MBF was relegated from Division 1 after great drama. The qualifying spot was just one measly point away.

With the trio of Paul von Heiroth, Jorma Lahtinen and Thomas Lundström, the team played three tight matches, winning against Tikkurila, but losing to Oulu and Jyväskylä. All three matches ended with scores of 4-3, meaning that even one more win in any team match would have put the team out of the game. And there were chances, the last of them in the doubles match against Jyväskylä, where our pair Lahtinen/Lundström gave way in a tight match. The pair Tuuttila/Perkkiö won 11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 12-10.

At the same time, Kuopio narrowed the gap from 0-4 to a one-point deficit against Wega, 3-4, by, among other things, winning one surrender (!) and winning the decisive fifth set in the deciding doubles match 16-14. This secured Kuopio the one point that kept MBF in the relegation zone.
There were setbacks throughout the season, with the team only fielding its best team in one of the six league tournaments. But after setbacks, we rise. MBF has done that before!

text: Thomas Hallbäck