A madhouse with 4500 fans

Daughter of ORF sports reporter German champion

Fiona Felber (third from right) defended the German indoor field hockey championship title with Mannheim HC.(Bild: Deutsche Hockey Bundesliga/Max Hildebrandt)

Fiona Felber, daughter of ORF sports reporter Andreas Felber, captained Mannheim HC to another German indoor field hockey championship title. The subsequent celebration offered many delicacies. The next sporting highlight begins on Monday with the first match at the World Indoor Championships in Porec. Austria's women will compete as the reigning runners-up in the world championship.

In the Frankfurt hall, 4500 spectators created a great atmosphere at the final. At the champions' party in the Mannheim HC clubhouse in the evening, however, it was just as loud with fewer people. Captain Fiona laughs: "It was a very nice party with lots of music and, of course, a few drinks." Special treat: The semi-final against Düsseldorf (5:4 after trailing 1:4) and the final against Berlin (3:2 after leading 3:0) were shown again on a projector. Wild cheers erupted at every goal. And the final whistle was also celebrated live.

"Team performance at its best"
Felber says: "We're a very young team, I'm the third-oldest player at 23. We showed that we can turn everything around. It was a team performance at its best." Fun fact: Her former club AHTC also won the Austrian indoor field hockey championship title in Vienna on Sunday. In the dramatic final, the Arminians were defeated on penalties.

Fiona Felber (right) in action in the Mannheimer HC kit.(Bild: Dirk Markgraf)

First World Championship match in Croatia on Monday
On Tuesday, Felber meets up with many of her former teammates on the national team in Vienna. Friday off to the World Championships in Croatia. Poland await on Monday in Porec in the first match of Group B. Other opponents are South Africa and Thailand. Fiona says: "It's definitely doable. As runners-up in South Africa two years ago, we're traveling with a lot of confidence."