IFA is proud to announce that we are partner of the TAFISA (The International Association for Sport for All) project proposal “International and European Sport Organisations Activate Citizens” which has been selected by the European Commission and will be co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union in 2021 – 2022.

The project aims to gather International and European Sport Organisations (IESOs) and develop a new delivery system that places participation in Sport for All and physical activity at its core. It will reflect on how to adapt sports, their rules, settings, delivery, etc. to the needs of target groups and grassroots sport participation, and on how IESOs can better contribute to achieve the objectives of key European and International policy papers, including, but not limited to, the WHO Global Action Plan for Physical Activity, UNESCO Kazan Action Plan, UN Sustainable Development Goals, EU Council Recommendation on HEPA, and EU Physical Activity Guidelines.

The project will be led in cooperation with the following partners:

– International Fistball Association
– International Table Tennis Federation Foundation
– World Minigolf Sport Federation
– International Dance Organisation
– Confederazione Boccistica Internazionale
– German Flying-Disc Federation
– Italian Federation of Traditional Sports and Games
– Sports Union of Slovenia

A set of resources will be developed to empower and support IESOs and their respective National Federations to adopt new strategies to promote Sport for All and physical activity participation, including the following:

– A study and report on IESOs’ needs and expectations towards the project and to better promote (and increase) participation
– An online and easily accessible platform of good practices
– An IESOs’ Sport for All and physical activity toolkit
– A “Capacity building in Sport for All and physical activity” training for IESOs staff and volunteers
– A new IESOs International Sport for All event

The project will seek to create new opportunities for citizens, especially the physically inactive, to try out and practice new sports and disciplines that are adapted to their needs.

Together with the leadership of Faustball Austria, the IFA leadership met Austria’s Vice Chancellor and Minister of Sport Werner Kogler in an “inaugural visit” today. Usually the meeting was planned for March but has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

IFA President Jörn Verleger, IFA Secretary General Christoph Oberlehner and the Chairwoman of the IFA Athletes Commission Katharina Lackinger as well as ÖFBB President Gerhard Zeller, ÖFBB Vice President Peter Oberlehner and ÖFBB Secretary General Hannes Dinböck had the opportunity to discuss several Fistball topics with the Austrian Minister of Sports.

In an introduction, Vice Chancellor Kogler was given an overview of the current worldwide and Austria-wide development of fistball, as well as school sports activities in Austria and the current status of fistball in the IOC recognition process. Subsequently, the support of the Ministry of Sports for the IFA office in the coming year was discussed as well as the future financing of the ÖFBB performance center in Linz, which is an indispensable building block for Austria’s international success.

Kathi Lackinger, chairperson of the IFA Athletes Commission, presented an original jersey of the Austrian national fistball team. Kogler, who himself played fistball in Gleisdorf until 1976, was also invited by IFA Secretary General Christoph Oberlehner to the U18 World Championships in Grieskirchen (Austria) next year.

With a heavy heart and profound sadness the German Gymnastics Federation (DTB) today informed IFA that the International German Gymnastics Festival in Leipzig, which should have taken place from May 12 – 16, 2021, had to be canceled. The decision was made after an intense exchange between the German Gymnastics Federation, the City of Leipzig, the Free State of Saxony, and the Federal Ministry of the Interior, Building and Community due to the development of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and considering health protection.

“We very much regret this cancellation, because the International German Gymnastics Festival was supposed to conduct the inaugural IFA 2×2 Fistball World Championship”, said IFA President Jörn Verleger. “Together with our Leipzig fistball friends, we will analyze in the upcoming days now how to proceed further”, Verleger continued. Subject to and depending on the development of the pandemic, DTB and the City of Leipzig would like to hold a smaller multi-sport event “Turnen21” with nine German championships instead of the gymnastics festival in the originally planned period.

Ever since the German Gymnastics Festival was first held in 1860, the only reason for its cancellation has been war.

A working group chaired by IFA-Anti-Doping-Administrator Teresa Eidenhammer has drafted the new IFA Anti-Doping rules based on the 2021 code, which were approved by the IFA Board of Directors in its today´s meeting.

