Brazilian international in "Give Me Five" Star Talk

1.7.2011, Grieskirchen - Joao Fidelis, Brazilian attacker and Austrian resident, faced questions in our "Give Me Five" Star Talk. Read on to find out who he ranks among the TOP FIVE fistballers in the world and how he personally is getting ready for the 2011 Fistball WCH.

About the player:

Name: Joao Victor Fidelis
Date of birth: 24.4.1982
Nationality: Brazilian
Position: attacker

What are your highlights until the 2011 WCH?

I trained a lot with my team (FG Grieskirchen/Pötting) to defend the Austrian championship title. We also succeeded and are now reigning Austrian champions! We now have the difficult European Cup 2011 ahead of us and we will also try to clinch the title here, too, by preparing ourselves thoroughly. I will also be training hard with Brazil to win our 3rd World Championship title.

Who are your favourites for the WCH?

Brazil, Austria, Switzerland and Germany. All teams are capable of victory.

Who do you think are currently the TOP FIVE fistballers in the world?

Dietmar Weiss, AUT, FG Grieskirchen/Pötting - left attacker
Klemens Kronsteiner, AUT, TUS Raiffeisen Kremsmünster - right attacker
Joao "Dao" Schmidt, BRA, Ginastica Novo Hamburgo - centre
Manuel Sieber, SUI, Faustball Widnau - left defender
Karl Rick, AUT, FG Grieskirchen/Pötting - right defender

What does the WCH slogan "GIVE ME FIVE" mean to you?

To me it means fun, excitement and friendship between the participating nations and the fans who will be cheering on their players.

Some personal insights:

Teams to date: Ginastica Novo Hamburgo, FG Grieskirchen/Pötting
Successes with Novo Hamburgo: Brazilian Champion, South American Cup winner, World Cup winner
Successes with Grieskirchen: World Cup winner, 2x European Cup winner outdoor, IFA Cup winner, 4x Austrian champion outdoor
Successes with Brazilian team: World Champion 2003, South American champion, World Games winner 2009