Takafumi Kido (JPN/Yokohama OSC) claimed back to back events to take the FISTF May Satellite.

The event was held in Minami-Ashigara City, Kanagawa Prefecture, and featured only the Open category.

In the semifinals, Kido narrowly defeated Belgian player Stéphane Lambert (BEL/Yokoahma OSC) in a close 2–1 match. In the other semifinal, Taichi Kato (JPN/Yokohama OSC) faced off against Kenzo Koi (JPN/Yokohama OSC). The first half remained scoreless, but once Taichi struck on a counterattack, the momentum shifted dramatically. He went on to claim a convincing 3–0 victory.

The final between Takafumi and Taichi delivered plenty of drama. Takafumi took an early lead with two goals in the first half, but Taichi showed great determination, clawing back with two goals of his own in the second half to level the match. With no winner emerging in extra time, the match went to a shootout. There, Takafumi held his nerve and secured a 2–0 victory in the shootout.

With this win, Takafumi claimed back-to-back tournament titles, following his triumph last month.

Ryosuke Omichi (JPN/Tokyo Sparkling Shooters) emerged victorious in the Plate Tournament, marking a triumphant debut appearance. With this impressive performance, Ryosuke is expected to make it past the group stage in the next competition.

Minami-Ashigara City is located in the western part of Kanagawa Prefecture, not far from some of Japan’s most popular tourist destinations, such as Hakone and Odawara.

Until now, the most active clubs in Kanagawa have been based in Yokohama and Yamato, but there are talks of establishing a new club in the upcoming season.

We look forward to seeing the growth and spread of the exciting sport of table football in this area.

Report by JTFA Hideaki Wada 

The Major of Italy – #Macron Cup 2025 ended in #Bologna, with emotions, twists and lots of participants –  a total of 218.

Here are the winners of this extraordinary edition:

 Open Category: Bessim Golger (BEL/Bormla SC)

 Team:  Napoli Fighters (ITA)

 Veteran Category:  Charles Aquilina (MLT/Bormla SC)

 Women Category:  Elodie Bertholet (BEL/Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer)

 Under16 Category: Robert Farrugia Randon (MLT/H’Attard SC)

 Under12 Category: Nicola Carnino (ITA/Bulldogs Vicenza)
A big thank you to all the athletes, the organizers and the spectators on social media (over 177K during the two days) who made this event truly special .
Additionally, a huge thanks to the organising team for keeping to the schedule for such an event. The Major ended on Saturday at 7:30 PM and Sunday at 6:30 PM, with 12 sessions each day!
The event celebrated “three birthdays”.
– 30 Years of uninterrupted Tournament
– 40 years of the Presidency of the club by Riccardo Marinucci
– 50 Years of the club’s Existence

(Thanks to Daniele Caroleo for the graphics of the winners)

Spain’s Carlos Flores delivered a stunning performance to take home the title at the first-ever FISTF Major hosted in Spain, capping off a weekend of high-level table football that firmly placed the Balearic event on the international map.

Flores (F.Lli Bari Reggio Emilia) was imperious from the group stages through to the final, where he defeated Italy’s Leonardo Giudice (Subbuteo Club Labronico) with a dominant 6–3 display. It marked a statement win in a new chapter for the island, which stepped up from Grand Prix to Major status in 2025.

After a fiercely contested group phase, the tournament moved into the barrage round, a do-or-die stage that gave players one last chance to reach the main draw. Ricardo José (POR/      FTC Issy-les-Moulineaux) advanced past Hervé Rakowski (FRA/Guebwiller Alsace Subbuteo Club) with a solid 3–1 performance, while Lucas Pere (BEL/Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer) stunned Christophe Monteiro (FRA/FTC Issy-les-Moulineaux) 4–1. In a tighter contest, Miguel Ángel López (ESP/Mallorca Águilas FM) edged out Francisco Cayuela (ESP/CAP Ciudad de Murcia FM) 2–1, showing nerves of steel to secure his spot. Antonio Fernández (BEL/Tiburones FM)  also progressed after a dramatic 4–3 sudden-death win against Belgium’s Noah Janssens (ST Stembert).

The Round of 32 and Round of 16 saw many close-fought encounters, with top-ranked players comfortably advanced. Flores continued his winning streak with Giudice emerging as a key challenger.

In the Quarterfinals, the intensity increased as the best in the field clashed.

