Podcast: Fistball Inside – Episode 56 (Final Edition)
Date: 2 September 2025
Duration: 51 minutes

The final episode of Fistball Inside marks a special milestone as Jörn Verleger hosts a farewell conversation with Gastão Englert, the newly elected IFA President.

Key topics covered:

• Transition of Leadership:
  Jörn reflects on producing 56 episodes and officially hands over to Gastão, who becomes the 7th President of the International Fistball Association (IFA). Gastão shares his gratitude, emphasizing the honor of representing Fistball globally and his vision for its future.
• World Games in Chengdu 2025:
  Both discuss their impressions of the event, highlighting:
  • The incredible dedication of volunteers in China.
  • Successful introduction of the new tournament format with gold/silver groups, ensuring closer, more competitive matches.
  • Managing challenges, including a full-day schedule cancellation due to weather.
  • Historic gender equality: for the first time, 8 men’s and 8 women’s teams competed.
• Tournament Highlights:
  • Women’s Final: Brazil’s comeback win over Switzerland after facing match points, with captain Cecilia Jacques named player of the day.
  • Men’s Final: Brazil dominated Germany with flawless serving and strategy, securing double gold for Brazil.
  • Emerging teams like New Zealand were praised for remarkable development in both men’s and women’s competitions.
• Future of Fistball & IFA Priorities:
  Gastão outlines his presidency goals:
  • Achieving IOC recognition as the top priority, unlocking support from national Olympic committees worldwide.
  • Strengthening IFA’s role within AIMS and IWGA.
  • Reforming the World Tour and World Tour Finals to make them more attractive to teams and hosts.
  • Establishing new commissions for referees and sports development.
• Closing Reflections:
  The episode ends on a personal and emotional note, thanking the community for seven years of listening. Jörn and Gastão together affirm the sport’s spirit with the motto:
  “Together we are Fistball.”

Fistball Inside episode #55 with Secretary General Chris Oberlehner and Presidenet Joern Verleger was recorded on the day before the @TWG2025 Opening Ceremony on the #roadtochengdu 

The episode was recorded on the sidelines of the IFA World Tour Finals in Vöcklabruck. Guests include the “inventor” of the IFA World Tour, former IFA Sports Commission Chairman Winnie Kronsteiner, and Cory Dahn from the USA. Cory already participated in the first edition of the World Tour Finals in 2018 in Vaihingen/Enz with his club, South Jersey Fistball Club (USA). Both report on the development of this club world championship.

🎙️ Podcast – Episode #53 of "Fistball Inside", the podcast magazine of the International Fistball Association
🗓️ Recorded on 20 July 2025

Upcoming IFA President Gastao Englert and IFA Secretary General Chris Oberlehner are guests of IFA President Joern Verleger to talk about the latest news from The World Games Chengdu, the EFA U18/U21 European Championships and the IFA World Tour Final this week in Vöcklabruck. 

A packed episode of around 22 minutes full with information!

Together we are FISTBALL!

🎙️ Podcast – Episode #52 of "Fistball Inside", the podcast magazine of the International Fistball Association
🗓️ Recorded on 14 July 2025

For those of you who have been following us for a while, you’ll know that this podcast was originally produced by IFA Secretary General Chris Oberlehner and myself until the end of 2022. After a brief break, we’re back—and will continue producing episodes until the end of August 2025.

We usually publish on Mondays—our so-called "Fistball Monday"—and we’ll also be sharing extra episodes during The World Games in Chengdu. The final episode, #60, will be released at the end of August. 

🎯 German Championship Playoffs – Semifinalists Set

Last weekend, the final four semifinalists for the German Championships in Dresden were decided. The second- and third-placed teams from the men’s and women’s leagues competed at the TV Rendel sports facility. While the favorites prevailed as expected, there were also a few surprises.

Here are the semifinal matchups:

Women’s Semifinals:

• TSV Calw vs. Ahlhorner SV
• TV Jahn Schneverdingen vs. TV Segnitz

Men’s Semifinals:

• TSV Pfungstadt vs. Leichlinger TV
• TSV Hagen 1860 vs. TV Vaihingen/Enz

📅 This Week’s Fistball Highlights

We’re heading into a summer packed with fistball action—and much of it right around the corner!

🇦🇹 Austria will once again become the center of international fistball with two top-tier events in Upper Austria:

• July 18–20: The U18 & U21 European Championships in Freistadt will feature the best junior national teams in Europe.
• July 24–27: The World Tour Finals in Vöcklabruck will bring together the world’s top club teams for one of the most prestigious tournaments of the year.

Our future President Gastão Englert will arrive in Germany next Saturday—on his birthday!—and I’ll be picking him up at Munich Airport. Together with SecGen Chris, we’ll head straight to Freistadt.

Before that, I’ll be attending the Opening Ceremony of the FISU World University Games in Duisburg, Germany.

Together we are FISTBALL!

Herzlich willkommen zur 4. und letzten Folge meiner Mini-Podcast-Serie
 „Challenge Accepted – Mein Staffel-Triathlon-Tagebuch zum Projekt Roth 2025“.
"Wenn es gut läuft, schaffen wir es vielleicht in zwölf Stunden" habe ich in Podcast Folge 2 gesagt – und es lief gut. 

Ein großartiger Tag mit riesiger Unterstützung von Familie und Freunden – vielen Dank!

Die Fahrt auf den berühmten Solarer Berg ist selbst für einen Amateur-Staffelradfahrer einfach spektakulär.

Es gibt nichts Schöneres, als gemeinsam mit Michael und Tina ins Ziel zu kommen. 

Herzlich willkommen zu Folge 3 meiner vierteiligen Mini-Podcast-Serie „Challenge Accepted“.
Ich freue mich sehr heute als Spezial Guest ein Top-Athletin auf der Triathlon Mitteldistanz begrüßen zu dürfen, die überaus sympathische Daniela / Dani Kleiser.

Herzlich Willkommen zu Folge 2 meiner Mini-Podcast-Serie
„Challenge Accepted – Mein Staffel-Triathlon-Tagebuch zum Projekt Roth 2025“.
Schön, dass ihr wieder dabei seid – und danke für all euer Feedback zur ersten Folge „Wie alles begann“!

Heute dreht sich alles um eine Frage, die mich – und vielleicht auch einige von euch – beschäftigt:
Kann man es in 12 Wochen zur Challenge Roth schaffen – und dabei gesund bleiben?

Vom Zuschauer zum Starter – Mein Weg zum Challenge Roth 2025

Roth. Wenn ich an diesen Ort denke, dann kommen viele Erinnerungen hoch. 1996 war ich live dabei, als Lothar Leder als erster Mensch unter acht Stunden die Triathlon-Langdistanz in Roth meisterte. Damals stand ich als junger Zuschauer im Zielbereich – fasziniert, beeindruckt, voller Ehrfurcht. Und immer hatte ich mir vorgenommen: Irgendwann möchte ich selbst einmal hier stehen – als Teilnehmer, nicht nur als Zuschauer.

Das Update der Woche.