posted Apr 18th, 2014 - The Sun Path Products NSL News covered the traditional amateur duel between Thunder ISR and SportLotto with the story on 14 April 2014. Gavroches from France was also brought into the "amateur equation" after the World Challenge 2014.

The same story also mentioned that the situation right behind the best "amateur teams" on the leaderboard was also very interesting. The Qatar Tigers are a full time national team and don't qualify for the unofficial race for the "amateur top spot". However, South Africa's former national team Voodoo would surely be in the same league with Thunder, SportLoto and most of the other teams.

Voodoo has attended the last four World Challenges (18.1 - 19.4 - 19.9 - 22.3) with a consistent indoor progression, and the recent 22.3 average with the new member, player coach Gary Smith, has brought Voodoo very close to the two amateur top contenders.

World Challenge 2014		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	17,18,19	5,16,6	4,N,13	P,F,12,M	J,D,10,K	G,3,O,C	H,22,14	20,2,8	1,21,11	15,7,L	Total	Avg
4	Gavroches (FR)	23	25	24	33	31	31	20	18	21	28	254	25.4
5	SportLoto (RU)	24	26	20	30	21	30	24	21	20	27	243	24.3
6	Thunder ISR (BE)	20	24	21	30	27	27	21	21	21	29	241	24.1
7	Qatar Tigers (QA)	21	21	22	29	27	28	18	17	21	26	230	23.0
8	Voodoo (ZA)	21	23	19	28	26	27	19	18	19	23	223	22.3

Voodoo has not broken yet the standing South African 19.7 outdoor average that Gary Smith posted with Equanimity in 1997. The 19.0 average at the Paraclete XP Outdoor Championship 2014 was closer than ever but not enough. The 22.3 indoor average is a new record mark for Voodoo, even though the team has to define different goals with the new international lineup. SportLoto and Thunder could become the new targets.

The Qatar Tigers have a different orientation. Coach Luc Verstrepen, former NMP-PCH Hayabusa member, has been guiding the team up the international leaderboards year by year. He is aiming at medal rankings in the longer term, and the Tigers have impressed with their recent scores at the 4th Dubai International Parachuting Championship 2013 and now at Bodyflight Bedford.

World Challenge 2013		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	O,E,J,K,3	M,Q,A,14	4,6,16	8,18,N	H,19,12	2,7,13	11,C,P,9	15,D,10	L,F,17,G	20,1,22	Total	Avg
11	Qatar Tigers (QA)	27	29	19	19	22	17	26	19	18	17	213	21.3
12	Voodoo (ZA)	20	24	17	18	17	19	25	19	25	15	199	19.9

Voodoo and Qatar Tigers have been very close to each other on the leaderboards since 2012. In fact, they were direct neighbours at the World Challenges 2013 and 2014 in the same order. Both teams placed significantly higher this year (2012: 11/12 - 2013: 7/8) due to the well increased meet averages, and Voodoo decreased the distance by a few points.

However, the Qatar Tigers keep on moving up, and it will become very challenging for Voodoo to keep close to the full time competitors with almost unlimited resources. The Qatar Tigers are not looking back and have their eyes on the teams ahead of them.

The turn between Voodoo and the Qatar Tigers happened after the Mondial Dubai 2012 where the South African national team by then still outscored the Tigers at their first World Championship of Formation Skydiving. Both teams did not make the semifinals with their meet averages (17.0 - 17.9) in Dubai.

Mondial Dubai 2012		Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Rd. 4	Rd. 5	Rd. 6	Rd. 7	Rd. 8	Rd. 9	Rd. 10	Total	Avg
Rank	AAA Class	5,12,E	6,D,B,K	O,8,7	N,13,18	10,21,M	19,H,11	C,G,1,A	20,9,15	16,F,P,Q	2,J,4	Total	Avg
11	Voodoo (ZA)	16	24	19	13	15	16	23	17	-	-	143	17.9
12	Ravens (AT)	18	23	17	15	17	13	22	16	-	-	141	17.6
13	Qatar Tigers (QA)	15	21	19	14	15	17	19	16	-	-	136	17.0

The Qatar Tigers then outscored Voodoo at the World Challenge 2013 and posted a 19.8 average a year later in Dubai, while Voodoo finished with an 18.9 average at the UK Nationals 2013. The Qatar Tigers now confirmed their ongoing progression at the World Challenge 2014.

There are noo too many teams left for the Tigers to catch up with. The three "amateur teams" ahead of them at Bodyflight Bedford will not compete at the World Championship of Formation Skydiving this year, and the same counts for XL. Those teams will be on the Qatar agenda at the World Challenge next year.

Only NMP-PCH Hayabusa and Volt'R will position themselves in front of the Qatar Tigers in Prostejov in August. Arizona Airspeed and Evolution will join the the competition for the top spots, and Russia will probably have a lineup too strong for the Tigers. However, a very likely 20+ average could move Qatar from 13th place in 2012 to the 6th place and the finals this year...