Three days of fast, furious inline hockey held players, supporters and first-time spectators captive last weekend as the battle for this year’s national (NISA) league hit boiling point at the Amila Coastal Pirates 2004 tournament.

Four Namibian clubs from were joined by top teams from Cape Town, Gauteng and Botswana, for this prestige tournament hosted by the club which introduced inline hockey to Namibia nearly a decade ago.

The SFC grounds and hall were packed for three solid days as 70 games of inline hockey were played back-to-back from just after sunrise to mid-night, showcasing an often astounding level of skills, speed and carefully coached teamwork

After an official opening on Saturday night by Sports Commission representative Ben Naobeb, high expectations of the prime-time Men’s Open match between Namibia’s Coastal Pirates and The Hurricanes from Cape Town and Gauteng were not disappointed.

Pushing the home ground advantage, Coastal Pirates pulled off a memorable 4-3 win in an action packed, high energy game in front of a capacity crowd. With the score level at 3-3 in the final minutes of the match, 18-year Marco Debortoli cracked home an unassisted goal to bring the house down and settle the match for the Pirates.

The team went on to beat all five opponents in the Men’s Open division to take tournament gold for the Pirates, with Windhoek’s Cazadores finishing in second place. The South African visitors proved too strong for the Namibian Ladies’ teams, however. A five-strong Cape Town team showed that experience counts, with a powerful and economic show of concentration which secured first place.

The Masters’ Division also went to a visiting team when Maun’s "Mukwa Leafs" triumphed over the two Namibian contenders. The Cazadores from Windhoek took first place the 18 and Under division, while the 16 and Under division went to the Coastal Pirates, who did a tidy job of keeping allcomers at bay, including strong challenges from Otjiwarongo’s Scorpions and Cape Town’s Bull Dogs.

In the 14 and Under division, the Pirates maintained a year-long unbeaten record to hold off a fiercely determined effort from Franschoek’s Phoenix Bridge House, while the 12 and Under division was comfortably controlled by a strong and skilled team from Cazadores.

Some of the most rewarding and exciting games came in the 10 and Under division where five teams, including a gutsy young group from Botswana, shared equipment, goalies and friendship throughout the tournament. Gold went to the more experienced Coastal Pirates team, in a division which provided tournament debuts for players as young as six.

Awards for the Most Valuable Player went to: John James Tromp (Coastal Pirates) for 10&Under; Dominik Denker (Cazadores) for 12&Under; Andrew Watson (Franschoek Phoenix Bridge House) for 14&Under; James Holloway (Cape Town Bulldogs) for 16& Under; Lutz Federsen (Cazadores) 18&Under; Michael Lohmeier (Coastal Pirates) Men’s Open; Kathy Reeves (Cape Town Angels) Ladies; and Sandy Greer (Botwana’s Mukwa Leafs) Masters.