FISTF has a new board member, with the nomination of Adrian Connolly onto the board as the representative of the Asian Confederation (CASTFA).
Adrian replaces our dear friend Tan Kok Wee of Singapore, who has been a board member since December 2017. Kok Wee was always a source of considered observations, and put forward strong views on a number of topics, both in defence of the Asian region and sports table football globally. We thank him for his work over the years.

Kok Wee playing Rob Green at the Asian Cup in Tokyo, with Cedric Garnier as ref.

Adrian joins the board courtesy of the FISTF Statutes which relate to the Confederation representatives:
12.4 … Confederation Vice-Presidents, which may be added to the Board of Directors automatically, following their Confederation nominations. This can be done by vote system or rotation system.
CASTFA currently rotates the chairmanship among the three main nations of Singapore, Japan and Australia. The CASTFA Board rotated to Adrian for the next four years.

We asked Adrian for some background on his involvement in the sport.

“I started playing Table Football in the early 1980s when I received a Subbuteo Club Edition for Christmas as a child. I instantly loved the game. Being isolated in Tasmania from others playing the game beyond those in my immediate family, I discovered more about the national scene and the international competitive sport through correspondence with Australian Table Football legend Gary Hosie and current FISTF President Steve Dettre when I was sourcing more Subbuteo sets to feed my obsession.
“My interest went to another level after seeing footage of Willy Hoffman vs Gary Hosie during the World Champion’s tour of Australia in 1988.
“In the early 90s I stopped playing the game when I commenced studies at University.

Adrian at the Asian Cup in Melbourne

“I re-embraced Table Football in 2015, largely thanks to social media helping to establish links to other players in Melbourne where I now live. I was amazed by the difference in the modern playing figures. Whilst I understand the nostalgia many have for the old figures, I enjoy playing the modern game. I’ve made many more friends who share a love for Table Football.
“I feel that it is that sense of community and friendship which ultimately draws people into the sport in either a social or competitive capacity.
“Competing in and helping to organise the 2018 Asian Cup of Table Football in Melbourne remains a highlight of my time in Table Football. I’ve also been fortunate enough to have played across Australia, New Zealand and even in Belgium at the club rooms of WASPA organiser Vincent Coppenolle’s club.
“It’s always great to meet new people who share a love for this great game of ours, to have some fun, and to learn from competing against them…. after all they do say you learn more from losing than winning!
“One day I’d love to get to see first hand a FISTF World Cup and some of the large events in Europe.

A photo paints a thousand words!

“We strive to replicate the same scale and quality of these events in Asia.
“Through my role as the President of the Australian Table Football Association (ATFA) and now as a FISTF Vice President representing the Confederation of Asian Sports Table Football Associations (CASTFA) I will always do what I see as in the best interests of the sport and the players within it.”
FISTF

The FISTF Board of Directors is excited to announce the creation of a new Equipment Committee, which will examine all aspects of equipment approved for use in FISTF competitions.
The committee will comprise:
Chair:
Mike Sgro (FISTF – CAN)

Members:
Steve Bennett (SCO)
Roman Bernhardsgrütter (SUI)
Alan Lee (ENG)
Cesare Santanicchia (ITA)
Josef Camilleri (MLT)

Ex-officio Member:
FISTF President Steve Dettre (AUS)

The scope of works of the committee will be:
> Re-examine the existing definitions of equipment to ensure clarity of terms and descriptions across all aspects of equipment (figures, bases, goals, pitches, goalkeepers, balls).

> Provide a means for all Tournament Organisers, MNAs and players to access relevant information about approved equipment, whether through a section of the FISTF website, or a regular newsletter etc.

> Work with equipment manufacturers to provide a proper means of identifying which of their products are approved for use in FISTF tournaments.

The Committee will rework the existing documentation as the basis for their work.
A preliminary report is expected by the end of June, with a final report by September 1.

For the time being, we are asking all producers of table football equipment to refrain from making claims about approval (or ‘homologation’ in previous terminology), until the committee completes its work.

FISTF Board

Takafumi Kido (Sakuragicho TFC) claimed the recent Tokyo Satellite with a 3-1 win over Daigo Mori (OS Academy 1947).

Because of COVID restrictions, only 12 players participated, but Japan is doing what they can to keep FISTF events alive.

