Last year, IBK Dalen left the top league after 26 years, and for team captain Kronberg it was clear that he would bring the team up again. Now he is ready for his 18th (!) season in the Dalenträjän.
– I want to continue playing against the best, says father of four Ketil Kronberg, who works full-time as a plumber alongside floorball and continues:
– I feel a desire for revenge to face the teams that caused us to be relegated, he says.
423 goals for IBK Dalen
When his next season in the world’s best floorball league begins, he will be 44 years old and thus the oldest – both in the league and among the top teams at the WC.
So far, Kronberg has played 503 games for IBK Dalen in SSL, Allsvenskan, playoffs and qualifiers. During these matches, he has been noted for 423 goals and 307 assists.
One pizza per week
In addition to the desire for revenge, there is an even greater joy that makes it extremely difficult to put the club on the shelf.
– I recently told my children that I have never been part of a boring training session. I want to play until I’m 50, he says.
What should you do if you want to play sports at an elite level in early middle age?
– You should enjoy life and not just think about elite sports life. You should eat at least one pizza per week, he says.
Playing with unique club: “Hard to get the right blade”
Kronberg started floorball relatively late, only in his upper teens. Since then, he plays with a unique blade – which is completely straight.
– I have big problems getting hold of the right blades, they are no longer produced, he says.
The association then sent molds to China to get 150 new productions on Ketil’s special sheet.
Praised by the club director
IBK Dalen’s club director Urban Karlsson is extremely happy.
– King Ketil, I am very impressed with his career in the Valley. He has broken every record that goes and has been named the world’s second best player of all time. He is an important team captain in both Dalen and the Norwegian national team.
– He has received requests from many other SSL clubs, but he wants to play with Dalen.
What do you think about him being 43 years old and still at an elite level?
– It’s insanely impressive. He is at every practice and always does his best, that’s why he still maintains this level. He is definitely good enough to play in SSL. He adds a lot both as a player and as a person, says Urban Karlsson.