The joint meeting was opened by IOC Board member a GAISF/SportAccord President Ivo Ferriani outlined the importance of AIMS within the Olympic family, the synergy towards the development of the individual sports towards IOC recognition but also AIMS as an IF umbrella organisation.

Mr. Kit McConnell, IOC sports director welcomed the AIMS family into the Olympic House. He made a presentation to the AIMS members on the pathway for the AIMS members towards IOC recognition

Photos by Monika Majer/RvS.Media for IF Forum 2022

The International Fistball Association and all INTERACT (International and European Sport Organisations Activating Citizens) project partners are pleased to invite you all to join our free closing online conference on 2 December 2022, 12:00-14:00 (UTC+1/CET). Register now! https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/interact-closing-conference-tickets-464992443917

The final conference will highlight the background, the results, and the impact of the INTERACT project. It will furthermore introduce new resources, from toolkits to frameworks, to address the current situation and design a way for activating citizens for international and European Sport Organisations (IESOs). A round table will allow for knowledge and experience sharing regarding IESOs’ Investments in Sport for All and Physical Activity and define a way on how they can better contribute to the objectives of key European and International policy papers.

For more information and to register your free participation: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/interact-closing-conference-tickets-464992443917

The INTERACT project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme of the European Union. More information on the project can be found on the official website: https://interact-sport.com/

Conference program:

IFA received the latest updates on the upcoming CSIT World Sport Games 2023, which will be held from September 5-10 in Cervia, Italy. The event will feature for the second time a Fistball competition for clubs. Details to be published soon.

CSIT President Bruno Molea awarded a plaque to IFA President Jörn Verleger and Secretary General Christoph Oberlehner for attending the meeting in Rome.

The conference was welcomed by Giovanni MALAGO, IOC member from Italy.

After the last World Tour tournament at SOGIPA in 2022 and the continental championships, the participants for the World Tour Finals 2023 have finally been determined. The host of the World Tour Finals 2023 will be announced shortly. The World Tour was dominated by the Brazilian teams this year. With Sociedade Ginástica Novo Hamburgo and SOGIPA, both winners are from Brazil.

Sociedade Ginastica Novo Hamburgo in the men’s category and SOGIPA in the women’s category are the champions in this year’s IFA World Tour. SG Novo Hamburgo gained 3.900 points and played 9 tournaments in total, but only the 5 tournaments with the highest number of points count for the World Tour Ranking.
SOGIPA collected 3.500 points and played 6 tournaments in total. SOGIPA managed the feat of winning all the tournaments in which they participated including the World Tour Finals and Pan-American Cup 2022 – a perfect season for the team from Porto Alegre.

Qualified for the World Tour Finals 2023 are the following teams:
Men’s category:
• Champions Cup winner 2022: Union Tigers Vöcklabruck (AUT)
• Pan-America winner: SG Novo Hamburgo (BRA)
• North-American Championship winner: SSC – Swim and Sport Club (USA)
• Defending champion from 2022: TSV Pfungstadt (GER)

Additionally, to these teams, the best 2 teams of the World Tour Ranking 2022 will qualify for the World Tour Finals 2023. As Novo Hamburgo is already qualified as Pan-American Champion, the 3rd ranked team qualified as well.
As the first four of 8 starting places have been awarded to Vöcklabruck, Pfungstadt, SSC and Novo Hamburgo, the best 3 teams in the men’s World Tour Ranking can look forward to participating in the World Tour Finals next year:
– SOGIPA Porto Alegre (BRA) (2nd place in the World Tour Ranking)
– DSG UKJ Froschberg (AUT) (3rd place in the World Tour Ranking)
– UFG Grieskirchen/Pötting (AUT) (4th place in the World Tour Ranking)

The host club is automatically qualified in the men’s or women’s competition of the World Tour Finals 2023 (criteria: highest national league). As the host is not clear yet, currently only 7 teams are fixed. That means either the organizer or Clube Duque de Caxias (BRA, 6th place in the World Tour Ranking) will take the eighth starting place.

