EFA
International Report 2003-2004
World Handball Championships 2003
Although Fives (or Handball) is a Global sport, it will of course never become international, because there are so many different versions of our sport. Each country has its own variety of court, equipment and rules – there would never be an international agreement on how to proceed with the sport of hitting a ball with your hand For the purposes of the Olympics or other major sporting events.The World Handball Championships came to Ireland last October. The Handball played in this event is the American/ Irish version which consists of a court just like a squash court, but 10 ft longer and higher, with a bouncy, hard rubber ball (same size as a Fives ball), which has to hit the front wall before the floor. The ceiling is a legitimate area of play – many shots are rebounded from this!! The spin and pace of this ball as is comes off the walls is very different to that of Fives. Some 1200 players entered from all over the world, and it was fantastic to see three English players take part. Hamish Buchanan and Matthew Wiseman competed in top singles events, and then paired up for the doubles. Hamish (Rugby Fives) and Matthew (Eton Fives) are both recent National Fives Champions – we could not have had better representation!! In the doubles, they had a good measure of success, but both completely lacked the relevant tools to score many points in the singles, despite rallying well. David Hebden took part in the Veterans singles event – himself a great player of Rugby Fives and past National Champion – we were again well represented. It is important that the Fives fraternity in England does keep some contact with the larger world of our sport – new opportunities do come along, and as we saw five years ago when a joint England Rugby & Eton Fives Youth team took part in an International event – we can not only do well, but raise the profile of our own Fives within the schools from which players are selected. It is important for the profile of the sport in England that Fives/Handball is played played elsewhere and that we are able to take part in some way.
Switzerland 2003-2004
Bob Felce ran the Fives at Zuoz for many years, and did an outstanding job at protecting it and indeed developing the sport, despite always being so busy with the Cricket at the Lyceum. Everyone interested in Fives, I know, would like to that Bob for his outstanding commitment to Fives at Zuoz – a game which those of us who have worked with him can clearly see that he clearly loves, and also plays well!! Many thanks Bob! With Bob moving on from the Lyceum, one of those dangerous transitional moments was with us. We have come out the other side unbelievably well!! REFCA have continued to supply the coaching in the Lyceum, as well as running numerous tours to Zuoz so as to provide opposition for the school, and also a great Fives Holiday for English Fives players. We now have a situation in which a key new appointment to the school as head of the main boarding house is Curt Schmitt – a really good Fives player from Cambridge University, and ex-Lyceum pupil. We also have had Seb Cooley (Old Olavian and Kinnaird Semi-Finalist) teaching Fives at the Lyceum who has now been appointed full-time onto the academic staff from next September, also with responsibility to coach and run the Fives. George Campbell (Lancing Old Boy) has continued as the English Games Master during the summer only, and is possibly going to stay at the Lyceum on a full-time contract. George is a superb Fives player, and has also been assisted by Douglas Foster these past two summers – another strong Lancing Old-boy Fives player – both he and George have worked in the past for REFCA.Fives could not be in better hands at the Lyceum!! It is a very popular sport in the school, and is still a major summer sport that everyone has to play during games lessons. There was recently a twenty pair match at the Lyceum between the school and the Old Boys!!
The roof that was built last year over the three main school courts has made an enormous difference. Now an all-weather activity for the first time, it is a safe bet that Fives will always happen in games lessons and for matches against visiting English schools.
Fives in Nigeria
Fives continues to flourish in Nigeria. A regular contact by e-mail is maintained with Nasiru ISA, Chairman of the Technical Committee of the Fives Federation of Nigeria, and direct contact has been made by Alhaji Ibrahim Sanusi with the Kano Fives Club with Jack Pearce acting as intermediary. Jack is a business colleague of Alhaji and cousin of Christopher Horne. Christopher once lived in Northern Nigeria and at that time played in their national championships, the Sarduana Challenge Cup. A list of previous winners of this cup has recently been received from Nasiru and added to the EFA website (.../tournaments/past.champions/sardauna.challenge.html).The EFA Board has sent an invitation to the Nigerian Fives Federation to play in this year's London Tournament to be held at Highgate over the weekend 21st/22nd November. Earlier attempts for the Nigerians to travel to the U.K. have been thwarted by difficulty in obtaining the visas. Having issued the invitation in early May we are hopeful that this time the former difficulties experienced in processing the necessary paperwork can be avoided.
H.M.E.W./M.R.F.
International Report 2003-2004 by Howard Wiseman and Mike Fenn
Created 17th December 2004
efa@etonfives.co.uk