All posts by Media Team

SOGIPA Porto Alegre (BRA) win first World Cup match vs. TSV Pfungstadt (GER) 4:2 (14:12; 11:9; 11:9; 8:11; 8:11; 11:9)

IMG_2315What a high-class and tight first final of the IFA 2017 Fistball World Cup. South American champion Sogipa won 4:2 against the European Club Champion from Pfungstadt, who again had to compete without the Patrick Thomas injured at the World Games 2017.

Strong winds, a fantastic crowd of spectators and difficult ground conditions after the rains of the past days – that was the framework for the first of two finals in Curitiba (Brazil).
The first three sets went to Sogipa. Pfungstadt won in sets #4 and #5, and despite a 9:7 lead in set #6, the team could not win the set

Vinícius Goulart, Sogipa: “The first step to win the Fistball World Cup is done, we played exactly what we practiced. We are very happy of the victory today. We know there is a new day and a new match tomorrow and we have to give 100% again for the second match to win the World Cup.”

Rodrigo Sprandel, Sogipa: “Today we won because we really wanted to win this match. We started very well but after the 3:0 in sets we stopped playing fistball. Pfungstadt also got better and better. In the 6th set we looked in our eyes and we said ‘Now let’s do it’ and it’s amazing we really did it. If it would have come to a 7th set I don’t know what the result would be.”

Ajith Fernando, Pfungstadt: “It was a very close match. The difference was that Rodrigo Sprandel made the point in important moments. Unfortunately, we have not always succeeded. We need to play more compact and more consistent tomorrow. Today’s game was very difficult due to the wind, but that must be better. We have to play more than a team again and we’ll give it back tomorrow. “

Duque de Caxias wins first match vs. TSV Dennach 4:1 (11:4; 15:14; 11:6; 7:11; 11:9)

Congratulation to Clube Duque de Caxias. As in the previous year, Punhobol Duque de Caxias wins the first of two finals against TSV Dennach Bundesliga Damen for the IFA 2017 Fistball Women’s World Cup with 4:1 (11:4; 15:14; 11:6; 7:11; 11:9).

_JAC4976The lawn in the women ‘s first match of the IFA 2017 Fistball Women´s World Cup was very soft after rain of the last few days, but did not pose a particular obstacle for both teams. In the initial phase, Dennach was impressed by the very good number of spectators in Curitiba made numerous mistakes, particularly in the third set. As in the previous year Duque won the first match with 4:1. Tomorrow, however, Dennach pays a chance in the second match.

The first set went clear with 11:4 to Duque. In the second set TSV Dennach had stabilized and found much better in the game. Despite four set points, Dennach could not decide for herself and lost 15:14. In the third set, Dennach was of the role and made numerous mistakes. Also a timeout did not bring the European champion back into play. The third set went to Duque with 11:6.

In the fourth set, Duque tried to bring the match home 4-0. The wind had slowed, Dennach found much better in the game and won the sentence with 7:11.

Also in the fourth set everything was possible for Dennach. However, service errors accumulated and ultimately lead to the 11:9 and the final score of 4:1 for Duque.

For tomorrow, it is called for Dennach to reduce mistakes and to attack to keep the final round the IFA Faustball Women World Cup 2017 still open.

Rejane Sinhori, Duque de Caxias: “We performed very well, even we had some unforced errors in our match. Some easy balls we didn’t get because of the wind. Tatjane and Stephanie did a great job and played very well. Tomorrow the second ball must be better from us. Because of the wind and the previous weather conditions it was not easy to play. It was quite hot today and the last days it was cold. Dennach played well too, Sonja attacked the line permanently and it was a tough match for both teams.”

Jasmin Fischer, TSV Dennach: “We did a good job today, but we made too many simple mistakes, we were too unconstantial in the game and the defense today. Tomorrow we will give everything again and get everything possible.”

WADA PUBLISHED 2018 LIST OF PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES AND METHODS

WADA_list_2018The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) published the 2018 List of Prohibited Substances and Methods (List); along with, the 2018 Summary of Major Modifications and Explanatory The List comes into force on 1 January 2018.

“Annually, the Prohibited List review involves a very extensive stakeholder consultation process over the course of nine months,” said WADA Director General, Olivier Niggli. “In reviewing the List, experts examine such sources as: scientific and medical research; trends; and, intelligence gathered from law enforcement and pharmaceutical companies in order to stay ahead of those that endeavor to cheat the system,” Niggli continued.

Further information.

