By; Mupiri Matthias
Windhoek, June 20 – Over the weekend, the third Bank Windhoek Fistball League match day was held at the Cohen Fistball Club (CFC) and Sport Klub Windhoek (SKW 1) sports grounds in Windhoek. With 18 registered teams, this league round was competitive, as predicted, and one of the finest in the Bank Windhoek Fistball League’s history. CFC 1 has extended its lead in the National A League, while SKW 2 has taken over as the National B League log leader.
CFC 1 kept a clean sheet in all three matches in the National A League. In the encounter between CFC 1 and SKW 1, the defending champions blew a 2:0 lead owing to several offensive blunders. They rebounded in the fifth set, though, to win the match 3:2. SKW 1 defeated CFC 2 and Swakopmund Fistball Club (SFC) SFC 1. CFC 2 also fell against SFC 1 with a score of 1:3. As a result, SFC 1 is currently the sole team in third position.
The National B League remains intriguing, with table leaders changing. SKW 2 advanced from third to first position with a maximum score of 18 points. SKW 4 had a nine-point lead over SKW 2 but had to settle for second place with seven points after six games. SFC 2 finished third, followed by SFC 3, Swakopmund’s third squad. After missing the second league round, host CFC 3 improved their standing by one spot. SKW 3 is sixth in the National B League, while SKW 5 is last.
SKW B won all three games and the tournament championship in the Under 14 category, thanks to home-field advantage. SKW D, competing for the first time, claimed first place, with SKW C taking third place. SKW A caught a raven black day but only received one extra point, forcing him to settle for fourth place.
In the Under 18, SKW A once again proved to be the superior team, winning three consecutive games to increase their advantage over SFC A to four points. SFC A defeated SKW 2 and SKW 3 in their matches. SKW 3 had to leave the field after losing all three matches.
An exhibition match between the local, national team, and the rest of the league was won by the Namibian squad by a score of 3:1. SKW’s Hannes Lux was selected Young Player of the Day, while SKW 1’s Dieter Kebbel was chosen Senior Player of the Day. The next and last league round before the playoffs will take place in Swakopmund on Saturday, September 16, 2023.
Meanwhile, the men’s delegation from Namibia will fly to Germany in four weeks. Following the poor performances on Friday and Saturday, national coach Andreas Minz invited the national team to a training camp in July. In the opening match of the 16th Fistball World Championships, the squad will meet World Fistball Champion Germany at the Rhein-Neckar Stadium in Mannheim, Germany. ~Namibia Daily News
