EFA
International Report 2008-2009
France
Regular visits to Nigel Cox’s courts in Provence have continued to take place this season, with more already being planned for next year. If the idea of Fives in the sunshine of the South of France, including the world’s only back to front court, appeals to you, Nigel would be delighted to hear from you!India
As reported in the January newsletter, EFA member Peter Knowles paid a visit to St.Paul’s School, Darjeeling to find refurbished courts and a great deal of interest and enthusiasm for the sport. Fives court settings do not come much more spectacular!Irish Handball
This was an eventful year in Irish handball with almost 250 National competitions for adults and juveniles of both sexes. The large numbers of players are involved with four types of handball and many try their hand at more than one form.Softball. This is played in a 60x30ft court or alley as it’s called in Ireland (the Americans reckon it should be called an avenue!) Eoin Kennedy from Dublin won the Senior Title for the fourth year in a row – in 2005 he took the crown from Michael Walsh who had won out an incredible sixteen times.
Hardball. Also played in this large court with a handmade leather ball similar to that used in Fives and Basque Pelota. Few play this now and it survives due to the efforts of traditionalists loath to see it disappear entirely. Ireland and the Basques have devised a compromise game which I think would be suitable also for Fives players.
International Handball. Played in a four-wall court (five if you count the ceiling, off which the ball is also played) This code was developed in the US and adopted in Ireland only since the 1980s but Irish players much to the chagrin of the Americans swept the boards at recent US, Canadian and World Championships. This year our top player Paul Brady will be competing for his fifth US title in a row i.e. the Grand Slam (now where did I hear this term before!)
1-Wall. Our oldest yet newest form. This was once played in every village and town in Ireland against any available wall. A painting in Monaghan museum depicts a game in 1765 against the walls of Casleblaney. Modern rules for 1-
Wall were codified in the 1950s in New York where hundreds of courts were built in the parks and beaches of the city.
Brought back to Ireland in the 1990s it spread rapidly in Europe. A common denominator for the many different forms
of handball it provides a level playing field and International outlet for the different countries involved. In the World and European Tournaments the Americans still dominate but standards in the other countries are rising fast. At the Open
d’Italy held in November involving ten countries the Puerto Ricans and Basques took the runner up spots and to the
bemusements of the Irish (who invented the game) the Belgians and English Fives players pushed them hard for
fourth position. The Irish Nationals in June will be held in a new five court complex in Mayo and we will again welcome
a group of City Fives players – we appreciate very much their efforts in making the trip and hope their involvement will
continue and increase. The number of countries in which 1-Wall is played is now over 40 – not far to go to reach the
70 needed to apply for Olympic participation.
Tom O’Connor
Nigeria
There has been no recent contact with the Fives Association of Nigeria.Switzerland
Some 20 players competed in June in the annual tournament on the courts near Geneva, run by the old boys of Zuoz school in Switzerland.Two Old Citizens – Alex Kasterine and John Reynolds – were there representing the EFA. John Reynolds won the
tournament in partnership with Filippo Variola, thus joining an illustrious list of players, which includes Seb Cooley,
Grant Williams and Howard Wiseman, to have done so. Zuoz school itself sent a group of keen and skilful players
including a strong girls’ contingent. Fives at the school continues to flourish – see p.? for news of the first ever Swiss
winners at the National Schools’ Championships. Among others present at the event were Benny Oei, 85
this weekend. One-time sugar mogul Benny has been a friend of Fives for many decades. If anybody is visiting Geneva and fancies a game at the courts, at a City Green sport complex in a suburb called Veigy which is just over the French border, they could contact Filippo at Mobitex@borade.com.
John Reynolds
International Report 2008-2009
Created 10th December 2009 by Mike Fenn
efa@etonfives.co.uk