World Rafting Championships have not been held since 2019 because of the coronavrius crisis ©Getty Images

The International Rafting Federation (IRF) is welcoming applications to host the 2023 World Rafting Championships, after continued COVID-19 complications led to another reshuffle of future hosts and the 2022 edition moved to Banja Luka.

Ziyuan in China was due to stage the event in 2022, but ongoing travel restrictions have led to a change in plans.

China has largely closed its borders in response to the coronavirus pandemic, and with restrictions anticipated to last well into 2022 the local organisers could not guarantee they would be able to stage the event.

Therefore Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegovina stepped up and will stage the 2022 edition, having been penciled in for 2023.

The IRF maintain that World Rafting Championships in China remain a possibility when the pandemic allows.

Ziyuan was first supposed to host the World Rafting Championships in 2020, before COVID-19 intervened.

Banja Luka is once again due to host the World Rafting Championships in 2022 ©IRF
Banja Luka is once again due to host the World Rafting Championships in 2022 ©IRF

The event was delayed until 2021 and then cancelled, with Ziyuan instead given hosting rights in 2022.

Banja Luka was initially the 2021 host, but had its event delayed until 2022 and then 2023, only for 2022 to now be back on the agenda.

The 2022 World Rafting Championships will be held in late May or early June, the IRF hopes.

As for 2023, interested parties have until the end of this month to submit their intention to bid.

The IRF is also inviting applications to hold the World Rafting Championships in 2024, as well as the 2022 European Championships, 2023 European Championships and 2022 Para Rafting Championships.