WINDHOEK – Sport Klub Windhoek (SKW) 1 defeated the reigning Bank Windhoek Fistball League champions, Cohen Fistball Club (CFC), in a tightly contested third round final hosted at the Swakopmund Fistball Club (SFC) over the weekend.
The result brought CFC 1’s 13-month dominance to a screeching halt. SKW 1’s win reduced the champions’ lead at the top of the log standings to a mere two points between the two rivals.
A total of eight teams, who were divided into two groups of four per group, competed for top spots during the group stages. CFC 1 and 3, SKW 2 and Deutscher Turn und Sportverein (DTS), faced each other in Group A, while SKW 1, CFC 2 and hosts SFC 1 and 2 met in Group B.
CFC 1 crushed all of their opponents in Group A and finished top of the group. SKW 2 secured the second spot after they defeated DTS and CFC 3, who finished third. DTS ended fourth in the group and remained rooted at the bottom of Group A.
In Group B, SKW 1 beat all three of their opponents. CFC 2, who ranked third on the table before the weekend’s tournament, failed to win any of its matches and finished bottom of the group. Backed up by home turf advantage, SFC 1 recorded winning results against CFC 2 and SFC 1, which saw it finish second in the group and secure a place in the semi-finals for the first time this season.
In the first semi-final, CFC 1 beat SFC 2 2:0, while SKW 1 also beat its counterpart SKW 2, 2:0 in the second semi-final match. SKW 2 beat SFC 1 in the match for third place playoffs. CFC 2 defeated DTS for the fifth place as DTS eventually settled for the sixth spot. CFC 3 and SFC 2 battled it out in the seventh spot playoffs, which CFC 3 eventually won 3:2. Rivals SKW 1 and CFC 1 faced each other in the finals once again. From the first whistle, CFC 1 started off the stronger team and led for long stretches during the match. Towards the end of the set, SKW 1 came back stronger and turned the set in their favour.
CFC 1 changed their tactics in the second set from defence to attack, but this did not yield positive results as SKW 1 remained stubborn throughout the set. In the third set, CFC 1 put in all it had and was rewarded with a win in the end.
Motivated by the third set display, CFC 1 played some good fistball in the fourth set and nullified SKW 1’s lead with a 14:12 score. However, CFC 1’s rush of adrenaline was short-lived as SKW 1 remained clinical in the decisive and final set.
SKW 1 beat CFC 1 3:2, their first defeat in 13 months. SFC 2’s Perry Doberentz and Florian Mosich walked away as Players of the Day. Meanwhile, the men’s national team has started training in preparations for the upcoming World Championships set to take place in Winterthur, Switzerland in August.
The team will represent Namibia at the upcoming World Championships tournament. Next on the fistball calendar is the fourth round of the Fistball League scheduled to take place on Saturday, 27 July 2019 at the SKW sports fields in Windhoek.