The 4th Mexican National Championship of FXC for Clubs and the 1st Mexican National Championship for State Representatives ended in Veracruz (Mexico) leaving us with pleasant surprises and important confirmations.
They were two days of high intensity and sporting tension. The ten best FXC teams from the states of Chiapas, Michoacan, Queretaro and Veracruz have given life to a competition of the highest level, full of twists, epic matches, played to the last point and with once again heart-pounding endings.
On a general level, the most important confirmations have been noting the impressive growth in the level of play, now more rapid and explosive with greater and constant changes of direction and the fact that the two genders continue to have the same performance level. A result that confirms the uniqueness of FXC, which remains the only inclusive team sport in the world to guarantee 100% gender equality on the court.
Despite the pandemic, most of the teams managed to continue training, adopting the COVID safety measures and protocols set up by the International Federation of FXC in March 2020. The results were seen immediately.
The championship for "clubs" opened with the matches of Group A where the Chiapas Sharks won against the Queretaro Panthers with a decisive 52 to 35. A heated match, but where the Chiapas team, consecrated as vice-champions last May, confirmed their form and their ambitions for victory.
The second match of Group A saw Jonny Arregui’s Krakens of Veracruz defeating Coach Felix Reyes Posadas’s new team, the Heroicos of Michoacan 30 to 26. The latter group is made of young, inexperienced, but fast and explosive athletes with an enormous potential.
In Group B, the first anticipated match between the Lions of Queretaro, the reigning champions, and the Captains of Boca del Rio (vice-champions in 2019), was short-lived. In fact, the Veracruzan team, already affected by injuries, flu and COVID, was disqualified for lack of game requirements (having at least 3 members of the opposite sex always on the court) after one of their female players, Clio Zamudio, had to withdraw after receiving a hit in the ribs. Unfortunately, the Captains only had 8 players with only 3 women and Clio’s exit unfortunately led to their disqualification as per FXC Official Rules.
In the second match of group B, the Titans of Queretaro easily got rid of the Chiapas Jaguars, - a young team in their first experience at a National competition – with a final score of 46 to 19.
After the confirmation of performance of the Sharks and Lions, everyone’s eyes focused on the Captains of Orizaba, Jaime Gotoo’s second team in the championship, and already winner of one National Championship in 2019. We could not really see the Captains in action in the short-lived match against the Lions, could the athletes from Orizaba be considered actual contenders? Jaime Gotoo is also Technical Director of the Mexican National Team and Director of the Development of the FXC Athletic Programs at an international level, so the expectations were high and they did not disappoint. The players of Orizaba gave life to a real 'show' with a super fast game, great communication and an avalanche of points that overwhelmed the young Lynxes of Queretaro.
After only 20 minutes of play, FXC - Fireball Extreme Challenge™️ saw a new record of 50 points scored in a single Ball possession by a team where men and women moved practically in unison with perfect coordination. After the humiliating 244-17 score imposed on the Lynxes of Queretaro, it was clear to everyone that the Captains of Orizaba did not come just to “participate”.
The quarter-finals saw hard-fought matches but left us with no surprises. The Sharks prevailed on the Krakens 49 to 31. While in the second quarter final, all ‘branded’ Queretaro, the Lions defeated the Titans 56 to 52.
In the two semifinals the air got heated fast. The matches were heart-pounding, characterized by very tight marking, complex strategy and a few too many fouls. In the upper part of the bracket the Sharks defeated the Panthers by only 3 points (27 - 24), while in the second semifinal the Lions of Queretaro were defeated 65 to 62 by the Captains of Orizaba who brought Veracruz back to a national final after 18 months of absence.
The Sharks vs Captains de Orizaba final was one of the best FXC - Fireball Extreme Challenge™️ matches ever played at club level. A very clean game (only 4 involuntary fouls totaled by the two teams), highly strategic, with ball possession rounds with many passes and multiple Switches (ball possession reversals) on both sides. Per the best FXC tradition, the game ended with a difference of only 1 point. It is the second time that, at the club level, the Sharks lose a final by only one point, but their silver tastes like gold especially when we consider that this team is only 9 months old and that FXC was introduced in Chiapas just recently in February of 2021!
In this case, however, the Chiapas team did not have to wait six months to take away the satisfaction of arriving on the top step of the podium. In the National Championship for State Representatives, Chiapas won gold by defeating Michoacan and Veracruz, the latter (once again) by just 3 points.
FXC athletes will now be able to enjoy the holiday season and meet again in April for a National FXC Beach Championship.
****
FXC - Fireball Extreme Challenge™ is the only mandatory coed team sport where men and women perform at the same level. It's the only discipline that guarantees 100% of gender equality on the court.
Spreading fast in different countries, its 5 key rules are:
1 PASS = 1 POINT
THE BALL MUST BE PASSED EVERY 2 SECONDS
YOU MUST ALWAYS BE MOVING ON THE COURT! WALKING OR RESTING ARE FORBIDDEN
3 MEMBERS OF THE OTHER GENDER MUST ALWAYS BE ON THE COURT AT ALL TIME
FXC IS A NON VIOLENT SPORT. BODY CONTACT CAN ONLY BE INVOLUNTARY AND OCCUR AS A CONSEQUENCE OF A MISTAKE
The full 2016-2022 FXC Rule Book can be found here.