Swedish Bandy Association facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Swedish Bandy Association

Svenska bandyförbundet
Logo of the federation
Predecessor	Swedish Football Association
Formation	5 April 1925
Type	Governing body
Purpose	Governing body for the sport of bandy in Sweden
Location	Stockholm, Sweden
Region	Sweden
Membership (1955)	Federation of International Bandy
President	Gisela Stockhaus

The Swedish Bandy Association (called Svenska Bandyförbundet in Swedish) is the main group that manages the sport of bandy in Sweden. It organizes the top bandy leagues for men, Elitserien and Allsvenskan. It also organizes the women's league, Damallsvenskan.

This association is also in charge of the men's and women's national teams. It was started in Stockholm on April 5, 1925. The association is based in Stockholm today. It was one of the groups that helped create the Federation of International Bandy (FIB).

How Bandy Started in Sweden

Bandy is a winter team sport played on ice. It was first brought to Sweden in 1895. A famous athlete named Clarence von Rosen introduced it. He learned about the game during a visit to Great Britain, where bandy began.

Clarence von Rosen then started Sweden's first bandy club. It was called Stockholm Hockeyklubb. In 1905, bandy became part of the Swedish Ballgame Association. A year later, it joined the Swedish Football Association.

Forming the Association

On April 5, 1925, a special meeting was held. At this meeting, the Swedish Bandy Association was officially formed. It started with 49 different bandy clubs joining together.

Organizing Bandy Games

Since 1931, the Swedish Bandy Association has regularly organized national leagues in Sweden. These leagues are competitions where teams play against each other. The team that wins the final game is called the Swedish bandy champions. The final game is usually played in March each year.

How the Association is Organized

For many years, the Swedish Bandy Association had 23 smaller local groups. These groups were called district associations. In 2013, they changed this system. They created 6 larger districts instead. This was done to make the organization work more smoothly.

The six new districts are:

• Mellansverige (Central Sweden)
• Nord (North)
• Stockholm
• Småland
• Sydväst (South West)
• Västergötland

International Connections

The Swedish Bandy Association was one of the first groups to form the Federation of International Bandy (FIB). This happened in 1955. The FIB helps organize bandy on a global level.

Leaders of the Association

On June 11, 2022, Gisela Stockhaus made history. She became the first woman to be the chairperson of the Swedish Bandy Association.

Past Chairpersons

See also

• List of bandy players awarded Stora Grabbars och Tjejers Märke