Women’s category:
• Champions Cup winner 2022: TV Jahn Schneverdingen (GER)
• Pan-America winner as well as defending champion of 2022: SOGIPA (BRA)

Additionally, the best female teams of the World Tour Ranking 2022 are qualified:
– TSV Dennach (GER) (2nd place in the World Tour Ranking)
– ASKÖ Seekirchen (AUT) (3rd place in the World Tour Ranking)
– Vfl Kellinghusen (GER) (4th place in the World Tour Ranking)
– SGNH Novo Hamburgo (BRA) (5th place in the World Tour Ranking)
– Duque de Caxias (BRA) (6th place in the World Tour Ranking)

Because the host club is not fixed yet, Union Nussbach (AUT, 7th place in the World Tour Ranking) is currently in a waiting position if they are qualified as the eighth participating team or not.

In its yesterday’s board of Directors meeting the International Fistball Association (IFA) established a working group to prepared a decision if the organization should rename and/or rebrand the sport worldwide to Faustball? After The World Games in Birmingham/Alabama IFA received remarks and questions why different names are used for the sport like punhobol, fistball, Pallapugno and Faustball. Seven members including President Jörn Verleger, Secretary General Christoph Oberlehner, PAFA President Gastao Englert, Valentin Weber, Chairman of the IFA Communication Commission, English native speaker IFA Vice President Vikki Buston and board member Blase Dowall as well as further marketing experts are members of the group to develop a proposal for the next board meeting on 11th of December.

New Chairman of IFA Sports Commission

As new Chairman of the IFA Sports Commission the board welcomed Gastao Englert From Brazil, who will also work as tournament director for the upcoming IFA 2023 Men´s World Championship in Mannheim (Germany). The 56 years old physical educator, who was recently also elected as President of the Pan-American Fistball Association (PAFA), brings more than 21 years of experience of sports management and presented some potential changes of the Fistball rules like the reduction of the potential 10 minutes break after set #4 which might be valid on 1 April 2023 if accepted by the board in its next meeting.

Furthermore, the board decided the eligibility for national teams and heard reports about the recent Fistball events as The World Games 2022, the IFA 2022 Fistball World Tour Final, the Pan-American Championships 2022 and the 2022 Pacific Fistball Championships.

Team NZL has come away from the Pacific Championships as Champions! Huge congratulations to the Men’s Masters, Men’s and Women’s teams!

This weekend, all eyes of the Fistball world focused on Australia. International Fistball was returning to Australian shores for the first time since 2018!

After a 4 year hiatus from hosting international Fistball because of border closures and travel restrictions due to Covid-19, our friends in Australia are excited to finally be able to announce the first Pacific Fistball Championships, a tournament in which the New Zealand Fistball Association, Japan and the host Fistball Federation of Australia participate.

Event website: https://www.fistball.com.au/2022-pacific-fistball-championships-hub/?fbclid=IwAR0wCQX3tfYIDNAHxwXzm_e9OnX8vYq9L9VhJUniQ-InOJkHkFuja01UhIQ

“The greatest sport you’ve never heard of.” – An incredible journey

It signals an incredible journey for an Australian team that funnily enough started as a group of mates who came up with the idea while enjoying an ice cold beverage at the pub.

Rolf ‘Godfister’ Petersen and Richard ‘Buckfist’ Williams decided to do some enthusiastic research into the sport, and then in 2013 decided to officially start the Fistball Federation of Australia (FiFA).

In 2014 they became a member of the International Fistball Association (IFA) – and now they’re looking to become heavyweights on the scene as they write on their website.

Within the framework of the III PAN-AMERICAN FISTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS in Novo Hamburgo the member federations elected a new PAFA board. IFA was represented at the congress by Vice President Dr. Giana Hexsel and Secretary General Christoph Oberlehner.

Gastao Englert was elected as new president of PAFA, the previous President Cris Süffert will serve as Vice President in the future. In addition to Englert and Süffert, the team is completed by José Luiz Eltz as referee director, Rejane Sinhori as sports director, Fernanda Hechenleitner for finances, Mora Veliz in administration, Cristobal Mödinger as media director and Federico Fritz for the development of Fistball in the PAFA area.
At the same time, it was decided that the structures of PAFA will change significantly. In order to strengthen the Board of Directors, various commissions will be established in which the operational work will be carried out on a topic-related basis. In the process, the athletes will also be given a strong voice through a newly created Athletes’ Commission led by brazil athlete Jayme Andrioli. The representatives will be directly elected by the athletes.

