Joint petanque day
Last weekend, the Freie Turnerschaft Hof and the Pétanque Club Egrensis from Cheb (Eger) jointly organised the 3rd friendship tournament between the twin towns. A total of 16 teams competed on the Theresienstein grounds - 9 teams from Hof, 7 from Cheb and two mixed duos with one player from each city. The aim was not just the sporting competition, but above all the chance to meet and make friends across the border.
Mayor Eva Döhla: "When people from Hof and Eger sit together here, throwing, laughing and exchanging ideas - that's when I feel what makes our town twinning alive: trust, openness and joy."
Three preliminary rounds were first played according to the "Swiss system" and then the field of participants was split into Group A and Group B. The best eight duos qualified for the next round: The best eight duos qualified for A, the rest played on in B. In the exciting final, Marlene Raux & Michael Ditterich (Hof) faced the mixed team of Axel Fleischer & Josef Smitek (Hof/Eger). Raux & Ditterich won the tournament with a confident game. Places 1 to 3 were rewarded with small cash prizes.
As usual, Ladislav Hošek ensured that everyone was on the same page, as he took care of the mayor's speech as well as the welcome and explanation of the tournament rules. Catering was provided: coffee and cake as well as sandwiches were served in the morning; a hearty goulash was served at lunchtime. Drinks - beer and soft drinks - were free for all participants.
It was particularly impressive how much the social aspects dominated: During breaks in the game, the Hofer and the "Egerers" sat together at tables, talking - sometimes in English, sometimes in broken German or with hands and feet. Where communication was difficult, Mr Hošek helped. Even after the official end, people stayed together, had a drink, ate leftovers and enjoyed the day. Even when games were lost, you could only see smiling and happy faces.
Funding programmes such as the Bavarian-Czech Municipal Partnership Programme or the Euregio Egrensis support such initiatives - they build sporting and cultural bridges, strengthen trust between citizens and promote understanding across borders.
Mayor Eva Döhla thanked everyone involved: the players from Hof and Eger, the organisers from the Freie Turnerschaft, the Pétanque Club Egrensis and, of course, the helpers who provided food, drink and a good atmosphere. "A day like this reminds us that partnership lives from togetherness - from playing together, from sharing a day, from celebrating and from respect." It was already clear at the farewell: next year's friendship tournament will take place in Eger.