SWAKOPMUND – This year’s Bank Windhoek Fistball league season gets underway on Saturday, at the Swakopmund Fistball Club (SFC), starting at 08h00.
“This promises to be an exciting season especially for the extended national squad to represent Namibia at the World Championships in Winterthur, Switzerland in August,” delighted Fistball Association of Namibia’s Media Officer, Helmo Minz.
After more than three months of summer hiatus, the start of the season will allow local fistballers to get back in the game and hone their skills. A total of eight teams have been divided into two groups as per their rankings drawn up from the previous national tourneys.
Reigning League, Indoor and National Cup undisputed champion Cohen Fistball Club (CFC) 1 will confront kid brothers CFC 2 and 4 and will also have a date with old foes Sport Klub Windhoek (SKW) 2 aka “Imawida” in Group A.
Defending champion of the opening tourney, SKW 1 will square off against CFC 3, while hosts SFC and Deutscher Turn und Sportverein (DTS) lock horns in Group B. As opposed to previous tourneys, matches will be played according to time limits and not sets this time around.
The first two top teams after the preliminary round in each group advances to the Category-A semifinals, while the 3rd and 4th placed finishers battle it out in the Category B semifinals.
Favourites for the Category A title are SKW 1 and CFC 1, whereas in the Category B, defending champions and hosts SFC would not want to give up the trophy on home turf.
Meanwhile, a raffle draw initiated by the Namibian Fistball Association was launched to help raise funds for the national team players that will be selected to represent their native land at the upcoming World Cup.