The quarterback. It’s the pivotal position in all American football disciplines. The spotlight will shine on some of the world’s best passers among the eight women leading their nations in the quest for glory at The World Games when the flag football tournament begins in Chengdu on Thursday.
Two of the most iconic figures in flag football – Diana Flores of reigning champion Mexico and Vanita Krouchof the world’s top-ranked United States – have gone head-to-head in the finals of the past four international tournaments. Krouch holds the edge, with IFAF World Championships wins in 2021 and 2024 and an IFAF Americas success in 2023, while Flores claimed gold at The World Games in 2022. Under Krouch’s leadership, the United States holds a 33-1 record in IFAF events.
Ranked third in the world, Japan’s fortunes rest on the arm of Chihiro Iwata who led her nation to the inaugural IFAF Asia-Oceania continental crown in 2023 and third place at the IFAF World Championships last summer. A standout quarterback for the Kansas Wesleyan flag football team, Iwata threw for more than 70 touchdowns and 4,500-plus passing yards in her first season with the program while earning the KCAC Offensive Player of the Year award.
Austria quarterback Saskia Stribrny led her nation to fourth place at the 2024 IFAF World Championships as she topped the individual passing stats with 955 passing yards. Austria is now Europe’s top-ranked women’s nation, sitting at fourth overall.
Canada will again be led by Sara Parker who won bronze at the 2023 IFAF Americas continental championships and guided her nation to fifth place in last summer’s world championships while averaging 39 points per game. Parker is the captain and president of the Concordia University Bees team that she founded.
Ranked fifth in the world, Great Britain won the 2023 IFAF European Championships with Brittany Botterill at the helm but has a new quarterback in Chengdu as Jessica Allen of the Leicester Huntsmen makes her international debut. Allen was named MVP of the Flag Football Life We Run the World tournament played in Massachusetts prior to GB heading over to China.
Carolina Sgroi of the Panthers Parma club team is a veteran of IFAF World and European championships who returns to lead Italy’s challenge having been absent from her nation’s roster at the past two IFAF international tournaments. A pioneer in Italian flag football, she was part of the very first Italian national team back in 2011.
Haolin Feng will have the honor and distinction of taking the first snap from under center by a Chinese player on the competitive world stage. She earned the quarterback call for China having attended tryouts which were conducted across multiple regions in China and attracted more than 500 potential national team players.
