The 2006 Inline Hockey season gets ‘back to business’ next weekend when an expected 29 teams line up for the Swakopmund SPAR Business League Tournament at the SFC grounds in Swakopmund.

Well known as an exciting curtain raiser for the nationwide NIIHA League, the tournament runs from 10th to 12th March. This is your chance to check out this year’s inline talent when 58 games in seven age divisions are played back to back, from early morning to late at night.

The fund-raising event, which runs from Friday afternoon to Sunday lunchtime, brings together teams sponsored by businesses in Swakopmund, Windhoek and Otjiwarongo. They play under their sponsors’ banners, but team names are meant to raise a smile: under fun banners like "Stoflappe", Pink Pan-thers", "Maersk Maniacs", "Cobras", "Aviators"and "Vipers".

Staunch supporters of the tournament for years are back again with powerful line-ups: "Supertrade", "Wine Cel-lars", "Güther’s Maintenance", "Hill’s Pet Nutrition", "Team Jeep", "Alternative Space", "Right Shop-pers", "Transworld Cargo", "Desert Explorers" and "Swakopmund Brau-haus" are just some of the teams in contention. Newcomers to the compe-tition – such as CTM, ATC-Namibia and Hotel Eberwein – will also be joining the fray.

There should be riveting action in the Men’s Open division where six teams will battle it out. Most of these players belong to the Namibian National squad, which has qualified for the 2006 World Inline Hockey Championships in Budapest in July. All are in top form, high spirits and ready to show what they are made of.

A series of six ‘finals’ to sort out the honours in each age division are scheduled for Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, spectators can cool off at the bar in the tournament tent, which will be open for drinks and refreshments throughout the weekend.

The Coastal Pirates hosts the Swakop-mund SPAR Business League as a fun-oriented version of NIIHA’s national league which starts in earnest at the beginning of April. The first in a series of five tournaments will take place from 7 - 9 April at the ‘Badgers rink’ on the Windhoek Showgrounds.