gives the team an additional source of motivation. Poland wants to compete with courage, intensity and discipline while embracing the speed and unpredictability of Hockey 5s.
Beyond the immediate results, the event is also an important step in developing a wider pool of players and strengthening Poland’s future in this exciting format.
By contrast, Ukraine is made up primarily of experienced players who have already competed at the European and World Championships, alongside young athletes who will be making their Hockey5s.
** Ukraine
The squad consists of experienced players like Olha Honcharenko, Karina Leonova, Valeriia Zaitseva, Anna Tanchenko, Kateryna Popova, Veronika Movchan, Anastasiia Shyshyna and Kateryna Pokidko.
Joining them are two young players who will be competing in their first Hockey5s European Championship: Veronika Korobkina and Mariia Bardakova.
“We are confident that the combination of experience and youth will make a strong impact on the field and help the team achieve positive results throughout the tournament,” says coach Svitlana Makaieva.
Sweden heads to Walcz with excitement and a positive mindset for what is another important step in the team’s development, and after an indoor bronze medal in Portugal earlier this year.
The squad travelled to the Netherlands for a training camp where six friendly matches against quality opposition provided valuable experience and helped identify areas for improvement.
The team then regrouped in Gothenburg for a focused training camp, using those lessons to refine tactics and continue developing their Hockey 5s game.
Having worked together as a group for the past four years, the players have grown both individually and as a team. Over the years, they have built great memories together and developed a strong connection both on and off the pitch.
They finished in eighth in 2023 and sixth in 2024 and so looking to continue their upbeat trajectory.
** Sweden
Bulgaria, meanwhile, are the debutantes in this format with a young, motivated and ambitious squad. Their team is a combination of experienced international players and promising young athletes who are eager to prove themselves on the European stage.
The focus during national team training camps has been on improving speed, technical skills, tactical discipline and teamwork, which are key elements in Hockey5s.
Although the players come from different clubs and countries, they have quickly built a strong team spirit and work ethic.
This championship is an important step in the development of Bulgarian hockey. It provides younger players with valuable international experience while allowing experienced players to lead by example and support the team’s growth.
“We know that every opponent will present a challenge but we are determined to give our best, represent Bulgaria with pride and continue building a strong future for Bulgarian hockey,” says coach Mihail Todorov.
** Bulgaria
Men’s competition – click here for full stats and live scores
The men’s format features five nations who will each play each other twice over the course of the weekend with the medals being decided based on final position in the group.
For Poland, they have a new squad lining out from the side that won gold two years ago, albeit one with vast experience in the 11-a-side format. Mateusz Poltaszewski has over 130 caps in the wider format as well as playing in the Indoor World Cup in 2018.
Michal Poltaszewski has 69 caps from events around the world, too, while Waldemar Rataj and Dominik Małecki have also played at senior level for Poland.
Like their women, Ukraine’s men have the closest overlap between 11-a-side and 5-a-side international setups with 15 of their panel for the EuroHockey Championship qualifiers in Rome in the training squad for Walcz.
They finished runners-up two years ago with the likes of Volodymyr Kaplinskyi (15 goals) and Andrii Koshelenko (13 goals) among the key figures while Dmytro Luppa will captain the side once again.
Sweden are among three ever-present sides – along with Poland and Ukraine – since the introduction of Hockey 5s, finishing 12th in 2022 and eighth in 2024.
All of their panel from two years ago have been included in their “long” entry list from which their panel will be finalised and so there will be experience brought to the table of this format and venue.
Jan-Olof Rydin has 16 goals in 13 international matches in this short-form while captain Filip Wilander, Max Taylor and Anders Magnusson traverse the two previous events in Walcz.
Slovakia are playing in the men’s competition for the first time with a panel making their first outdoor appearance since 2021. There are connections to that vintage with Richard Garaj and Tomáš Romanec among them named in their panel.
Indeed, the latter will be looking to build on his strong goalscoring record of 23 goals in 24 caps outdoors and 39 in 32 indoors. For the rest, their main international experience comes from the indoor circuit and this represents a new challenge for them.
For the Bulgarian team, the story is similar to the women’s line-up, training regularly both with their clubs and during national team training camps to get in shape for their debut in this format.
“Our goal is to compete with passion, discipline and respect in every match,” says manager Svilen Krachunov. “We are excited to be part of this event and look forward to competing at the highest level.”
** Bulgaria
