Hosts Switzerland will meet defending champions Italy on the opening day of this year's Powerchair Hockey World Championship ©IPCH

Hosts Switzerland will meet defending champions Italy on the opening day of this year's Powerchair Hockey World Championship, after the schedule for the tournament was announced.

The Group A clash will take place after the Opening Ceremony on August 9, at the Sursee Stadthalle.

It will not be the opening game of the tournament, however, as Denmark will play Australia in a Group B clash before the Opening Ceremony.

For the first time, the event has been expanded to 10 teams from its normal eight.

This is due to the cancellation of the 2020 European Championship in Finland as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Netherlands, Belgium and Canada are the other teams in Group A.

Ten teams will contest the World Championship for the first time ©IPCH
Ten teams will contest the World Championship for the first time ©IPCH

Group B is completed by Finland, Germany and Spain.

Matches in the group stage will continue until August 12, before knock-out matches begin.

The top two sides in each group will reach the semi-finals, before the final and Closing Ceremony on August 14.