The Semifinals offered the clearest insight into the elite calibre of the event. Flores dispatched Malta’s Samuel Bartolo (Valletta SC) 1–0 in a tense and defensive match. On the other side of the draw, Giudice stunned world No. 2 Bessim Golger (BEL/Bormla SC) with a commanding 4–1 win — the biggest upset of the knockout phase.

In the final, the experience and consistency of Carlos Flores ultimately proved too strong. With clinical shooting and flawless possession control, Flores defeated Giudice 6–3, capping off a remarkable campaign and reaffirming his place at the top of the global table football hierarchy. Giudice, however, exits with his reputation enhanced, having shown that the gap to the summit is narrowing.

In the Veterans category, John Field (GIB/Tiburones FM) beat Juan Carlos Granados (ESP/CAP Ciudad de Murcia FM)  3-0. Jason Pisani (MLT/Bormla SC)  and Gerardo Patruno (ITA/Bologna Tigers Subbuteo) were the semifinalists.

Charlotte Bouchez (BEL/SC Lion’s Eugies) took the women’s event beating Elodie Bertholet (BEL/Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer) 2-0, with Katharina Waldorf-Busch (AUT/Bormla SC) and Mélina Scheen (BEL/ST Stembert) the losing semifinalists.

The Under 20 category, Isaac Alfaro (ESP/Tiburones FM) beat Ruben Benita (ESP/AFT Turia 1981) 3-1, with Alex Iliev (ESP/AFT Turia 1981) and Cristian Atunez (ESP/Tiburones FM) the losing semifinalists.

Martí Rosa (ESP/AS Iluro FT) took the U16 event, beating Ruby Matthews (ENG/Avenir Subbuteo Hennuyer) 5-3 in an enthralling final. Erick Moreira (ESP/Moralzarzal SCAD)  and Manuel Baena (ESP/AC Los Remedios FM) were the losing semifinalists.

Julià Rosa (ESP/AS Iluro FT) took the U12 title, beating Antonio Antúnez (ESP/AC Los Remedios FM), with Alvaro Castellano Rodríguez (ESP/          AC Los Remedios FM) and Rafael García Corredera (ESP/AC Los Remedios FM) the losing semifinalists.

In the team event, the Maltese clubs faced off in the final:

Wolverhampton TFC won the Plate event.

Benji Batten (AUS/Melbourne TFC) claimed the 2025 Louis Micaleff Memorial Open in Sydney.
A FISTF Satellite, the event featured 18 players, including Batten and Beth Eveleigh (AUS/Northern Phoenix) from Melbourne and Nick Brill (AUS/Tumbleweeds) from Canberra.
It was also staged using the Swiss format, which guaranteed every player 5 matches.
Most agreed that while it was satisfying to play that many games, it was a tough day’s play.
Additionally, the Australian association nominated that the event would test run the proposed new Rule 1.1 regarding flicking.
Round one had no real surprises, with maybe the only one being Franck Cozzarin (AUS/Tumbleweeds) pipping his clubmate Adrian Elmer 2-0.
The biggest surprise came in round 2 when Franck beat Eliot Kennedy (AUS/Northern Falcons) 2-0, while Batten outlasted Brill 3-2 in a drama filled match.

In round 3, Kennedy bounced back to beat Steve Dettre (AUS/Northern Falcons) 2-0, while Batten began his move on the title with a 3-2 win against Cozzarin.
Kennedy’s title aspirations disappeared with a 1-0 loss to Elmer, while Adrian Grunbach’s (AUS/Northern Falcons) 0-0 draw with Batten threw the title chase open, and Cozzarin’s cause was hampered by a similar 0-0 result against Brill.

Into the last round, Grunbach faced Tim Phokos — either of whom would win the tournament if they won and Batten and Elmer drew. The winner of Batten and Elmer was guaranteed the tournament win if it wasn’t a draw.
Phokos (AUS/Tumbleweeds) was the only U20 player in the event and had quietly worked his way into title contention with some solid results: 2-0 win against ‘Little Steve’ Diasinos (AUS/Tumbleweeds), a 1-1 with Jonty Brener (AUS/Northern Falcons) and then a 2-0 win against Eveleigh. A hiccup 1-1 with Ray Micaleff proved to be costly.