The new PAFA Board of Directors:
President – Gastao Englert (BRA)
Vice President – Cris Süffert (BRA)
Administration Director – Mora Veliz (ARG)
Finance Director – Fernanda Hechenleitner (CHI)
Referee Director – José Luiz Eltz (BRA)
Sports Director – Rejane Sinhori (BRA)
Media Director – Cristobal Mödinger (CHI)
Development Director – Federico Fritz (ARG)

In the Pan-American Championship in Novo Hamburgo (BRA) Team USA and Colombia were fighting for the last starting place in the 2023 Men’s World Championship in Mannheim, Germany. It is the last qualifier event for the highlight event in 2023.

In a tough match in the preliminary round USA won against Colombia 2:1 in sets. After a 9:11 loss in set one they came back and won the remaining sets clearly 11:3 and 11:5. Team USA finished the preliminary round on the third rank after their win against Chile. The bronze medal match versus Team Argentina on Friday ended with a 2:1 victory. Colombia ranked on the 5th place.

Brasil, Argentina and Chile are already qualified as they finished the last World Championship in Switzerland in the Top 8. Pan-America has 4 starting rights in total. Colombia and USA are fighting for the last starting right.

5 national teams compete in the men’s category in the Pan-American Championship: Brasil, Argentina, Chile, USA and for the first time Colombia.
These are all qualified nations for the IFA 2023 Fistball Men’s World Championship in Mannheim, Germany:

This weekend the III PAN-AMERICAN FISTBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS take place in Novo Hamburgo. Two out of the best 3 club teams from the last weekend´s IFA Fistball World Tour Final are participating. You can not miss!

Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if61kJqQs5M

Local Times (UTC-3)

Check out the schedule:
🔹 15/10 CLUBS DAY 2
8:30am Start of Games
15:00 Opening Ceremony
15:30 Resumption of Games
18:00 Closing of Games

🔹 16/10 CLUBS DAY 3
8:30 Start of Games
18:00 Awards Ceremony

#SGNH #punhobol #panamericanopunhobol #sports #PunhobolBrasil #wearefistball #faustball

Fistball is part of the CSIT World Sport Games (WSG) since 2019 in Spain. The CSIT (International Workers & Amateurs Sports Confederation) has announced the host and the dates for the next edition of the World Sport Games: The CSIT WSG will be relocated from Roma to Cervia (ITA) and take place from 5-10 September 2023. Within this multi-sports event Fistball hosts a Fistball Amateur World Cup tournament.

The CSIT ExCom made this necessary decision to change the host city at an extraordinary meeting in order to avoid impending bureaucratic problems and to be able to start preparations for the flagship event of CSIT in good time. Cervia has already successfully hosted the CSIT Single Championships in 2022 and has both the necessary infrastructure and experience to host the World Sports Games without any problems.
The WSG will now be held from September 5 – 10, 2023 in Cervia. The invitation and all information about Cervia Games 2023 will be published soon from CSIT and IFA.

The WSG are a major multi-sports event held every two years, full of sports, sport for all, cultural exchange, fun and new opportunities. These Games are not multisport games for top athletes, but for all amateurs (16 years and older) from different countries and cultures all over the world.

Male, female and gender mixed teams are allowed. Each team may exist of a minimum of 6 players. It is possible to register more than one team. The categories are formed according to the number of registrations. The tournament is played according to the Fistball – Rules of the Game.

Eligibility criteria:
All amateur players are permitted
No permission of national team players from countries finishing in the Top 7 (Men) / Top 5 (Women) at the last World Championship and players from the highest divisions in Austria, Switzerland and Germany.
Players must be at least 16 years old

Composition of the team:
Male, female and mixed teams – the categories are formed according to the number of registrations Clubs or teams of the member federations IFA / CSIT / FICEP – also several teams per club or selection are allowed
Team size minimum 6 players