The first qualifier for the WCF World Mixed Doubles Champiionship will take place in Scotland this week ©WCF

The final four places for next year’s World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship are up for grabs in the newly established Qualification Event that starts in Scotland tomorrow.

Competition to join the 16 teams already booked for the second edition of the Championships will take place at the Greenacres Curling Club near Howwood, with competition due to run until Saturday (December 7).

The inaugural World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship, which took place in Stavanger in April this year, featured an open entry.

But the next edition, scheduled to take place in Kelowna, British Colombia in Canada from April 18 until 25, will include qualifiers.

Saudi Arabia's Karrie and Suleiman Alaqel will be among 28 teams playing in Scotland this week for one of the four qualifying places for next year's WCF World Mixed Doubles Championship in Canada ©WCF
Saudi Arabia's Karrie and Suleiman Alaqel will be among 28 teams playing in Scotland this week for one of the four qualifying places for next year's WCF World Mixed Doubles Championship in Canada ©WCF

A total of 28 World Curling Member Associations will compete in Scotland in four groups and will play round-robin games from Monday to Thursday (December 5),

Group A will feature China, Denmark, Germany, Guyana, Kosovo, Ukraine and Wales.

Group B will involve Belgium, Brazil, France, Ireland, Romania, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

Hong Kong, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Poland, Slovenia and Chinese Taipei will contest Group C, and Group D will feature Austria, Belarus, Korea, Lithuania, Netherlands, Nigeria and Slovakia.

After the round-robin stage, the top two teams in each group will progress to the playoffs.

A series of play-off games will then determine the four World Mixed Doubles Curling Championship qualifiers.

The four qualifiers, in Scotland, will then join Sweden, Canada, United States, Australia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Japan, Russia, England, Spain, Finland, Hungary, Norway, New Zealand, Scotland and Switzerland, at the World Championship.