SWAKOPMUND – Cohen FC reigned supreme at the Bank Windhoek National Fistball Cup competition held in Swakopmund last Saturday, November 2, 2014. The Windhoek-based club won the Category A and Category B competitions.
Defending cup champions and freshly crowned league champions, SKW, on the other hand, did not manage to qualify for the final in either of the categories. Cohen FC 1 dominated proceedings in the qualifying round of the games and they were the first team to qualify for the cup final.
There they met the home team, SFC 1, which had qualified for the final after winning an exhilarating semi-final match against SKW 2 by 34:33 points. The match between SKW 2 and SFC 1 went into extra time after the score stood at 25:25 at full time. Neither team managed to get the better of the other, but in the end, SFC 1 held their nerve to win an exciting match.
Cohen FC 1 entered the final against SFC 1 as favourites after beating SFC 1 by 12 points earlier in the day. They took an early four-point lead until SFC 1 found their rhythm and equalised at 8:8 points. Things stayed close for the remainder of the match.
Cohen FC 1 with spiker, Vigo von Scheliha, at the helm was not able to build a comprehensive lead against the feisty Swakopmund team. With two minutes to go on the clock and the pressure building up, the SFC 1 team made a number of unforced errors allowing Cohen FC 1 to take the match with 31:25 points.
The final of the Category B was also an unexpected match up. Cohen FC 3 easily qualified for the final, while SFC 2 fought their way into final with a thrilling match against SKW 3. The semi- final between the two teams looked like a clear-cut affair after reigning Bank Windhoek league champions, SKW3 took a decisive eight-point lead during the first half of the game.
SFC 2 managed a comeback in the latter stages of the game equalising the score at 24:24 before taking a one-point lead as the final whistle was blown. The Swakopmund team was, however, not able to replicate their performance in the final against Cohen FC 3.
It was a one sided affair with Cohen FC 3 proving too strong to beat and dominating the game with some good spikes and solid defensive work.
The end result was 37:22 for Cohen FC3.
While SKW had a bad day on the field, they did take home some silverware.
Christoph Kubirske, the inspirational leader of SKW 2, was awarded the Player of the Year trophy, while Robert Caspary, captain of the Bank Windhoek National B league Champions SKW 3, was awarded a Most Valuable Player award. The trophy for Youth Player of the Year went to U18 national team captain, Tristan Minz.
The Fistball season has almost ended. The last event on the calendar is the Balla-Balla Fistball tournament. This is a fun tournament where players may enter teams provided that the majority of players are not regular fistball players at a registered club.