Change at the top of the International Fistball Association (IFA): Gastão Englert from Brazil will take over the role as the new President of the Fistball World Federation in the course of 2025. This was decided by the IFA Board of Directors at its most recent meeting. Englert will take over from current President Jörn Verleger, who announced at the meeting that he would be stepping down at the end of August. Until he takes office as President, the 59-year-old will act as the new Vice President. Roger Willen was also appointed as the new Vice President at the meeting.

The International Fistball Association is set for changes this summer. Jörn Verleger announced his departure as IFA President on August 30, 2025 after the World Games in Chengdu (China) during the Board of Directors meeting on February 8. At this meeting, the Board of Directors agreed on how to proceed in the coming months – and set the course for the future. The Board of Directors appointed Gastão Englert (Brazil), Chairman of the Sports Commission, and Roger Willen (Switzerland), previously a member of the Board of Directors, as new Vice Presidents. Together with Giana Hexsel (Brazil), who was elected at the 2023 Congress in Mannheim (Germany), there are now three IFA Vice Presidents.

With his appointment on Saturday, Gastão Englert will act as First Vice President to President Jörn Verleger with immediate effect. This also makes him the designated IFA President from the end of August and the first Brazilian President in the history of the International Fistball Association. His role as Chairman of the Sports Commission will remain unaffected by his appointment as Vice President, as will Roger Willen’s role as IFA Development Director.

“For 10 years at the helm of the IFA, I have been able to play a key role in shaping the fortunes of the association and look back on many outstanding developments and events during this time. The World Games 2025 in Chengdu in mid-August are an ideal time to hand over the reins of the association after this labor-intensive period. I would like to thank all my colleagues who have supported me in my efforts to raise the profile and popularity of fistball and will remain involved in the topics of sustainability, para-fistball and anti-doping and as chairman of a fistball support association for the sport and the IFA Board of Directors beyond August,” said Jörn Verleger.

Jörn Verleger – Farewell as IFA President

Jörn Verleger has been President of the International Fistball Association (IFA) since August 2019 and is the first German to hold this position. Previously, he was Secretary General of the IFA from 2015 to 2019 and headed the Future Development Working Group. From April 2022 to the end of 2023, he was also President of the German Fistball League (DFBL) and Chairman of the Board of Faustball Deutschland. Due to a change of statues in 2023 with a maximum term of eight years being adopted, Verleger had to step down in 2027 anyway.

Verleger is committed to international networking and recognition of the sport. He played a key role in organizing major events, including the IFA 2018 Women’s World Championship in Linz and the IFA 2023 Men’s World Championship in Mannheim, where finals were held in an indoor arena on natural grass for the first time.

The topics of fistball’s global presence, sustainability in sport and the fight against doping are close to his heart. Through his networking in the national and international sports world and his involvement in social media, Jörn Verleger contributes to the awareness and popularity of fistball.

Gastão Englert – Full-blooded fistball enthusiast as designated IFA President

Brazilian Gastão Englert has gotten to know the sport of fistball from many different angles – first as a player, then as a coach, referee and official on various committees. His passion for fistball began in 1982, when he finally decided to play fistball after a successful time as a volleyball player. As a long-time player and coach at SOGIPA, he managed all of the club’s youth teams and later coached the main team for eleven years. In 1999, he began his impressive career as head coach of the Brazilian men’s national team.

He led the men’s national team to two world championship titles and a World Games victory. He also won a world championship with the women’s national team. His club teams won numerous titles, including seven World Cup victories. He is the only coach in the history of fistball to win major titles in all categories for men and women: World Championships, World Games and World Cups.

In addition to his sporting career, Englert studied sports science at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and specialized at the German Sport University Cologne. For over 20 years, he managed a non-profit tennis foundation that shaped the lives of over 2,000 children and young people.

His international importance for the sport of fistball is reflected in numerous leadership roles within the International Fistball Association (IFA). As Chairman of the Sports Commission, Director of Olympic Education and Head of the International Referees Commission, he drives the worldwide development of the sport. He is also President of the Pan American Fistball Association (PAFA) and is actively involved in Olympic education committees. Gastão Englert was honored with the “Pierre de Coubertin 150th Anniversary Medal” for his achievements.

Roger Willen – Swiss fistball enthusiast becomes new Vice President

Roger Willen has been playing fistball since 1978 at TSV Jona, one of the major Swiss clubs and organizer of the Raiffeisen Obersee-Masters, one of the IFA World Tour Major tournaments.

From 2001 to 2023, he was a board member of the “Club Freunde der Faustball-Nationalmannschaften CFFN”, the most important patrons’ association of all Swiss national fistball teams, where he was responsible for marketing and membership recruitment.

Willen joined the IFA Board of Directors in 2015 and was responsible for the IFA’s first professional website. At the end of 2018, he took over the Development Program from Alwin Oberkersch and has since been able to support the founding of various new national associations. He was also the “midwife” of the Asia Fistball Association, the Asian continental association based in Hong Kong.

The Swiss sees his role as Development Director as supporting individuals and organizations in establishing new association structures and game operations in countries and regions around the world, as well as supporting existing organizations in their further development

Roger Willen worked as a sales and marketing manager in the IT industry until his retirement last summer. He has a degree in business administration and studied at INSEAD in Paris. He is still co-owner of a Swiss IT company and a board member of a non-profit organization that supports IT projects based on open source software and open data worldwide.