2023 IKF World Korfball Championship

The 12th IKF World Korfball Championship was held in Taipei, Taiwan. It was the first time in the history of the IKF World Korfball Championship, the final wasn't played between Belgium and the Netherlands. The International Korfball Federation awarded the hosting rights for the tournament to Taiwan on 9 August 2019, ahead of the bids of Czech Republic and the Netherlands. The Netherlands was awarded the hosting rights for the 2027 IKF World Korfball Championship instead.

In November 2022, the number of teams participating was increased from 20 to 24. The Americas are now allotted 2 spots, Africa 2 spots, Europe 12 spots, and Asia and Oceania 7 spots (in addition to the host country), among which at least one Oceanian country. (with a minimum of 1 for Oceania). Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Turkey are making their debut in the tournament.

The tournament also serves as the only qualification event for the 2025 World Games, with eight qualification places available. The IKF framework aims at having 4 continents representing Korfball at the TWG 2025 out of the five continents represented in the 2023 IKF World Korfball Championship – Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania. To make this happen, participants from 4 continents should finish in the top-11 at the 2023 IKF World Korfball Championship. To determine the teams qualifying, IKF set out a series of rules: All qualified teams for the 2025 World Games must participate in the 2023 IKF World Korfball Championship As host of the 2025 World Games, China must be ranked in top 13 at the 2023 IKF World Korfball Championship to guarantee the qualification as host of the 2025 World Games. If China does not finish in top 13 of the 2023 IKF World Korfball Championship, a wildcard will be given to be decided by IKF Council vote, taking the interest of quality of the competition, global representation, and marketing impact into account. If the top 8 ranking, including China, consists of participants of at least 4 continents the top 8 will qualify directly. If four continents are represented in the Top 11 then: China qualifies (if in top 13) but does not count on behalf of Asia If China does not finish in top 13 of the 2023 IKF World Korfball Championship, a wildcard will be given to be decided by IKF Council vote Considering only Top 11 teams, the highest ranked team from each continent qualify Starting with the highest ranked team and descending, teams who have not qualified via the steps above are then added until eight places are filled </li> <li>If three or two continents are represented in the Top 11 then: <li>China qualifies (if in top 13) but does not count on behalf of Asia</li> <li>If China does not finish in top 13 of the 2023 IKF World Korfball Championship, a wildcard will be given to be decided by IKF Council vote</li> <li>Considering only Top 11 teams, the highest ranked team from each of those continents qualifies</li> <li>Starting with the highest ranked team and descending, teams who have not qualified via the steps above are then added until eight places are filled</li> </ol></li> <li>If only one continent is represented in the Top 11 then: <li>China qualifies (if in top 13) but does not count on behalf of Asia</li> <li>If China does not finish in top 13 of the 2023 IKF World Korfball Championship, a wildcard will be given to be decided by IKF Council vote</li> <li>Starting with the highest ranked team and descending, teams who have not qualified via the step above are then added until eight places are filled</li> </ol></li> </ol>

Qualification
Originally, the 2023 IKF World Korfball Championship was intended to involve 20 teams, but on 27 November 2022 the IKF decided to expand the tournament to 24 teams. As the European qualifiers had already been completed at that time and the IKF had awarded three extra places to European teams, third-place finishers and  qualified instantly, while the IKF decided that the fourth-place finisher ranked which was ranked highest on the IKF rankings per 1 January 2023 would qualify as well. as such qualified as well, with becoming first reserve.

The draw for the tournament was made on 10 July 2023, at which point it became clear that both and  had withdrawn from the tournament and the IKF had instead invited reserves  and.

Finally, on 2 October 2023, the IKF confirmed that would replace.

Format and draw
As the tournament was expanded from 20 to 24 teams, the IKF implemented a new format. Instead of five groups of four, the first stage of the tournament will now feature eight groups of three teams (Groups A throguh H). The top two teams from each group will progress to the second group stage which features four groups of four teams (Groups I through L). Results obtained against teams also progressing from the same group are retained in the second group stage. The top two teams of the second group stage will then move into the knockout stages, which will determine places 1 through 8.

Teams finishing third in the first round will be paired in four matches, with the four losing teams playing in a round robin phase for places 21 through 24. The four winning teams will progress and be placed in a knockout tournament with the teams finishing fourth in the second group stage of the main tournament, to determine places 13 through 20. Finally, the four teams finishing third in the second group stage will be put in a round robin group to determine places 9 through 12.

On 10 July 2023, the official IKF World Korfball Championships 2023 group draw took place. The top eight teams of the IKF Ranking were awarded spots in groups A-H respectively. According to their ranking, the remaining 16 teams were put into 4 pots. The teams in pot 1 were awarded spots in groups H-E, teams in pot 2 spots in groups D-A, teams in pot 3 spots in groups A-D and teams in pot 4 spots in groups E-H. If a group would consist of 3 teams from the same continent, the country drawn would be pushed to the next group. For example, Turkey was drawn in group A but was moved to group B as it already contained Netherlands and Slovakia from Europe. The pots for the draw are shown below.

Just a few weeks before the tournament, 5th seed withdrew from the tournament, with  (38) invited in to take its place.

First group stage
Competing countries were divided into eight groups of three teams (groups A through H). Teams in each group played one another on a round-robin basis, with the top two teams of each group advancing to the Second Group Stage.

Second group stage
Four groups of four are formed, with teams keeping the results against teams they already met during the first group stage.

3rd-place Playoffs
The teams finishing third during the First Group Stage are paired with each other. In the 3rd-place Playoffs, teams winning their first match play a second round to determine the order amongst winners, but all four will move on to play for places 13 through 20 in a knockout tournament involving losing teams from the Second Group Stage. Teams losing their first match in the 3rd-place Playoffs are grouped together in a group of four playing for places 21 through 24.

Winners' playoff
Matches below serve only to determine seeding going into the finals for 13th–20th place, which all four teams will take part in irrespective of the below results.

Finals for 9th–12th place
These places will be decided through a round-robin stage only, between the teams finishing third in their respective groups of the Second Group Stage.

Finals for 21st–24th place
These places will be decided through a round-robin stage only, between the four teams losing the 3rd-place Playoffs.