In the end, Batten took a comfortable 4-0 win to claim top spot, while Grunbach was held 0-0 by Phokos to come second, with Elmer ahead of Kennedy despite Kennedy’s barnstorming 5-0 win against Brill.
Notably during the day, players made valiant attempts to conform to the new FISTF flicking rule, with the number of “air flicks” and “pull flicks” significantly reduced, and even in some cases players ‘self regulating’ and admitting to foul defensive flicks.
A huge word of thanks to Ray Micaleff for hosting the event at his magnificent gym at Bella Vista, and to he and his brother Vince for allowing the event to be dedicated to their late father, Louis.

Takafumi Kido (JPN/Yokohama OSC) claimed the Spring Tournament title in Tokyo, a FISTF Satellite event,

Staged in Hachioji City, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan, the Open category featured 22 players.

In the semifinals, Kido beat Andrew Martini (JPN/Tokyo Sunzeol TFC) 2-2, winning the shootout 2-1. Kenzo Koi (JPN/Yokohama OSC) defeated Suguru Fujino (JPN/Tokyo Sunzeol TFC) 2-0 in the other semifinal.

In the final, Kido claimed first place with a 2-0 win over Koi.

The Plate tournament winner was Kentaro Tsuboi (JPN/Tokyo Sparking Shooters). He is a professional soccer coach.

Hachioji City is located on the western side of Tokyo.

A workshop session was held in the venue, too.
Among the participants were families with young girls in elementary school, adding a warm and inclusive atmosphere to the event. The tournament appears to have played a meaningful role in promoting the spread of table football in the western Tokyo area.

Report by Hideaki Wada

The FISTF Board of Directors has decided that to fulfill the requirement of the Statutes, we are moving to fill the two remaining vacant roles on the Board
Towards that end, we have decided to formally co-opt Andrew Fitzpatrick (IRL0011) onto the FISTF Board as the new Director of Inclusivity and Participation (formerly the “Special Sports Director” position).
The FISTF Board in 2014 first created the position, co-opting Massimo Bolognino.
After he left in 2016 the position was formalised into the Statutes, but has been vacant ever since.
After some recent discussions with a number of players, including Andy, Massimo, Jonathan D Smith (USA), it was decided to fill the position.
Andy seemed the ideal candidate. His impressive CV reads:
Dedicated professional with over 15 years of leadership experience in psychotherapy, disability advocacy, and inclusive sports development. Expertise in fostering accessibility in mental health and sports environments, developing community programs, and collaborating with government agencies, healthcare providers, and sports organizations. A passionate advocate for inclusivity, with hands-on experience promoting sports participation for individuals with disabilities. Adept at policy development, team leadership, and strategic program implementation to create equal opportunities for all.

We welcome Andy onto the Board.
He issued the following statement:
I’m truly honoured to accept the invitation to become a co-opted member of the FISTF Board.
Table football has been a lifelong passion of mine—not just as a game, but as a platform for connection, inclusion, and joy. I’m ready to bring that passion to the boardroom and help push our sport forward into a more inclusive future.
My mission is to make sports table football more accessible to everyone. That begins with a fresh lens on how we use language in our official communications, ensuring every player sees themselves reflected and respected. I’d also like to lead research into adaptive rule sets and
accessible formats that make it easier for people of all abilities and backgrounds to engage — while still preserving the high-performance side of our sport.
As part of this, I plan to actively connect with players who have participated in table football while navigating a range of physical and intellectual challenges. Their lived experience is essential in shaping authentic, practical, and meaningful change. Inclusion isn’t just policy—it’s
listening, understanding, and co-creating a better sporting environment together.
Subbuteo, as Peter Adolph envisioned it, wasn’t just a game—it was a hobby built for everyone. That spirit still matters. In Ireland, we have community hubs like Men’s Sheds, where older men gather to connect, create, and unwind. I see enormous potential in bringing table football into
these spaces, as well as into retirement villages—offering social connection, tactile fun, and a sense of purpose.
And for the next generation? Let’s create inter-school competitions. Table football is affordable, strategic, and thrilling—everything a school sport should be. If we build structures now, we’ll have a thriving youth pipeline tomorrow.
As part of this new role, I propose we update the title to Director of Inclusivity and Participation. It better reflects the role’s scope and the direction I hope to lead: fostering
belonging, broadening participation, and building a sport that leaves no one on the sidelines.

Looking forward to collaborating with the Board on this exciting journey.
Andy

The Board has agreed to update the title of the position formerly known as “Special Sports Director” to “Director of Inclusivity and Participation”. This will be reflected in changes to the FISTF Statutes and Official Handbook.

FISTF