WADA_list_2018

Invitation to IFA 2018 Fistball U18 Men’s and Women’s World Championships USA

The International Fistball Association (IFA) and the United States Fistball Association (USFA) invited today all IFA members around the world to participate in the IFA 2018 Fistball U18 Men’s and Women’s World Championships USA which will take place in Roxbury, New Jersey, USA, from
11 – 15 July 2018.


Invitation / Official Zero Bulletin.

Team registration deadline: 30 November 2017

President Weiss thanked IWGA to be part of The World Games sports program since 1985 and expressed the wish to have a Fistball women´s competition at The World Games 2021 in Birmingham

At the first International Fistball Association (IFA) Cocktail Reception powered by Sportradar, hosted in the framework of The World Games in Wroclaw and on the occasion of the presentation of the new IFA OTT platform www.ifa-fistball.tv, IFA President Karl Weiss suggested in the presence of IWGA President José Perurena and his wife to add a female fistball competition to The World Games 2021 Sports Program in Birmingham, Alabama. Fistball is part of The World Games since 1985 in London with a male competition. Six teams participated in Wroclaw where Germany defended the title in a thrilling 4:3 final.

“The best female fistball players deserve to be present in Birmingham. You will love to see them play.” The World Games 2021 Birmingham Sports Director Steve Mistrot may have listened well as IFA has expressed this wish not for the first time during the last years of cooperation with Birmingham, having had several meetings with IFA on the occasion of Sportaccord conferences. The World Games Birmingham Sports Program will be fixed after analysing the 2017 TWG edition.

Many sports leaders including IWGA Executive Board members Anna Arzhanova, Lukas Hinder and IWGA CEO Joachim Gossow as well as AIMS President Stephan Fox and AIMS Secretary General Gerd Zimmermann joined the reception at the hotel Sofitel, together with IFA Honorary President Ernesto Dohnalek and representatives of the participating teams, and other International Federations.
Felix Graf, Director Digital Platforms International of Sportradar presented the core of the entered long-term partnership between IFA and Sportradar. As a first step, the collaboration includes usage of Sportradar OTT – an innovative Over-the-top (OTT) video platform. The platform ifa-fistball.tv went live on the opening day of the World Games Fistball Tournament in Wroclaw, Poland, where fistball fans were able to watch the games in the online stream.

With the new “Over-the-top” video platform the International Fistball Association is exploring new avenues and opening to new technologies. “The new video platform brings value added for all fistball fans, clubs and associations. The aim is to develop IFA-Fistball.tv to a central platform where all fistball events will be shown. This adds transparency for all spectators who will not have to check various websites anymore to find the fistball event they would like to watch”, says IFA Secretary General Jörn Verleger. The platform is available free of charge to spectators, as well as to clubs and associations who will have the opportunity to disseminate their own streams.
Part of the partnership is also the marketing of advertisement and sponsoring on the digital platform. “The partnership with Sportradar is deliberately long-term. We are glad to have a strong partner on our side, and that we jointly want to continuously develop. The innovative OTT approach fits perfectly with our expectations. The platform presents itself in IFA “look and feel”, and is being customized to our requirements”, states Mr. Verleger.

“The collaboration with the International Fistball Association is another example for the usage of our new streaming product Sportradar OTT. We are glad to be able to offer a central platform for the fistball community, in collaboration with IFA”, said Felix Graf.
Sportradar OTT is the new video platform product of Sportradar AG, which offers holders of sports rights the opportunity to stream their contents directly live as well as video-on-demand to their fans via online channels. Besides the International Fistball Association, Sportradar OTT has recently entered collaborations with the European Handball Federation (EHF), German soccer club Eintracht Braunschweig, and Italian TV channel Sportitalia.

Sportradar is a global leader in understanding and leveraging the power of sports data with more than 1,650 employees in over 30 locations around the world. The company’s rapid growth is being enabled due to technological innovations and a deep understanding of clients’ business needs. Its commitment to outstanding service, quality and reliability makes Sportradar a trusted partner of more than 800 enterprises in over 80 countries. Sportradar has a unique position in the interface of the sports, media and sports betting fields.
“Sportradar OTT” is based on an innovative approach, how rights holders and Sportradar can collaborate in terms of audiovisual rights. “Sportradar OTT” offers a customized OTT platform that enables rights holders to manage their own brand and CI. Both parties are joining forces in terms of their respective key competencies – while Sportradar would ensure technical preparation and maintenance of the platform and monetize traffic via a fee or advertisement based model, the rights holders would focus on the generation and administration of contents. All generated revenues are being shared, which minimizes risk and effort for the respective associations and events.

