The first time so many IT professionals gathered around to play some foosball was during spring time in Vilnius. Now we’re back at it again – this time in Kaunas.
the biggest foosball event
During the cold days in the middle of November, on the 13th and 14th to be exact, the biggest foosball event in the Baltics took place. The IT Foosball League 2014 Kaunas was organized by Adform and the foosball club Foosin. More than 200 IT professionals participated in the event.
110 teams competed against each other
During the group stage, 110 teams competed against each other and 80 of them qualified for the playoffs, which were held on day two. Only one team came out on top though, Martynas and Vytautas from the company WP Productions finished first, winning two GoPro 3+ Silver cameras.
plans to use the GoPro
Just after the final, the winners said: “It‘s great that we have an event like this. After a whole day in front of a computer screen, you really need to move around. Some people think this is not a proper sport, but we felt like we just hopped out the shower after the last game.” When asked where he‘s planning to use the GoPro first, Martynas said that he’s planning a trip to Japan, and will definitely make use of the camera there.
second event this year
The event, which is getting more and more attention from the IT community, ran for the second time this year, with the first taking place in Vilnius. Both of the organizers – Foosin, and Adform – are certain that there will be a third competition, and it‘s going to be even more fun. “We’re very pleased with how this second event went, and we promise the third competition will be even better, bigger and more fun,” said Arnas Bakstys, a representative of Foosin. “We‘ll fix the little issues we had this time, and there will definitely be even more things to do, for those who are not competing in the tournament.”
beat the pro
One of the activities this year was a chance to compete against a member of Lithuania‘s National Foosball Team Tautvydas Tveraga. Arnas Bakats, who’s also a member of the team, said that the best teams of IT pros in this tournament are definitely a tough draw even for the foosball experts on the National Team. “They may be lacking in technical skills, but they make up for that with real heart.”
whether they even have time for work
You may wonder about these IT guys and girls, with all the time they spend playing foosball, whether they even have time for work. “It’s not that hard to find 20 minutes to play a little foosball every day,” explained Liudas Čereškevičius, a foosball player from one of the teams who represented Adform at the tournament. “Quite the opposite actually. After playing for a little bit, you feel more energized. It makes you more productive.”
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All of those who missed the tournament in Kaunas needn’t worry, we will see you next time in Vilnius!