Action is due to begin tomorrow at the Hanrim Sports Complex on Jeju Island in South Korea, with eight nations taking part in the qualifying tournament. 

The hosts have been drawn in Group A, where they will be joined by China and Thailand in the four team pool.

Australia are the headline team in the group, with the team ranked 13th in the world beginning as the tournament favourites.

Japan are the top seeds in Group B, where they will face the challenge of Singapore, New Zealand and Malaysia.

Group stage matches are set to take place until Thursday (January 25), with the winners advancing automatically for the final.

Both teams will also be assured of qualification to the World Championships.

The second place team in each group will face a semi-final tie against the third place finisher from the other group.

The winner of the semi-final matches will advance to a third place-playoff, with both nations sealing the final two qualification spots available from the event.

Both the final and third place playoffs are scheduled to take place on January 27.

Three European qualifiers are due to take place between January 31 and 4 in Nitra in Slovakia. 

An Americas event featuring just Canada and the United States is scheduled to take place in Toronto on February 10 and 11. 

The World Championships are due be held in the Czech Republic capital Prague in December, with Finland hoping to defend the title they won in Latvia during 2016.