Ottawa, Jun 17 (IANS): Canada's capital city of Ottawa will host the World Men's Curling Championship 2021 for the first time, the World Curling Federation (WCF) and Curling Canada announced here on Tuesday.

According to WCF, the championship will be played in the TD Place Arena in Ottawa from April 3-11, 2021, reports Xinhua news agency.

WCF President Kate Caithness said she was "delighted to confirm that the World Men's Curling Championship 2021 will be held in Ottawa, Ontario during this upcoming season. It is a real pleasure to be able to hold one of our flagship championships in Curling Canada's home city for the first time."

"With Olympic Qualification Points on the line, this championship will be vitally important and I am certain that Ottawa will host a first class event," Caithness added.

Six teams from the championship will qualify for the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, and China enters the stage as the host team.

The previous Olympic qualification plan was to combine the results of the 2020 and 2021 world championships. However, due to the cancellation of the LGT World Men's Curling Championship 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the qualification rules are changed and approved by the International Olympic Committee.

It is the first world championship for Ottawa, but the fourth world men's curling championship held in the province of Ontario and the first since 1996, when the championship was held in Hamilton.