All posts by Media Team

IFA leadership at the Final3 in Austria

The women’s Fistball team from Union Haidlmair Schwingenschuh Nussbach and the men’s Fistball team from FBC LINZ AG Urfahr were crowned last weekend Austrian national champions in the presence of IFA Honorary President Karl Weiss, IFA President Jörn Verleger, and Secretary General Chris Oberlehner.

At the final event in Nußbach, Upper Austria, the two winners of the preliminary round won their finals in front of 700 spectators – and celebrated at the top of the podium again after a year’s absence. While the men from Urfahr delivered a real 4:3 thriller against defending champions Union Tigers Vöcklabruck, Nussbach won 4:1 against Union Compact Freistadt in front of their home crowd.

Verleger and Oberlehner also used the event, which was broadcast live on ORF, to talk to Bernhard Puchner and Peter Oberlehner from Faustball Austria.

 

Men: Urfahr comes back from 1:3 deficit against Vöcklabruck – and is crowned champion

The 700 spectators were treated to a spectacular comeback in the men’s final. After trailing 1:3, FBC LINZ AG Urfahr defeated defending champions Union Tigers Vöcklabruck 4:3 (7:11, 11:7, 8:11, 6:11, 11:7, 11:5, 11:7) to secure their first title since 2022.

 

Title dream fulfilled: Nussbach crowned national champions again in front of home crowd

Title on home turf: The women’s fistball team Union Haidlmair Schwingenschuh Nussbach won the Austrian national championship title in the home Final3. In the final, the team prevailed 4:1 (11:8, 8:11, 11:8, 11:6, 13:11) against indoor champions Union Compact Freistadt – and thus celebrated the eleventh championship title in the club’s history.

Photo credit: Wolfgang Benedikt, ÖFBB

Results of the IFA Board of Directors meeting on June 21

Key decisions for the future of Fistball have been take in yesterday´s 9th IFA Board of Directors Meeting (2023–2027) including:

Further reports were give on the IFA Fistball World Tour review process, the upcoming events and the fight against Anti-Doping

Here are the approved minutes of the 8th Board of Directors meeting held on April 26, 2025.

The next IFA Board of Directors meeting is on Sunday 31 August at 1:30 p.m.

IFA approved Strategic Plan 2025 – 2029

The International Fistball Association (IFA) is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has approved in its today´s meeting its full text version of the IFA Strategic Plan 2025 – 2029

This is already the IFA’s fifth completely revised Strategic Plan. The first IFA Strategic Plan was adopted for the period 2011–2015 and led to strong growth in IFA membership to 54 member associations.

IFA President Joern Verleger and Secretary General Chris Oberlehner thanked in the meeting everyone involved in drawing up the new Strategic Plan especially President-elect, 1st Vice President Gastao Englert, who was in charge of the draft.

“This is an important milestone for the IFA”, said Verleger. “But it is not about declaring guiding principles, but above all about authentic integration into all areas of the association. It is important that the declared values are noticeable in our daily interactions—whether in the way (volunteer) employees treat each other, in decision-making processes, or in the association’s external image. Only when values are truly authentic do they strengthen internal trust and are perceived externally as a credible promise.”

Throwback: IFA presence at the 2025 Gymnastics Festival in Leipzig underscores the international significance of Fistball

The 2025 International German Gymnastics Festival in Leipzig was not only one of the largest mass sporting events in Europe – it was also an impressive showcase for Fistball. The IFA was prominently represented by President Jörn Verleger and Secretary General Christoph Oberlehner and took the opportunity to engage in a wide-ranging exchange with national and international partners.

At the invitation of Leipzig’s mayor Burkhard Jung and the President of the German Gymnastics Federation (DTB), Alfons Hölzl, the IFA leadership took part in several official events at the gymnastics festival.

“The gymnastics festival has once again demonstrated the power of Fistball – as a cross-generational, fair, and dynamic sport with international potential,” emphasized IFA President Jörn Verleger during his visit.

The great response was particularly impressive: over 125 teams registered for the Fistball competitions, including 28 youth, 39 active, 19 senior, and 19 recreational teams. The games were played in the traditional Bruno Plache Stadium.

A special highlight was the 2×2 show match in the preliminary program of the big stadium gala on Saturday evening in the Red Bull Arena. Even though the arena was sparsely filled at the time of the performance, this was a welcome platform for Faustball Deutschland to showcase itself.

Sports for all were not neglected either: visitors were able to play themselves on the market square under the guidance of SC DHfK Leipzig, the largest Fistball club in Germany. Numerous hands-on activities and the voluntary commitment of many helpers made the Fistball appearance at the gymnastics festival a real success – both for the sport and for the community.

A special honor was bestowed upon Steffi Thomas, former vice president of Faustball Germany. Thomas received the Flatow Medal from the German Gymnastics Federation at the Paulinum of Leipzig University. This prestigious award recognizes not only her outstanding sporting achievements—including four world championship titles and the IFA 2021 World Fistball Player of the Year award—but above all her many years of selfless commitment to our sport.

