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For our #hyloathletes, this week brought a combination of decisive matches, strong performances and vital results. We take a look back at the last seven days’ events and competitions featuring our athletes, teams and clubs.
HG Saarlouis – championship secured in last match of season
On Saturday evening (2 May 2026), HG Saarlouis marked the end to a strong main season at Stadtgartenhalle with a 41:17 win against TV Homburg, making them the champions of the 3. Liga Süd‑West division. Nearly 1,500 spectators enjoyed a derby that got off to an evenly matched start but ultimately tipped towards the home team.
Homburg kept things open in the early stages, then Saarlouis upped the pace and pulled ahead to 12:8. By half-time, they had extended this lead to 20:13, driven by solid defending and clear finishing. HGS remained consistent after the change of ends, quickly building a double-digit lead and then steadily increasing it. Zeb Bjerneld and young talent Alexander Zwing made their mark in the closing moments, before the home crowd were able to finally celebrate the title.
As well as this sporting event, there were other key points to the evening: Stadtgartenhalle is gaining a new glass floor, the U19 team were crowned RPS champions, Elyas Noh extended his contract, and Sven Eberlein’s ligament injury created uncertainty ahead of the promotion playoffs. On a positive note: Olle Österhall is back in the squad. In terms of statistics, HGS broke the 1,000-goal mark for the season and also had the best defensive lineup in the division.
The championship title marks the next step. Things continue on 16/17 May with the start of the promotion playoffs, where Saarlouis will be up against representatives of the Nord‑West and Nord‑Ost sections in group 1. Their actual opponent will be set after the third division concludes this weekend.
SVE demolish Paderborn and jump up to second
On Saturday afternoon (3 May 2026), SV Elversberg made their mark at the URSAPHARM‑Arena with a 5:1 defeat of SC Paderborn. Vincent Wagner’s team played a first half that quickly put the win beyond doubt: Rohr kicked things off, Mokwa added another goal, Petkov scored twice – 4:0 by half-time, driven by pace, clear routes and a presence that immediately the stadium alight. Raif Adam added the crowning glory in injury time with his first ever goal in the second-division.
Paderborn had a brief boost after the change of ends when Brackelmann scored and managed to put their opponents under pressure for a time, but Elversberg remained solid and calmly held their lead to the final whistle.
Our intensity today was quite simply phenomenal. Whether or not we are promoted is up to us again.
Lukas Petkov
‘Our intensity today was quite simply phenomenal. Whether or not we are promoted is up to us again’, double scorer Lukas Petkov said after the match. Vincent Wagner had similar things to say: ‘We were precise and razor-sharp. And we needed to be, because Paderborn are a very good team.’
This win puts SVE up to second place with just two matches to go, leaving them in a very good position to be promoted. A detailed match report can be found in our HYLO® News article.
Things continue on Sunday (10 May 2026, 1:30 p.m.) with an away game against Fortuna Düsseldorf.
World Boccia Cup Montreal – silver for Raguwaran/Nicolai
Anita Raguwaran and Boris Nicolai have started the new season with a strong result in the pairs competition at the World Boccia Cup in Montreal (26 April to 5 May 2026). After an intense week of singles and team events, the HYLO® duo are returning from Canada with a silver medal.
Raguwaran reached fourth place in the BC4 category, confirming her position as one of the world’s elite. Nicolai missed out on moving forward from the group matches to the knockout round but put in solid performances for long periods. Together, they found their rhythm in the pairs competition and made their way to the final, where they were ultimately defeated.
For Raguwaran and Nicolai, Montreal was the first acid test of the year – providing some key insights for their upcoming events. The international calendar is full: the World Boccia Cup in Astana at the end of May, followed by São Paulo and the World Championships in Seoul in the summer.
BIKE AID – overall win in Benin and strong performance at Grand Prix Cotonou
BIKE AID’s week of racing in West Africa will be remembered for both its sporting results and its atmosphere. At the Tour du Bénin (27 April to 2 May 2026), Kristiāns Belohvoščiks managed to top the overall rankings for the six-day race – the first tour win by a BIKE AID pro since 2022. He narrowly beat out Alexandre Mayer (Mauritius) and Youssef Bdadou (Morocco) in the 713-kilometre event. To kick things off, Oscar Schempp won the prologue and received the yellow jersey from UCI president David Lappartient. Belohvoščiks took the lead on the second day by winning the stage, and the team then retained this leading spot right through to the finish line.