These Anti-Doping Rules shall especially apply to athletes who compete in any of the following IFA International Events: The World Games, IFA Fistball World Championships, IFA Fistball World Cups, IFA Fistball World Tour and Continental Championships and comes into force together with a the new 2021 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods.

Furthermore, IFA will in the future work together with ITA. A cooperation was agreed by the board.

The ITA is an international organisation constituted as a not-for-profit Swiss foundation managing high quality anti-doping programs on behalf of International Sport Federations, Major Event Organisers and other Anti-Doping Organisations requiring support, operating in full compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code.

The chairman of the IFA Sustainability Working Group Dr. Christian Frenzel and the IFA President participated in several, virtual conferences like the 2020 EU Conference “Partnerships for Physical Activity and Sport: Be(come) Active”, the annual meeting of the Sports for Climate Action and the Sport Positive Summit 2020.

On the basis of a recommendation of the working group IFA will become a partner of the “Race to Zero” initiative and to commit itself as an association to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases caused by IFA by 4.5 percent annually over the next 10 years (=45 % by 2030) and to document this in public reports.

In the 1992 Framework Convention on Climate Change, the international community declared its intention to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that would prevent dangerous disruption of the climate system. In the Kyoto Protocol (1997) and the Paris Convention (2015) they agreed to limit and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide CO2/methane CH4/nitrous oxide N2O).

The board approved the aims of the initiative “Race to zero” and an updated paper “Fistball and Sustainability”. Finally the Board approved the Financial Report 2019 and discussed the 2021 IFA event calendar.

Fistball is part of the United Through Sports Virtual Youth Festival and you could be too!

Over 60 organisations have come together in solidarity and unity under the Olympic, Paralympic and Special Olympics values. Together these organisations will promote inclusion, health, equality, non-discrimination and peace. The participating organisations share a common vision, to provide opportunity by working with and for the youth, giving them autonomy and hope.

We invite you to join the United Through Sports Virtual Festival 2020! To take part in the preliminary Festival’s qualification events, all you need to do is to post before October 30, 2020, your video on your social media accounts in with the following hashtag: #WeAreFistball #thisisuts and sent your video via Whatsapp to the +43676-564 81 46
The competition is open for all youth up to 18 years, there are special age groups (under 10/12/14/16/18 each male and female).

We invite you to participate in the competition MAX FIT, which is about strength, power, and stamina

Make a video of yourself doing the following exercises:
30 sec Sit-ups with 1, 2s
30 sec Push-ups
30 sec Burpees

Check the first MAX FIT video from IFA Youth Ambassador Helena Schuh from Austria!

Sieh dir diesen Beitrag auf Instagram an

@helena.schuh invites you to join the @unitedthroughsports Virtual Festival 2020! IFA qualification round: each 30 sec Sit-ups, Push-ups & Burpees published before October 30, with #WeAreFistball, #thisisuts and sent by Whatsapp to 43676-564 81 46 Open for all youth up to 18!

Ein Beitrag geteilt von IFA Fistball (@ifafistball) am Okt 2, 2020 um 1:09 PDT

Here are all explanation videos how to do the exercises. Judges will judge the quantitiy and quality of the exercises, may you win the MAX FIT competition in your age group and qualify for the Final Event. The festival finals will be held 20-22nd November, in a hybrid event from Bangkok to the world. We will see cities around the world join the celebrations and activities.

Dear youth, this festival is for you. We invite you to follow your dreams, keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground. Know that you can achieve anything you put your mind too.

Let’s come together to celebrate life and be united through sports.

With the International German Gymnastics Festival 2021 in Leipzig, a large fistball festival for all age groups awaits the fistball community. The Gymnastics Festival will take place in Leipzig (Saxony) from Wednesday, May 12 to Sunday, May 16, 2021. It is the largest competition and mass sports event in the world and thus a festival of “superlatives”. The fistball tournaments including a Major World Tour Event will take place during the same period on the sports venues Südkampfbahn and Goethesteig. The gymnastics festival will include an IFA 2×2 Fistball World Championship for the first time. The International German Gymnastics Festival is open to participants from all over the world.

