Harry Potter fans are in luck, as over 20 countries from across the world will be descending on Belgium next year for the Quidditch World Cup.
People in Belgium have been playing quadball – a mixed contact sport played with different balls and based on the fictional sport Quidditch in the fantasy book series Harry Potter – for more than a decade now. Next year, the sport will be put in the spotlight as Belgium is hosting the Quidditch World Cup.
"This is an incredible milestone for the sport," said Laurens Grinwis Plaat Stultjes, former board member of the European federation, who applied for the World Cup to be hosted by Belgium.
More than 20 teams from all over the world are expected to participate in the tournament. The Belgian Quadball Federation, grouping together several teams across the country, has said the Belgian national team, named the 'Gryffins', is going for gold.
For this unique competition, Proximus Basecamp, the Red Devils' base of operations located 25 kilometres south of Brussels in the small Walloon town of Tubize, will be transformed into a Quidditch field from 11 to 13 July next year.
Credit: Kobe Morez
"Brussels and Tubize will not only host the best quadball teams in the world, but they will also define the future of the sport," said Grinwis Plaat Stultjes. "A dedicated stadium for quadball is a game-changer. It shows how our sport is growing and can stand on its own feet as a major international competition."
Belgium has previously hosted the sport's European Championship (for club teams) three times, in 2014, 2017 and 2019. Since 2018, Belgium has only not been in the top three on one occasion.