However, this sporting success was just part of the journey. As they travelled through towns and villages on the stage routes, the cyclists experienced a direct connection with a country that is still an abstract concept to many people in Europe. Thousands of children lining the routes, chats while out and about, and general everyday life as a team (with African and European cyclists side by side) were as important as the results. BIKE AID emphasised that experiences like these form the core of what they do: opening up new perspectives, creating connections and making sport a place where people can come together.
Sunday then brought the Grand Prix Cotonou (3 May 2026), where the team were competing once again to mark a successful end to their West African trip. At the same time, the U23 team secured a double win at the South German Championships in Engen thanks to Constantin Frie and Max Grabosch – another indication of the team’s breadth and the new generation’s development.
Things continue for BIKE AID on Wednesday with the Tour of Hellas, against a lineup of strong climbers. Belohvoščiks is travelling straight there, taking the back-to-back events in his stride.
Saarlouis Hornets – two clear home wins against Schriesheim
On Saturday afternoon (2 May 2026), the Saarlouis Hornets returned to the Ballpark to make their mark in the 2. Bundesliga Südwest. The team won both of the double-header matches against promoted team Schriesheim Raubritter with confident early dominance – 11:1 in the first clash and 10:0 in the second. The matches were shaped by focused defending, powerful attacking and two strong performances on the mound.
Peter Mick and Yannik Petry pitched a complete game each, allowing just a single run through. On the attacking side, the Hornets took advantage of virtually every opportunity: 21 runs across the day, including a grand slam by Briggs Loveland and another home run by Alex Kharabian, following on from recent strong showings. The team put in a cohesive performance with impeccable defence and consistent hitting, in line with their current form.
The Hornets are now heading into their next fixture with the wind in their sails, thanks to five wins in eight games. Saturday (1 May 2026, 12 p.m.) brings an away double-header against Mainz Athletics 2.
Füchse Berlin – all to play for before Veszprém second leg
On Thursday evening (30 April 2026), Füchse Berlin suffered a narrow 34:35 loss at the One Veszprem Arena in a tight EHF Champions League quarter‑final first leg. The Berlin team controlled parts of the match in Hungary and at one point were five goals ahead. However, Veszprém fought their way back thanks to seven‑on‑six play and a strong Mikael Appelgren. Mathias Gidsel shaped Berlin’s attacking play with 13 goals, with Nils Lichtlein and Lasse Andersson also playing key roles.
The momentum began to tip in the final stages, when the home team turned the match around and held a narrow lead through to final whistle. Coach Nicolej Krickau later described this as ‘two good teams playing at a high level’ and emphasised that his team had ‘every chance’ in the second leg, despite lagging behind. Captain Max Darj praised the atmosphere and was already looking to the future: ‘I can’t wait for next week.’
The youth team also had some positive news on Sunday (3 May): thanks to a 36:25 in Essen, the Füchse U17s reached the German championship final where they will face THW Kiel.
For the pros, Wednesday (6 May 2026, 6:45 p.m., Max‑Schmeling‑Halle) will determine whether they reach the TruckScout24 EHF FINAL4.
Gabriel Clemens – two appearances in Milton Keynes
Gabriel Clemens chalked up two more Pro Tour appearances at Players Championship tournaments 11 and 12 at Arena MK in Milton Keynes (27-28 April 2026). On Monday, the ‘German Giant’ managed a confident 6:2 against Ryan Joyce, who was not playing at his usual level. In the second round, Clemens secured a break to take a 5:4 lead against Callan Rydz but was ultimately defeated after Rydz’s comeback with two 15‑darters.
Tuesday was a rather shorter day: Clemens only managed to win two legs against Kevin Doets, losing 2:6. Things continue for the Saarland player with more Pro Tour fixtures in the coming weeks, to secure his position in the packed PDC schedule.
We are looking forward to upcoming events and appearances from our #hyloathletes and wish all of our HYLO® partners much luck and success.