Ikeya and Watanabe on top in Yokohama

The Satellite of Yokohama took place last sunday with a small turnout of 10 players taking part. Tomoyoshi Ikeya (OSC Yamato) was the Open champion with Kenzo Koi taking the second place. In the U12 section, Kosuke Watanabe (NOSK Subbuteo Yokohama) came on top of the group stage to win the trophy. Congratulations to the winners.

Presentation of the prizes for the Open category

The U12 champions

Kostas Kaperonis is a surprising winner in Athens

The FISTF Open of Athens took place on December 14 and 15 with a superb field of players taking part.

The open category had 33 entries and there was a huge surprise as Kostas Kaperonis (Pobladores Giregos), who  was only 266th in the world ranking, managed to beat Nikos Beis in the final on shots. The young Giannis Vlassopoulos and Vasilis Koutsombinas were the semi-finalists. Sotiris Korologos (who is playing this season for the italian club of Serenissima Mestre) took the honors in the veterans as he beat Christos Aggelinas in the final (3-2). The U15 category had 8 players and Philippos Kakavas (Athinaikos) beat Vaggelis Kotrotsos in the final to claim the trophy.

The team event was very exciting with 15 teams taking part and dropped in three groups of five. In the final, the Falcons Athens took the honors after a close win in the final (2-1) against Roligans.

The veterans winner

The open champion

More transfers in Malta

The maltese association as just announced that three players will join the club of Hamrun TFC with immediate effect. Stefan Pace (SPQR Roma), Mario Camilleri (Bormla SC) and Patrick Pace (SS Lazio TFC Roma) will help to rebuild the Hamrun club. We wish them the best of luck.

On December 31, Darren Bezzina (SPQR Roma) and Nicholas Sciberras (Pireas Lions) were also confirmed as new players for the Hamrun club.

(Updated on December 31, 2013)

Way to go in Singapore

Last week-end two tournaments were held in Singapore under FISTF banner. We already reported the french triumph in the Satellite event but there was also a Future held on saturday with 12 players taking part. Not only it was the very first time a FISTF tournament was played with the swiss system but also it was important to report that two players from Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) were taking part. Every player had to play five games and at the end of the league table Giovanni Choong (Singapore Lions) came on top with 13 points. Amin Anis (Leste Aquila SC) was second with 12 points and qualified for the final. In the decisive game, Amin Anis won 1-0 to win the title. It was a great way to come back into the circuit after a one year break. Chihiro Takao was third and Jocelyn Goh was fourth.

French triumph in Singapore

The Open final

Presentation of the trophies

The Merlion Cup, the annual FISTF Satellite played in Singapore, took place last week-end. For the first time, it was an all-french final between Cédric Garnier, the son of former FISTF president Laurent Garnier, who now lives in Japan and Ouabi Rouis, a former player of FTC Issy who works now in Singapore. Ouabi Rouis won the final (1-0) to claim the title. The Merlion Cup had a great turnout with many local players but also visitors traveling from Hong Kong and Japan.

A superb group picture

Barros and Maia are the winners in Porto

The Satellite of Porto (Portugal) took place on December 8 with a small turnout of nine players. The Open category was very interesting to follow with many close games. Vítor Barros (GDDF) managed to beat Ricardo Barros in the semi-final and Paulo Laranjeira (Orfeao da Foz do Douro) in the final. In the veterans section, Filipe Maia (CCT Roma) was the top favorite. He beat João Rodrigues (Orfeao da Foz do Douro) in the final to win the title.

Christmas spirit in Porto

Maia and Rodrigues in the veterans final

Vitor Barros, open winner

Flores and Pisa are the Christmas champions

The Christmas tournament (Torneo di natale) in Malin (Italy) last week-end had as alwas a great turnout and fantatsic players taking part.

On the saturday, the team of Black & Blue Pisa won the team event. Bertelli's team beat Reggio Emilia on goal-difference after a close final (1-1). To be noted that Reggio Emilia was only playing with three players! Fiamme Azzurre and Sanremo were the semi-finalist of a great event with 32 teams taking part.

