Paraguay’s first inline hockey team has completed its debut at the World Skate Games ASU26, facing international opponents after less than eight months of preparation. Although the team did not secure the wins it wanted, their first appearance on the world stage has given the players experience and opened new possibilities for the sport in Paraguay.
Behind the programme is American YouTuber Chad Uddstrom, who helped establish the team and guide players who were new to the sport. Speaking to The Asunción Times after the competition, Uddstrom reflects on the team’s performance, the challenges it faced and his plans for developing inline hockey in Paraguay.
A challenging international debut
Paraguay opened the Games against Mexico, a country with extensive international hockey experience. Paraguay lost 8-0, but Uddstrom saw the team’s performance as a memorable moment.
“It was a major challenge opening the tournament against Mexico since they have a long history in international competition, so holding them to only 8 goals in our first ever match was truly insane and inspiring. Our goalie played out of his mind.”
A mix of emotions
For Uddstrom, who himself was not permitted to play, the match was an experience he deeply felt.
“That mix of emotions at the beginning was explosive. The disappointment of not being permitted myself, the pride in representing Paraguay, the pure joy for my players, but at the same time extreme fear and anxiety because I felt like I was feeding them to the wolves. All these feelings escalated at once as the Paraguayan national anthem blared through the sound system.”
The World Skate Games, held in Asunción from 2 to 18 October 2026, brought together athletes from around the world to compete in roller sports and skating disciplines. The support from spectators made the occasion even more significant. Uddstrom: “Few things make me cry, but hockey makes me cry more than anything else.”
Learning from experienced opponents
Paraguay also lost to India (9-2) and Ecuador (11-0) during the group stage, followed by Chile (19-1 and 18-2) and Uruguay (6-3 and 2-1) in the classification phase. The team encountered players with years of experience.
“The biggest challenge was containing the speed and skill of opposing countries. Each of those has players who have played for years internationally, both in inline and ice hockey. A lot of their players have trained in the US and Canada.”
The Paraguayan team tried to adapt its tactics to the opposition’s strengths. “We tried to adjust by putting our fastest skaters on defense to keep up with the opposing forwards, and tried to place our biggest forwards in front of their net to create chaos and scoring chances on rebounds.”
Despite the results, Uddstrom believes the players made progress throughout the tournament: “I thought that the boys left it all on la cancha (the field), they gave their best effort with their limited knowledge of the game, and showed true garra guaraní in the way they fought in each game. It was a tough blow finding out that I would not be allowed to play, but we pushed that disappointment to the side, and battled for the country and for one another.”
Building a future for inline hockey in Paraguay
For Uddstrom, the tournament was not only about the results. “I think we have done a great job creating hype around the sport. The amount of messages I have received from people interested in playing, or in their children playing is astounding. Now we need institutional and financial support to keep the sport growing here in Paraguay.”
“The dream is to create a real inline rink and training facility for hockey, with the ultimate dream being to eventually build an ice rink and winter wonderland in Paraguay. We will need to create local leagues for youths and adults to continue development.”
Developing the players is another priority, Uddstrom says. “To grow the game, we need to develop our young talent. We need to build a youth program, as well as a women’s program. So many women rollerblade in Paraguay that I think we could have a competitive women’s national team in no time.”
The next steps for Paraguay’s inline hockey team
The team’s plans extend beyond the World Skate Games, Uddstrom says. “There is an upcoming tournament in Argentina in November, one in Sao Paulo in January, and a few others throughout South America this upcoming year.”
He also hopes to help some of the team’s strongest skaters. “A major goal of mine is to covert our best skaters to ice hockey, and participate in the LATAM CUP in Miami, as well as the Copa Fin Del Mundo in Ushuaia. Down the road, participating in an ice hockey world championship would be a major achievement.”
For now, Uddstrom sees the World Skate Games as the beginning of a much longer journey. “This is just getting started, we are a national team that came out of nowhere, that competed against countries with 10 to 30 years of playing experience. We started less than eight months ago. We are a baby that has not even been born yet.”
“An indescribable honour”
“Just participating in the World Skate Games was a miracle in itself. We have memories that we will hold on to for a lifetime. For most of my players this was their first time representing Paraguay on the world stage, an honour that is indescribable.”
Follow the team’s journey at Hockey Paraguay on Instagram and through Chad Uddstrom on Instagram. Those who wish to support the development of inline hockey in Paraguay can also donate through their GoFundMe.
