IFAF Asia-Oceania Flag Men’s Tournament Preview

A long summer of IFAF continental tournaments comes to a thrilling conclusion from October 24-26 when the Asia-Oceania flag football championships decide the region’s champions in Ningbo, China.

IFAF will crown separate Asia and Oceania champions, and they will join 13 nations already qualified from Africa, Americas and Europe for the 2026 IFAF Flag Football World Championships to be played in Dusseldorf, Germany, next August.

Asia-Oceania gold and bronze medal games will bring down the curtain in Ningbo. The top teams from each region will meet to determine the overall continental champions and the second placed teams will battle for the third and final world championship qualification spot.

Games will be streamed live on AFI vis IFAF.TV.

Following group stages that begin on October 24, the top two teams in each group will advance to the quarterfinals and will play knockout rounds to determine the Asia champion. American Samoa, Australia and New Zealand will play each other twice in a three-team Oceania round robin with the group winners crowned champions.

Group A: Japan, Philippines, Hong Kong

Japan is ranked tenth in the IFAF World Rankings, the top placing in the Asia-Oceania region, and lost in the semifinals two years ago having blazed through the group stages unbeaten. The Philippines finished ninth overall in 2023, while Hong Kong makes its IFAF tournament debut.

Group B: Kuwait, India, China

Host China is an unknown newcomer and is joined by India, who will be determined to avoid the 11th place finish from 2023 and a confident Kuwait team.

“I think it will be a competitive group,” says Kuwait head coach Saud AlHunaidi. “Having our first game be against the host team, China, is always tough added to the fact that we never played each other before so we have no information to build on. India as well is a strong team that we played in 2023 and they had possibly the best Asian quarterback, certainly the quarterback with the best arm that we’ve seen in Asia.”

Group C: Korea, Indonesia

Being a two-team group, Korea and Indonesia will play each other twice in the round robin stage.

“Our team’s greatest strengths are our strong unity and adaptability,” says head coach Jeong YuChan, who represented his nation as a player in IFAF tackle football tournaments. “We can flexibly adjust strategies in various situations, with players moving in complete trust of one another.

“Key players to watch include our receivers, who bring speed and agility, and our quarterback, who calmly reads the game. On defense, our focused rusher and a linebacker with solid tackling ability can change the flow of the game at any moment.”

Group D: Singapore, Thailand, Jordan

Defending champion Thailand has been absent from the international stage since winning gold two years ago with a 31-25 victory over New Zealand. Jordan is a competition newcomer, while Singapore aims to build on the promise they showed in 2023.

“I’ve got nothing but respect for both Thailand and Jordan,” said Singapore head coach Bernard Murray II. “Our group is solid, and I cannot wait for Team Singapore to step on the field with them.”

Jordan head coach David Kephart added:

“Our team has a real opportunity to establish itself for long term success and development. This tournament will be both a gauge of where we are as a team and how to best grow moving forward. I expect that we will play competitively, support one another, and represent Jordan well both on and off the field.”

Group E: New Zealand. Australia, American Samoa

New Zealand fought their way to the gold medal game two years ago and narrowly lost to Thailand, while Australia exited at the semifinals hurdle. American Samoa debuts on the IFAF international stage.

The Oceania teams will play each other twice with the nation that tops the group qualifying for the 2020 IFAF World Championships and the runners-up having a shot at the third available spot.

“We’ve built a unit that’s deeply competitive, driven by preparation, and eager to prove themselves every snap,” says New Zealand head coach Mychal Fabela. “With a blend of returning experience, leadership and fresh energy, this team is ready to set a new standard.”