Noguera and Flores in the Open final

On sunday, nobody could stop Carlos Flores. The spanish player of Reggio Emilia beat Juan Noguera, also from Spain, in the final (3-0). Flores had beaten Gasparini, Zambello and the young German Marcel Kegenbein to reach the final.

The U19 final

The veterans tournament was also very open but int he end, it was an italian final with Calonico beating Colpani (3-2).

Marcel Kwiatkowski from Germany took the U19 title after beating Balbo (Italy) in the final.
Matteao Ciccarelli (U15), Leonardo Giudice (U12) and Giulia Brillantino (Ladies) were the other winners of the individual tournament.

Brillantino and Forlani in the ladies final

(Article under construction)

Read more about the tournament
Link from TGCOM24
Link from Mondo Padano
Link from Pisa Today

Organizers results file: http://torneodinatale.jimdo.com/risultati-results/

FISTF World Championships 2014 in Rochefort (Belgium)

On December 10, the FISTF Board was happy to confirm the FISTF World Cup 2014 will be held in Rochefort (Belgium) on September 5, 6, 7. The following official statement was sent to all national associations:

Dear National Federations and Players,
It gives us great Pleasure to announce to you all the 16th edition of the FISTF World Championships. The event will take place in Belgium on the 5th and 6th and 7th September 2014 with the Belgium Federation and host club JSC Rochefort in their 40th Year. The event will be played on 56 professional astroturf Stadiums in the Venue, "sports hall of Jemelle" with Direct TV Screens on the top stadiums during the event.

Friday 5th September - Arrival of the teams and Draws Live and Practice Session
Saturday 6th September - Open World Championships All Classes
Sunday 7th September - Team Open World Championships all Ages

This is the 16th edition of our world championships and we at FISTF would like to wish the Belgium Federation and the Host club JSC Rochefort  the very best from all the Federations and we look forward to the 16th edition of our World Championships.

All the best in Sport
Alan Collins
FISTF President

Kaspar Bennett and Brussels SC dominate in Cardiff

Brussels SC, winner of the team event (Gil Delogne, Rudi Knuf, Laurent Coucke, Frédéric Vanton, Cédric Vanton, Philippe Hipfinger)

The Cardiff grand prix was played last week-end in a great spirit and a fantastic field of 93 players from 13 nations taking part. The Open tournament was full of surprises but at the end one of the big favorites managed to lift the trophy as Kaspar Bennett (England) beat the young Angelo Borg (Malta) in the final. Paulo Gouveia from Portugal and Romain Lafontaine from France were the semi-finalists. In the other categories, David Vantassel (Belgium) won the U19 event. Vantassel's teamate Emilie Despretz won both the U15 and the ladies sections while Kye Arnold beat Thomas Price in the U12 final. In the veterans, the event was very open. Despite the presence of four excellent Maltese players in the last 8, the inner was Laurent Coucke from Belgium. Coucke wins his first ever title in the veterans category.

On sunday, the team event was also very open with 16 teams taking part. Bristol SC (England) and Brussels SC (Belgium) were in the same group but met again in the final. After a very close game, Brussels won by one goal to win their first ever FISTF trophy. Well done to tall the inners and to the Cardiff organizers for a great tournament.

FULL RESULTS HERE

Cédric Garnier wins the Open of Yokohama

A good field of players took part to the International Open of Yokohama this week-end. Japanese players had the chance to meet some foreign players who dominated the tournament. Cédric Garnier, a french player who lives in Japan, beat Antonio Carabillo from Hong Kong in the final. John Ho from Singapore and Stephane Lambert from belgium were the losing semi-finalists. Mamiko Nakamura won the ladies tournament while Kosuke Watanabe was the winner of the U12 section.

Carabillo, Garnier and Lambert, the top 3 of the event

A nice group picture