Henan hosts intl korfball competition for first time

Today, over 60 countries and regions play korfball, a sport included in the World Games since 1985. The IKF World Championships have been held every four years since 1978, with Belgium and the Netherlands as the leading nations.

"Four players of each team are in one zone, and the rest are in the other zone. Within each zone, a player may only defend a member of the opposite team of the same gender, so the sport has a low risk for injury. What’s more, cooperation and efficient teamwork are the keywords for the sport," said Daan Preaninger, 22, a Dutch player.

Preaninger said he started to play korfball at the age of 7 in Netherlands. "Coming to China to join the competition is also a way to learn and to communicate," said Preaninger, adding that he was impressed by a Shaolin kung fu show he saw at the opening ceremony.