Semi finalists

Our friend and producer of Tchaaa4 products, Daniel Scheen of Belgium, was recently invited by Belgian national TV to help produce some short video clips to promote the forthcoming UEFA European football Championships.
“Each clip is only three seconds, and they will be on TV between advertisements, or just before the news or weather forecasts,” Daniel said.
“All members of the Belgian ‘Red Devils’ national team were there, and had to flick.
“I was there to show them how to flick or to replace their hands in the clips.”

Daniel said all the players took part, and it was an amazing day, being able to meet the squad.
“For Eden Hazard, I had to shoot, and he had to stop it with the goalkeeper. It was quite hard because I had to make it so that the shot would reach the goal, but not score, so he could save!”
The videos will be launched soon on TV, before and during Euros.

Unfortunaly, due the COVID rules, Daniel was not allowed to do selfies with the players!
Of course, we asked Daniel what the players were like, playing table football.
“Not great!” he said.
“They have their talent in their feet, not their fingers!”

The producers asked that no images be published yet of the players “in action”, but as soon as they go public, we’ll showcase them.
In the meantime, we’ve included a few pictures Daniel was allowed to show.

The pandemic has decimated competitive play for our sport, but things are continuing in small pockets around the world.
Three official FISTF training centres have been approved in Italy — SS Lazio, Black Rose Roma and the amazing Subbuteoland — and one in Malta (Ħ’Attard Subbuteo Club), but they are not alone.
Our friends in Singapore have created the Imagio Sports Table Football Academy, located in Viva Vista, a small shopping mall in the southwest of Singapore.
The two main principals are two local Singapore players, Michael Choong and Nic Tan.

Nic and Michael, principals of the Imagio Academy. They have produced training videos

“Our main aim is to grow a community of active sports table football players who come and play regularly, and who enjoy themselves playing the game and improve over time,” said Nic.
“When that happens, we believe that there will be natural progression in other areas like participation in competitive play like FISTF tournaments.”
He said they treat the academy as a commercial venture as well.
“We have been fortunate to get the place at a good rental rate, but we do believe that financials can play a part in motivating the correct behaviour e.g. by incentivising regular play through membership. It also acts as an incentive for the principals to find ways to be creative in attracting people and not just to treat the place as a play venue which is always the temptation,” he said.
Michael said the mall is not a popular one as it is meant largely to serve the residents who live in the condominium above the mall.
“So we cannot rely on walk-ins for business. For now, we’re relying on more online promotion and smart partnerships. For example, we were invited to participate in a vintage fair organised by Journey East, a local furniture store recently. The table we brought provided a unique and nostalgic feel to the fair for our partners, and we used the opportunity to find new players and sell equipment.”
He said the academy is not too far from one of Singapore’s local universities, which is a possible future target.

“Given the COVID situation, and where travel-loving Singaporeans are unable to go overseas, more and more people are looking for unique activities to do for themselves and their family (especially children), so we’re going to look for ways to tap on that,” Michael said.
“Naturally, just like many clubs around the world, we are open to anyone: males, females, young, old, parents and children, friends.”
Nic and Michael confirmed that this was a “private venture”.
“We do not have any affiliation or support from the national association, the Table Football Association of Singapore (“TFAS”), or any of the local clubs. That said, given the small community here in Singapore, naturally, we do have positive interactions with them,” Nic said.
“For example, people who approach the Association to buy equipment get referred to us sometimes as we do sell equipment. Similarly, if participants at our Academy are interested in competitive play, we do tell them about our national competitions (i.e. FISTF tournaments) organised by TFAS.”
Michael also supplies equipment to the Academy, both beginner sets as well as advanced equipment through his role as a distributor for Astrobase products.
“We do just about everything, finding and meeting new players, conducting lessons, maintaining our Facebook and Instagram pages. Competitively, we both play for the Subbuteo Club Dragons Hong Kong with our friends, the Carabillos, who are based in Hong Kong,” said Nic.

Nic (second from right) a member of the victorious Singapore national team at the 2019 Asian Cup

You can find the Academy on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Imagio.Sports.Table.Football.Academy
On Instagram at: Imagio.STF.Academy

Imagio Academy Singapore

As a result of the postponement of all sports competition in Malta by government and health authorities due to COVID-19, the FISTF Satellite in Bormla was cancelled this weekend.
We thank our friends at Bormla Subbuteo Club and their Secretary Josef Camilleri for their efforts.