The registration for the gymnastics festival is already open. A new feature will be that the competition classes for youth will correspond to those of the other championships (U12, U14, U16, U18). In addition – as usual – there will be the senior classes for women 30, men 35, 45, 55 and men 60. And there will also be open classes for men and women, as well as recreational tournaments and a mixed tournament as part of the fistball competitions. As many top teams will join the Gymnastics Festival the Fistball Tournament will be carried out as IFA Major World Tour Event. The matches will be played according to the rules of the International Fistball Association and the rules of the German Fistball League.

2×2 Fistball World Championship

And there will also be a world premiere during the gymnastics festival: the IFA 2×2 Fistball World Championship. It will be played in teams of two without substitutes on a field measuring 10 x 3 meters. During a rallye the ball can touch the ground even out of bounds, block attempts are not allowed. The finals are planned to be held in the city center of Leipzig.
All information and the possibility to register can be found in the official bulletin (download here)! Until September 30th there is also the possibility to get the cheap Super Early Bird tickets.

Among more than 60 other sports organizations, IFA President Jörn Verleger and Secretary General Christoph Oberlehner took part in today´s preparatory seminar for the virtual United Through Sports Festival. Next week IFA will present its festival ambassadors. Young people under 18 will measure their athletic and creative abilities across all sports. Judges of the November finals will see all participating international sport federations working together for the youth! We are happy to join this initiative of The Alliance of Independent Recognised Members of Sport under the patronage of IOC, IPC and Special Olympics.

The COVID-19 pandemic has given life to the United Through Sports (UTS) Virtual Youth Festival 2020, that goes far beyond a temporary solution to the cancellation of sport events. It is a positive opportunity to move forward and bring us all back together. The unique Virtual Youth Festival will be held and broadcast online, bringing Olympic and non-Olympic sports together. Fistball will be also part of the Virtual Festival.

This pandemic has affected each and every one including, the world of sport. We all understand the difficult circumstances and the unique challenges we face. Now more than ever, we must stand in solidarity and unity under the Olympic, Paralympic and Special Olympics movements towards promoting and fostering the Olympic, Paralympic and Special Olympics values. Now is the time to transform crisis into nurturing opportunity, promoting health and safety with a united mission for the youth of the world. We must cultivate our communities to continue to be active, inspired and to be included.

We have seen many inspiring initiatives as organisations pivot and adapt, navigating the current unpredictable landscape. In 2017 the United Through Sports initiative was born to create and contribute towards a better world, with and for our youth.

The festival is under the patronage of the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, Special Olympics, SportAccord and the Global Association of International Sports Federations. Many International Federations, global NGO’s and sport affiliated entities are uniting to showcase, demonstrate and promote inclusion, equality, non-discrimination and peace-promotion. The UTS Virtual Youth Festival is a celebration of our youth who will carry the torch of life for the next generations, and on this platform everybody is equal.

The festival will include youths not only from participating International Federations, but also those with different abilities mental and physical, youths from migrant and refugee backgrounds, youth from the indigenous community and those from vulnerable backgrounds who are often marginalised by society. United we shall create opportunity and give these youth autonomy and hope.

Over 60 organisations have joined forces to unite on the digital platform where qualification events will take place between August to the end of October. The finals will be hosted in Thailand and held as a hybrid event around the world in celebration of the United Nations’ World Children’s day, on November 20-22.

The festival will include virtual medal ceremonies, inspirational opening and closing ceremonies and will incorporate a vital platform of education by including; webinars, an opening conference, panel discussions and workshops. Topics of focus will include: Peace through sport, Inclusion and non-discrimination, Athletes’ roles and responsibilities, Safeguarding and child protection among others. Over 100 youth ambassadors, together with the leaders of sport and all participating entities will make a unified call to action towards a better tomorrow.

