Para World Championship: All Austria matches live

Austria’s Para Ice Hockey National Team has been in Bangkok, Thailand, since Friday, completing a total of three training sessions over the weekend and on Monday to ensure they are fully prepared for the World Championship Group C, 6–11 December. Head Coach Lucas Herrnegger is confident ahead of the upcoming challenges. The team has set itself the target of a top-3 finish, with France and Great Britain regarded as their main rivals. Armenia withdrew last week, meaning the schedule had to be adjusted once again. Austria opened with a 1:3 defeat to France on Tuesday, followed by Great Britain (8 December), Kazakhstan (10 December) and hosts Thailand (11 December). All Austria matches at the Para World Championship Group C will be streamed on LIVE.eishockey.at!

05 December 20222 min read

"We wanted to find our rhythm quickly in training, and we managed that well. We are well prepared for the World Championship," stresses Head Coach Lucas Herrnegger. Little could be learned about the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents. Over the past few days, they have therefore partly watched the other nations’ training sessions and gathered as much information as possible.

In France and Great Britain, their first two opponents, Herrnegger sees the biggest rivals in the battle for the top places: "You can see that they work and are set up very professionally. I expect close games against both France and Great Britain, with the team’s form on the day perhaps proving decisive in the end."

However, Herrnegger also expects close results against Kazakhstan and hosts Thailand. There is a close Austrian connection with Thailand, their final opponents. Patrick Forstner, a familiar face from Austria, is their Head Coach. The 29-year-old dual national (AUT/THA) played in the Vienna Captials youth system between 2011 and 2014 and also made two appearances in the win2day ICE Hockey League, albeit without registering a point. Since 2018, Forstner has been working in Thailand’s Siam Hockey League and has played several national team matches for his second home.

The Thailand International Ice Hockey Arena, which will host all World Championship matches, opened almost four months ago. The hosts have been preparing for the World Championship for around two months. The major event is also being widely advertised throughout the district in which the arena is located.

"The entire organisation is excellent. Everyone is making every effort," Herrnegger says in praise of the organisers. Austria’s team will face France in their opener on Tuesday. They take on Great Britain on 8 December, before facing Kazakhstan and hosts Thailand at the weekend. The Austrian camp has set its sights on a medal.