WUKF World Championships – Travel Day Blog 🇸🇪

14:30 – we eagerly climbed aboard the TS Travel coach, 44 of our travelling party of 55 for the day, with more to join us over the next two days.

Bound for Manchester Airport.

Thanks to our coach driver, we made it in good time, avoiding some of the road closures others encountered.

Along the way, a family informed us they’d forgotten their passports… not what you want to hear, but a family friend was rushing them to the airport!

Moving a group of 40+ through an airport is not easy and we pretty much took over every space we entered. Finally all checked in and through security, we waited to see if the team would get their passports.

Passports in hand, sai left in hand luggage – security says no. Check-in now closed. Panic stations… dump the sai! Kieron and said family run to the gate with a few minutes to spare. That should be all the drama for one day, right?

Boarding the flight, another (fortunately an adult!) is allowed on the plane and then removed as their passport expires in less than three months!

They were only carrying all the team’s bo staves!! They’re hoping for an emergency passport and a flight tomorrow night so they can make the competition. All this delayed the flight by about 50 mins – we were not a popular team on a plane full of other competitors and… at least one notable referee! Let’s hope he forgets.

Arriving at Copenhagen Airport around 22:00, we needed to gather the bags and the group and make our way to the train station to get across to Malmö. We managed to all bundle onto the nicest, smartest train I’ve ever been on – 2 stops and 40 minutes later we arrived in a sleeping Malmö and all eventually got to our hotel.

It was late (01:00), but we’re safe, tired, one person and four bo staves short – and excited for the week ahead.