IOC President Dr Thomas Bach said: “The current coronavirus crisis has proven that sport and an active lifestyle can save lives. With its own campaigns, the IOC has been working since the beginning of the crisis to make it even more evident how important sport is for physical and mental health, in particular in times of lockdown, social distancing and uncertainty. The IOC is excited that the UTS Virtual Youth Festival 2020 is inviting youth of all abilities and backgrounds from the international sports community. We have given patronage to the UTS Virtual Youth Festival 2020 and will also play an active part.”

During a time when the postponed Olympic and Paralympic Games should have taken place IPC President, Andrew Parsons stated: “Never has sport and the need to remain active being as important as it is now during the global COVID-19 pandemic due to the physical and mental health benefits it brings. The IPC through its patronage fully supports this innovative festival that will engage youngsters of all abilities around the world and keep them active during this difficult time.”

Mary Davis, CEO of Special Olympics stated: “On behalf of our over six million Special Olympics athletes, we are delighted to grant patronage and applaud the effort of UTS to demonstrate the power of inclusive sport for all. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Special Olympics halted all training and competitions for 2020, however are excited and we fully support the United Through Sports Virtual Youth Festival 2020 as being especially important for our athletes, to remain active, connected and certainly included. May this Festival be the first of many more inclusive events to come.”

With the finals being held on United Nations’ World Children’s Day, the former 8th UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon said: “We all face challenges amidst the pandemic global shift. Now is the time we must think forward and we must take action towards empowering our youth towards the future. This UTS Virtual Youth Festival is a unique opportunity for youth of all abilities to unite through the digital ecosystem in friendship, sports, health and education. United, we must stand for youth rights ensuring equality and the inclusion of all youth. This Festival will open many new doors of opportunity for us to reach youth all over the world. Let us reach them together.”

GAISF and SportAccord President Raffaele Chiulli said: “GAISF and SportAccord families are proud to play an active role in the innovative United Though Sports Virtual Youth Festival 2020. The global COVID-19 pandemic has brought so many challenges, but now is the time for the international sports community to lead by example and inspire young people and their families around the world to get active. As one voice for all sport, the virtual youth festival will be a fantastic opportunity to showcase and celebrate the fundamental values of equality, diversity and inclusion.”

“During such unprecedented and challenging times, we must continue to create opportunities, putting the youth of the world at centre stage,” stated UTS President Stephan Fox. “We must also understand that for many vulnerable youth, once the pandemic ends, they will continue to live in lock down and in challenging environments. We want to create an event that is active and educational for all our youth and regardless to who is up on the podium, the closing ceremony will see the youth of the world come together for one global celebration.”

With the finals to be hosted in Bangkok, the President of the National Olympic Committee of Thailand General Prawit Wongsuwan said: “The Corona Virus Pandemic requires our solidarity, determination, compassion and compromise. The Kingdom of Thailand is proud to host the finals of the UTS Virtual Youth Festival 2020 under patronage of the IOC, IPC and SOI in celebration of World Children’s Day. Let us be united by the Olympic, Paralympic and Special Olympics values in all our diversity towards a better tomorrow.”

The International Fistball Association, Swiss Fistball and TSV Jona are currently in a regular exchange. All parties are exploring the possibility of holding the 2021 Women’s Fistball World Championship in Jona, Switzerland. During the Fistball match between Switzerland and Austria at the beginning of August, a first on-site visit took place, during which the possible sports facilities and the necessary infrastructure were inspected. The planned date of the World Championship in Jona would be from 13-17 July 2021. According to an official announcement of the World Championship, the national associations should have the option to register their teams by 30 November.

After two substitute hosting cities for the next Women’s World Championship had to be cancelled, IFA initiated talks with TSV Jona and Swiss Faustball. “Hardly any other Fistball club in the world has such an ideal infrastructure as TSV Jona. We have to plan for the World Championship in scenarios with and without spectators now. TSV Jona can fulfill both requirements very well due to the existing infrastructure in the soccer stadium and the Fistball stadium without having to invest in temporary stands. In addition, the club around President Martin Grögli and his team has a wide range of experience in the realization of major events. We have also adapted the catalog of requirements for the organizer accordingly. It shall be a ‘World Championship of Solidarity’, where everyone will and must make their contribution”, says IFA President Jörn Verleger.