In addition to the sporting events, discussions with representatives from politics, sports organizations, and the gymnastics community were the focus of the IFA’s presence.

“The IFA would like to thank the DTB, the city of Leipzig, Faustball Deutschland, and the numerous volunteers for their excellent organization and hospitality. The 2025 Gymnastics Festival was impressive proof of the vitality of the Fistball movement – in Germany and beyond,” said Verleger.

Call for Nominations: IWGA WomenLeadSports Programme 2025 – deadline 13 June 2025

 

The International Fistball Association (IFA), as a proud member of the International World Games Association (IWGA), is pleased to inform you about an exciting opportunity to support and elevate women in leadership positions within Fistball.

 

As part of its ongoing commitment to gender equality and leadership development, the IWGA is offering its member federations the opportunity to nominate candidates for the WomenLeadSports Master Programme 2025.

 

About the Programme

The WomenLeadSports Master Programme combines expert theoretical input with practical leadership strategies and has demonstrated great success in previous editions.

👉 A short video presentation outlining the programme’s aims and structure is available here: https://vimeo.com/931969786/7c01191b6c?share=copy


Workshop Schedule

  • Start Date: Friday, 24 October 2025
  • Additional Sessions: 31 October, 7 November, and 14 November
  • Session Duration: Each live session runs for approx. 2 hours
  • Format: Online (two time slots: 08:00 CET or 16:00 CET)
  • Web-based Content: 5 hours of additional self-paced learning
  • Commitment: 30–60 minutes of preparation per week between sessions
  • Certification: Minimum 75% attendance and participation required


Participation Criteria

  • Women currently active in leadership roles or identified as part of the leadership pipeline within IFA or its member federation
  • Medium to high level of English proficiency
  • Access to a stable internet connection, microphone, and webcam
  • One or more participants can be nominated by IFA, but space is limited to 44 total participants


Financial Aspects

  • First participant per IWGA-member federation: Costs covered by the IWGA (750 CHF per additional participant)
  • Please note: If a participant misses the first session, IWGA reserves the right to charge the particpant for associated costs


How to Apply

To express interest and nominate participants, please complete the following questionnaire no later than 13 June 2025: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=uV50kbJfPk2WcSayFSF9vXzxGDjfp4dDlMyFg1CisAdUNzU4V1kxMFNGOEc4Szg2TUxZVlFHV1I2Vi4u

We encourage all member federations to take advantage of this unique opportunity to invest in the future of women’s leadership in sport.

Should you have any questions or require further information, please feel free to contact the IFA Office.

INTERACT+ Project Partners Meeting at the TAFISA European Sport for All Forum

On 25 March, INTERACT+ project partners convened for a hybrid meeting to review progress, exchange insights, and plan the next steps in the project. IFA Secretary General Christoph Oberlehner participated on behalf of IFA in these meetings.

The meeting opened with an update from Federico Palumbo (University of Limerick) on the Theory of Action Pilot Evaluation Report, set for completion in June 2025. This report, based on experiences using the Sport for All Certification Dashboard and Sport for All capacity building trainings, gathers feedback through interviews, surveys, and workshops.

Mayssa Bsaibes (International Table Tennis Federation Foundation) and Jörg Benner (European Flying Disc Federation) provided updates on capacity-building efforts within the project, highlighting ongoing and upcoming training initiatives. INTERACT+ has successfully met its goal, delivering seven Sport for All capacity-building training sessions to 164 participants from 89 international sport organizations and national federations across 55 countries. With these trainings now complete, the next objective is to develop an Impact Evaluation Report and refine the training toolkit based on lessons learned.

Fernando Parente (International University Sports Federation – FISU) shared updates and gathered feedback on the Sport for All Certification platform. Partners also explored strategies for sustaining the project beyond 2025.

As INTERACT+ moves forward, the collective efforts of its partners continue to drive meaningful change, reinforcing sport as a powerful tool for inclusion, empowerment, and social impact.

IFA ball list valid 1 April 2025

The IFA is pleased to announce the release of the approved fistballs from April 1, 2025. With a choice of five ball manufacturers – Sportastic, Ludwig, Drohnn, Errea and HAWE – we can offer our athletes a wide range of high quality balls.

Compared to the previous year, there were minor changes at Sportastic and Ludwig. Sportastic launches its own ball design for the World Games. The new ball will be available in the online store later this week.
There has also been a design change at manufacturer Ludwig.

We would like to express our thanks to Sportastic, Ludwig, Drohnn, Errea and HAWE for their continuous work and commitment to our sport!

List of approved Fistballs valid from 1 April 2025: DOWNLOAD

Adjustments in the IFA General Secretariat from April 2025

The International Fistball Association (IFA) will adjust the division of work in the General Secretariat as of April 1, 2025. The reason for this change is the reduction in working hours requested by Christoph Oberlehner, as he will take on the full-time position of Sports Officer for the Sports Minister of the State of Upper Austria. However, Oberlehner will continue to serve voluntarily in his role as IFA Secretary General, to which he was elected in 2023.
“My decision to reduce my working hours is in no way connected to the upcoming change of president at the IFA,” emphasizes Oberlehner. “The new position with the state of Upper Austria is a special opportunity for me personally, which I would like to seize. At the same time, I will remain closely connected to the IFA and Fistball and will be very committed to our sport.”