Later on Michel Filliau, Senior Advisor to the GAISF President Patrick Baumann and Head of GAISF Administration Philippe Gueisbuhler as well as WADA Director Benjamin Cohen responsible for the European Regional Office and International Federations Relations joined the reception having just arrived in Wroclaw.

Fistball Final Reaches Top Rating in TV Broadcast from The World Games on SPORT1 – Almost 300,000 Spectators Watch Match between Germany and Switzerland

The Fistball final between Germany and Switzerland at The World Games in Wroclaw did not only fascinate the fans in the stadium: the TV broadcast on SPORT1 reached in its peak almost 300,000 spectators over three years of age (Z3+). With this, the market share of SPORT1 on Tuesday, July 25, was at a strong 3.0 % in the SPORT1 target audience of men between 14 and 49 years of age (M14-49). This was so far the best rating during the first five competition days at The World Games. In addition to SPORT1, the final and the match for the third place were shown on the Olympic Channel, as well as partly with geo-blocking on www.ifa-fistball.tv . Around 20 employees and seven cameras delivered a highly professional TV production, which was commented in Germany by SPORT1 moderator Hans-Joachim Wolff and fistball expert Uli Reißner. As SPORT1 has additionally informed, so far 80,000 spectators (Z3+) have on average watched the daily live programs in Free-TV on The World Games – with a continuously increasing tendency, among others due to a strong performance of the German World Games team, including a strong fistball national team.

“Fistball could add real value to the program offer of SPORT1. As the TV ratings show, we have been able to reach levels on a weekday afternoon that fit into the program structure of SPORT1”, says IFA Secretary General Jörn Verleger. “With the Women’s World Championship 2018 in Austria and the Men’s World Championship 2019 in Switzerland, we have in the coming years two top events in the DACH realm – the core market of SPORT1. If we are jointly able to realize a TV production as we did for The World Games, I see good chances for a broadcast in Free-TV.”

Furthermore, the new IFA OTT platform, which was only launched at the opening of The World Games, reached with more than 10,000 individual users on the first four days outstanding ratings. It is planned to further expand the platform, which is also available to national associations and clubs for the broadcasting of fistball events, in the future.

Cameras_TWG2017_(Valentin_Weber)

Fistball Women’s World Championship 2018 will take place in Linz, Austria

From July 24 to 28, 2018, Upper Austria will be the center of fistball, when the best women’s national teams will play for the World Championship in Linz (AUT). Host Austria is among the top favorites and contenders for the title.

For the first time, the event is being co-organized by the International Fistball Association (IFA), the Austrian Fistball Association (ÖFBB) and the Upper Austrian Fistball Association (OÖFBV).
“We are very much looking forward to the World Championship. We have high expectations and want to set new standards for major fistball events”, says IFA President Karl Weiß.

School Center Linz-Auhof as venue

The games will be played at the school center Linz-Auhof where the organizers found a perfect setting. “A center court for 2,000 spectators will be built on the large venue. The fans can look forward to a terrific stadium at an ideal location. We will create the preconditions for a high level fistball event”, says Christoph Oberlehner, Secretary General of the Organizing Committee.

Biggest Women’s World Championship so far

“Together with IFA, we would like to demonstrate once again that – after the Men’s World Championship in 2011 and the Men’s European Championship in 2016 – Austria will put together a world-class event for the players, as well as for the fans and spectators”, says Gerhard Zeller, President of the Austrian Fistball Association. The World Championship next year will be the biggest Women’s World Championship so far in terms of the number of participating nations, and a festival for the entire region. The event will be under the motto “Fistball all over the world”.

Experienced Organizing Committee Team

“We would like to thank in particular also the Ministry of Sports, Sportland Upper Austria and the City of Linz – without their support we would not be able to organize a World Championship at that scale”, says IFA President Karl Weiß. The seasoned Organizing Committee includes 15 people all of which have gathered experience organizing the World Championship 2011, Euro 2016 and the finals of the Austrian League in 2017. The fans can already look forward to a great Women’s World Championship and mark their calendars for July 24 to 28, 2018!

18WWC_Karl Weiss_Gerhard Zeller

Invitation IFA 2018 Fistball Women´s World Championship Austria published

The International Fistball Association (IFA) in cooperation with Faustball Austria (ÖFBB) and Oberösterreichischer Faustballverband (OÖFBV) today invited all 56 IFA member federations around the world to participate in the IFA 2018 Fistball Women´s World Championship Austria which will take place in Linz, Upper Austria, Austria, from 24 – 29 July 2018. The team registration deadline is 30 September 2017

Official invitation / Official Zero Bulletin.