“We are very pleased about the trust placed in us by IFA. We are seriously considering the organization of the World Championship and it would be an honor to be the host again 15 years after the last Women’s World Championship in Jona. We have already made an expression of interest to the Federal Office for Sports BASPO. Our internal organization team has also been established with the main resorts. Financing the event is currently still the biggest difficulty,” says TSV Jona President Martin Grögli.

“We are working on the financing together with the city, canton and federal government”

The biggest challenge for such a short-term takeover of the World Championship is the financing, as the calculation must include a worst-case scenario without spectators. Without public subsidies such a scenario would be unthinkable. The responsible bodies are therefore holding intensive discussions with the Swiss Gymnastics Federation, the federal government, the canton of St. Gallen and the city of Rapperswil-Jona. “Only when all results will be positive, we can make a final decision, which will probably take until the middle or at the most until the end of October”, says Martin Grögli, President of TSV Jona.

“Swiss Faustball supports the efforts of TSV Jona to one hundred percent. Together with the STV, we have approached the relevant authorities. With the Women’s World Championship in 2021, Switzerland would once again be the host for a major Fistball event after the Men’s World Championship in Winterthur 2019. I know that TSV Jona is capable of organizing an unforgettable Fistball festival, even with the short lead time,” Swiss Faustball President Franco Giori is confident.

Since 4 players from TSV Jona could represent the Swiss team, the motivation within the club is twice as high. “Above all, we want to offer a great Fistball stage for our female players. To win a medal at a World Championship in your own country is always something special,” Grögli concluded.

Today, 1 years ago, the International Fistball Association (IFA) Board of Directors was elected at the IFA 2019 Congress within the framework Fistball Men´s World Championships in Winterthur (SUI). Jörn Verleger from Munich, Germany was elected the sixth president in the history of IFA. The 48-year-old succeeds Karl Weiss (Austria). Karl Weiss did not run for re-election after serving eight years as president of the Association during which IFA developed from 27 member nations to 61 national associations. Together with Secretary General elected Christoph Oberlehner from Austria Verleger is giving an Interim Report as video and podcast message.

Mr. Verleger, Mr Oberlehner, which contributions were the most successful last year?

First of all we are very proud of the Fistball Academy which we established three years ago. The Fistball Academy is really one of our projects with a lot of passion, and especially with the help of Uwe Schneider, we were able to publish the first training modules to support smaller and new federations. Additionally we were able to develop from a federation to a service provider. We offer many services for our members and for our hosts. Even for this year we had very great plans, but the global Covid-19 pandemic changed a lot, and we were forced to postpone all our events to 2021. But also, that postponement gave us a big chance to rethink and improve our internal procedures, and that was also one of our big topics within the last month I would say.

What highlight did really stand out to you?

Which changes did you affect in Fistball?

We think it`s a little bit too early to say that. We are elected for four years and we have to see what the following three years will bring. But as we mentioned before, we have already established some new projects. And not only on the Fistball pitch, we also employed us with topics like sustainability and gender equality. To go back on the Fistball pitch, we also have to mention the Fistball World Tour with it´s final in Salzburg. A very nice event we established step by step and we sadly had to cancel for this year due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Also the increasing professionalization of our small events, which are getting more media coverage is beside the number of already 65 member federations, and an increasing number of women in our sport, a point which shows us, that we are on the right way

What are you plan to accomplish over the coming year?

One year ago several changes within the IFA Board and IFA Commissions were made. How satisfied are you with the collaboration within the team?

We are very satisfied. We integrated more people into the Board of Directors, and more people can represent our sport worldwide in a better way. For example, Vicky Buston in the Oceania world, and Giana Hexsel in South America. All those people are working together in friendship an supporting our work in the whole world to get more people to play Fistball.

We are very proud of our team and can say, that without the work of those people such a positive development of Fistball would not have been possible.

To continue our work successfully we are still looking for motivated people to join our team in one of our many commissions, like the youth commission. For example, next year we will appoint a Under 18 representative who supports the work of the commissions.
You can see there is plenty of work to do and we are looking for your help.

What accomplishments this year are you most proud working on most of?