Hugely Successful 2006 ITSF World Table Soccer Tour Culminates with World Championships Tournament in Italy - Collignon and Head Dominate in both Singles, Doubles

After three days of intense, emotional and extremely competitive match play, the International Table Soccer Federation's (ITSF) World Championships of Table Soccer came to a close on Sunday, November 5th, 2006. Held at the St. Vincent Palazzeto dello Sport in Valle d'Aoste, Italy, this tournament was the culmination of a five-continent, 35-tournament 2006 ITSF World Pro Tour, bringing together the very best table soccer (a.k.a. "foosball") players from all around the world.

Valle d'Aoste, Italy (PRWEB) November 19, 2006 -- After three days of intense, emotional and extremely competitive match play, the International Table Soccer Federation's (ITSF) World Championships of Table Soccer came to a close on Sunday, November 5th, 2006. Held at the St. Vincent Palazzeto dello Sport in Valle d'Aoste, Italy, this tournament was the culmination of a five-continent, 35-tournament 2006 ITSF World Pro Tour, bringing together the very best table soccer (a.k.a. "foosball") players from all around the world.

In a weekend full of twists and upsets, several of the world's top-ranked singles players and doubles teams fell to highly charged and aggressive challengers. Players from more than 30 countries, having qualified on the international tour or via national championships events in their home countries, competed in specially formatted singles and doubles events for both men and women. In a true test of all around foosball skills, competition took place on five different ITSF "Official" styles of foosball tables: Tornado Table Soccer™, Lehmacher's Tec Ball, Garlando, Bonzini™, and Italian favorite Roberto-Sport.

Among the surprising results was the early round defeat of ITSF's World #1-ranked Billy Pappas of the United States, and the defeat of ITSF's #1-ranked female, Samantha Di Paolo of Italy in both singles and doubles. Indeed, the match-ups between Di Paolo - the defending champion and ITSF tour leader for three years running - and Cindy Head of the United States were heavily anticipated to be among the weekend's best, and spectators were not disappointed. Facing off early during doubles qualification rounds, Head and partner Dawn Duquette defeated Di Paolo and partner Elena Causetti in a closely contested match (with the Italians further upset in the elimination rounds by the up and coming Hungarian team of Ivett Gyore and Petra Szendei). Meeting in the singles quarter finals, the two fiercely determined and vocal champions went all out, with Head overwhelming Di Paolo even on the Italian tables.

Ultimately, Head captured the overall World Champion title in singles, defeating French challenger Estelle Jacquot in the final (and achieving a "payback" victory after the U.S. National Team's quarter finals loss to France at last May's ITSF World Cup of Table Soccer). In doubles, Head and Duquette defeated the World Cup Champion team of Verena Rohrer and Melissa Mosser of Austria. Of exceptional note, Head - having dominated women's events in the USA for over 25 years - was making her very first appearance in international competition!

On the men's side, the U.S. Doubles Champions Dave Gummeson and Tracy McMillin were favored to win by many but were also upset early in the elimination rounds by Canada's Eric Dunn and Mario Ariganello, whose continued momentum carried them all the way to the finals against multi-time European champions Frederico Collignon and Ismael Saban of Belgium. In the end, however, the more experienced Belgian team took the honors. Similarly, with the USA's Billy Pappas out of the running, defending ITSF World Singles Champion Frederico Collignon held off an aggressive Jamal Allalou of Germany to take the overall World Singles title for the third year straight.

Sanctioned by the ITSF and hosted by the Italian Table Soccer Federation (Federazione Italiana de Calcio Balilla [FICB]) and its president, Massimo Ragona, sponsors of the event included the Casino de la Vallee and the Community of St. Vincent - "the Riviera of the Alps." Held concurrently with the FICB Italian Championships, sponsored by Fiat Automotive, news media presence for the combined tournament was extensive throughout the weekend with television, radio and newspaper coverage throughout Italy, Europe and even by the New York Times.

With tour events having been held in countries as diverse as Austria, Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Poland, South Africa, the UK, the United States and more, this year's was the largest worldwide "foosball" pro tour ever, with still more to come for 2007.

For additional details about the event and the sport of table soccer, please see www.table-soccer.org, or www.ustsf.org.

For more information, photos, or for an electronic version of this release, please contact:
Damien Sadrant or Christine Cabrera, ITSF, Tel: +33-240-20-52-38;
Larry Davis, Executive Director, USTSF, Tel: 1-563-580-9485;
Massimo Ragona, President, FICB, Tel: +39- 0125-58-465

27 rue Adolphe Moitie - 44000 Nantes, France
Tel: +33 2 40 47 90 84    Fax: +33 2 40 20 44 59
ITSF Website: www.table-soccer.org

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