Europe Leads FIL Lacrosse Expansion
(FIL) With the addition of another seven European countries since 2008, the membership rolls of the FIL on the European Continent has grown to twenty-one lacrosse playing nations. The total number of lacrosse playing nations now numbers thirty-five throughout the world.
The following nations have added lacrosse in Europe in 2008: Poland, Norway, Switzerland, Portugal, France and Bulgaria. In Central America, Costa Rica was added in 2008 and Mexico in 2009.
Belgium has just received FIL acceptance as an Associate member in early 2010. This makes them the twenty-second European country playing lacrosse.
The FIL development committee is currently involved with Hungary, Guatemala, India, Puerto Rico, Belize, Brazil, Peru, South Africa, China and Turkey as emerging lacrosse playing countries. These nations are all in the initial stages of development and it is hopeful they will become eligible for membership in the FIL in the upcoming years. In all, the FIL development committee is working with a total of thirty-three nations worldwide that are currently developing lacrosse programs.
Lacrosse has grown from its original four member countries to the current FIL membership of thirty-five since 1990. This is truly a testament to the people who have embraced the sport of lacrosse throughout the world.
