The organisers of the fistball tournament have promised that their next event will be bigger and better.

This follows after hosting a successful tournament this past weekend at the coastal town of Swakopmund. 

On Saturday, during the tournament at Swakopmund Sport Club FC (SFC), Cohen Fistball Club (CFC) 1 emerged victorious in the A category, while hosts SFC 3 claimed the B category title.  The tournament was taking place as the league was cancelled earlier this year after they had failed to appoint a league director, a key position responsible for overseeing the competition. 

As a result, the organisers are hosting multiple tournaments throughout the year instead of running a full league season. 

Speaking to this publication yesterday, Fistball Association’s media officer, Helmo Mainz said the tournament went as planned. He further said that despite the grass not being in perfect condition, he was pleased with the competition which was on display. 

“I think the tournament lived up to expectations. The weather was so perfect for competing and players came out guns blazing on Saturday. The tournament itself was well-planned and went accordingly, and our players got time to test themselves ahead of the bigger tournament which is coming next month,” he said.

In the U/13 category, CFC secured victory with two wins over SFC A and SFC B.

The blue-and-white team from the capital, CFC 1, dominated their preliminary round matches in the A category, securing wins against Sport Klub Windhoek (SKW) 3, SFC 1 and SKW 1. SKW 1 finished second, also earning a spot in the semi-finals. 

Meanwhile, SFC 1, having lost to SKW 1, had to compete in the placement matches for positions five to seven.

In Group B of the A category, SKW 2 – featuring an experienced squad with players over 50, competed against CFC 2 and SFC 2. SKW 2 topped the group ahead of CFC 2 and SFC 2.

In the semi-finals, CFC 1 defeated their reserve team, CFC 2, with a commanding 2-0 victory, while SKW 2 triumphed over clubmates SKW 1 by the same margin. The highly-competitive and intense final saw CFC 1 claim a 3-0 win over SKW 2, securing the championship.

In the B category, SKW 5 topped their group ahead of SFC 3, CFC 3 and SKW 4. In the semi-finals, SKW 5 defeated CFC 3, while SFC 3 secured a 2-0 victory over SKW 4. The final was a thrilling encounter, with SFC 3 clinching the B category title after a 3-1 win over SKW 5.

Meanwhile, Ilo Löhnert was named Youth Player of the Tournament, while Ingo Ahrens of SKW 2 was crowned Adult Player of the Day for his outstanding performance.

Looking ahead, the next fistball events will be the Old Crocks Tournaments on 12 April at SKW and 19 April at SFC. The competition will feature 16 teams with the likes of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the USA all expected to tussle for top honour at the tournament. –mkambukwe@nepc.com.na