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New York/Düsseldorf – January 25, 2024 – The National Football League will host the International NFL Flag Championships on February 2nd and 3rd as part of the 2024 Pro Bowl Games in Orlando.
Young athletes from 12 countries travel to the USA to demonstrate their skills at a flag football tournament lasting several days and to exchange ideas with their peers from all over the world before watching the NFL superstars at the Pro Bowl Games. Germany is represented in Orlando by the Walter Klingenbeck School from Taufkirchen near Munich.
Flag football is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, with women and girls experiencing the greatest growth and participation. The expansion of the International NFL Flag Championships follows the recent inclusion of flag football in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, driven by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) and supported by the NFL.
“With the recent inclusion of flag football in the LA28 Olympics, this is an exciting experience for young girls and boys around the world to play the sport and represent their countries. We look forward to welcoming players from each of the 12 participating nations to the United States”sagte Peter O’Reilly, Executive Vice President, Club Business, League Events & International bei der NFL. “In collaboration with IFAF, the league places great emphasis on the global growth of the sport of flag football. Competitions like the International NFL Flag Championships show that there are more and more ways to play the game and inspire young athletes around the world to take part.”
“After a truly historic year that saw flag football confirmed as an Olympic sport for Los Angeles 2028, the 2024 Pro Bowl Games in Orlando, Florida will be another great showcase for this growing sport. “This is a great opportunity for the IFAF to once again demonstrate the excitement and dynamism of flag football to millions of fans and the wider Olympic and sporting public as the global development of the sport continues to progress rapidly,” said Pierre Trochet, President of the IFAF. “We are particularly pleased about the expansion of the International NFL Flag Championships. We are proud to showcase the diversity and inclusivity of flag football with girls and boys from 12 different nations, reaching new and young audiences.”
Student team from Taufkirchen near Munich in Orlando
All 12 teams traveling to the United States have qualified as champions in their home countries’ national NFL flag tournaments. In the national NFL FLAG Football tournament series, presented by Deutsche Kreditbank AG (DKB), the team from Munich/Taufkirchen prevailed in the final tournament in Düsseldorf and thus secured participation in the International Flag Championships in Orlando.
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“Our flag football champions not only won first place in Germany, but also secured admission to the international NFL flag tournament in Orlando as part of the NFL Pro Bowl Games 2024! The excitement is palpable, the preparations are in full swing – our students show not only on the field but also off the field what true teamwork means. We are looking forward to the trip to the USA together, which will be a highlight for all of us.”says Taufkirchen flag coach Jonathan Kimpel, who receives on-site coaching support from Mona Stevens, NFL flag ambassador and quarterback of the German national flag team.
11 international mixed U12 teams from Australia, the Bahamas, Brazil, China, France, Germany, Ghana, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand and Great Britain take part in the International NFL Flag Championships.
This year will be the first time the Canadian team will have the chance to compete against U14 flag football teams from the United States at the National NFL Flag Championship after winning the 2023 NFL Flag International Division last season.
All 12 teams traveling to the United States have qualified as champions in their home countries’ national NFL flag tournaments. NFL Flag is the NFL’s official flag football program, promoting the non-contact version of American football played by both boys and girls worldwide.
The 2024 Pro Bowl Games will spotlight flag football. The final flag football game featuring the league’s best players will take place on Sunday, February 4th. All international flag football teams will be in attendance to see the AFC and NFC stars up close.
About NFL Flag
NFL Flag – the official flag football program of the National Football League – operates in 14 international markets outside the United States. Flag football is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, with women and girls experiencing the greatest growth and participation.
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The game offers youth a structured opportunity to play the non-contact version of American football while discovering the importance of sportsmanship, teamwork and friendship on and off the field.
2024-01-25 22:23:26
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