“Since 2018, Christoph has decisively shaped our organization with tireless commitment and passion and achieved many milestones. Although Christoph will be embarking on a new career path from April 1, we are delighted that he will remain with us as Honorary Secretary General. We are convinced that his knowledge and experience will continue to be invaluable to IFA. Thank you, Christoph, for your extraordinary commitment to IFA,” says IFA President Jörn Verleger.

 

Sönke Spille will take on additional responsibilities as the new Head of Office in the IFA General Secretariat. In addition to his current tasks, he will assume the management of the office, while certain duties from the event sector will be transferred to the IFA Communications Commission.

Furthermore, the responsibilities of Gastao Englert will be enlarged. Englert is leading the IOC recognition process for the IFA, which is set to open by June 2025 at the latest. Certain preparatory steps must already be taken to be well-prepared for the recognition procedure. Designated IFA President Gastao Englert will play a key role in updating and preparing the necessary documents.

President Jörn Verleger and Vice President Roger Willen will ensure IFA’s presence at international congresses and the cultivation of international relations. Willen has already participated in several events in the past and has been able to establish a strong network.

With these adjustments, the IFA ensures that all relevant tasks are efficiently distributed and that the organizational challenges of the coming months will be successfully managed.

Which woman has particularly influenced your sporting or professional career?

In light of tomorrow’s International Women’s Day, we celebrate again Female Fistball Future project of Faustball Austria, the global winner of the IFA 2024 ACTIVITY AWARD!

Five specific sub-groups have been created under the Female Fistball Future slogan, focusing on different aspects:
young female players,
female coaches,
female referees,
female officials
and top female athletes.

Each subgroup is supervised by an experienced mentor who provides insights into her work throughout the year and acts as a role model.

The role model’s dedication to advancing gender equality, diversity, and inclusion in sport is truly inspiring. The work makes a significant impact, breaking down barriers and creating opportunities for all.

From resilient athletes/referees/coaches to visionary leaders, they are driving change and leading the way for a more inclusive sports community.

TAFISA Positive and Safe Coaching Pathway Project

Furthermore, IFA wants to promote the TAFISA project “Positive and Safe Coaching Pathway Project” on this year´s #InternationalWomensDay, which we are part of since 2024.

This project and the coaching it provides aims to address the gender inequality that hinders the participation of women and girls in sport at all levels. By focusing on coaching female and male coaches, the pathway aims to remove barriers and create a more equitable, accessible, responsive and positive experience for girls in sport.

The head of the IFA Youth Commission, Emma Dallinger, and project assistant Hanna Einsiedler completed the program.

Share your experience with #IWD25 #WomensDay #InternationalWomensDay

‘Silence is not an option!’

‘Silence is not an option!’ – ’The protection of athletes is the highest good.’

On the weekend of the German Fistball Championship in Mannheim, reports of an abuse case shocked fistball in Germany.

IFA President Jörn Verleger gave an interview to the SWR a few days ago, which is reproduced in excerpts in the report. Here is the full statement.

‘Since 2016, the World Fistball Association has adopted a comprehensive policy and procedure to protect all individuals in the fistball family. This so-called ‘Safeguarding Policy’ was last updated in December 2020 and recommendations were added to IFA member associations to adopt their own guidelines and procedures to protect athletes from discrimination, harassment and abuse.

IFA ‘Integrity Officer’ for all international events is currently former IFA Vice President Vikky Buston from New Zealand, who also helped develop the first guideline.

For us as a world federation, every report must be taken seriously, the person concerned must be trusted and appropriate investigations must be carried out. We also expect this when an incident occurs in a member federation.

To raise awareness of the dangers and tasks, the IFA offered a workshop on the topic of Safe Sport as part of World Fistball Day in 2022, for example. In addition, we as IFA regularly participate in workshops and measures of the IOC and our umbrella organisation AIMS and GAISF (including Toolkit 2017, 2021 GAISF-IOC Workshop, 2023 GAISF-IGNITX Athletes’ Safeguarding Workshop). Furthermore, we have currently asked the fistball family to take part in a survey ( https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage. aspx?id=n2ekHAn8sU-Ouajx5l-fHIfQ9HywOwJKjgB75KHpBupUM0NENFdYVlZRUFA3V0tRNktNWURHRkM1Mi4u&route=shorturl ) to prepare further training measures.’

‘We are committed to a culture of looking and acting. Seeking help is a sign of strength. Anyone who is affected or has knowledge of incidents: You are not alone – we listen, support and act confidentially. Every report is taken seriously. Those affected decide how to proceed at all times,’ has been on the Faustball Deutschland homepage since yesterday. This is to be expressly welcomed.

‘There were others who suspected it and looked the other way,’ this statement from Laura moves us very much. No one should be left alone with this topic.