Paul Grobler

Paul Grobler is a South African paintball administrator and tournament organiser associated with the development of competitive paintball in South Africa and international paintball governance. He was involved in the establishment of the South African Regional Paintball League (SARPL) in 2009 and subsequently became its co-owner and national co-ordinator.[1]

Grobler has also served as president of the South African National Paintball Association (SANPA) and has been involved in the activities of the United Paintball Federation (UPBF), including its international World Championship programme.[2][3]

Paintball career

South African Regional Paintball League

Grobler became involved in the development of the South African Regional Paintball League in 2009.

The league was introduced to South Africa by Danny de Bruyne, who had previously operated a paintball field, with assistance from Grobler. It was originally associated with the American Regional Paintball League.[1]

By December 2012, Grobler was identified as SARPL's co-owner and national co-ordinator.

At the time, the league organised three-player and five-player competitions, with more than 115 teams having competed across its divisions during the 2012 season.[1]

Grobler was involved in developing the Paintball Super Cup, which brought together teams from different South African provinces to compete for national titles.

In December 2012, he announced plans for the inaugural national Super Cup, scheduled for 5–8 December 2013.

The event subsequently took place at Forever Resort Gariep, attracting more than 50 teams from South Africa and Namibia.[1][4]

South African National Paintball Association

Grobler was involved in the South African National Paintball Association, established in 2012 to provide national representation and develop standards for the sport.

By August 2013, he was identified as the head of SANPA. He appeared in an SAfm radio interview discussing competitive paintball and its development as an organised sport.[5]

In March 2017, Grobler represented SANPA in publicising competitive paintball at the Cape Argus SportShow in Cape Town.

The event included a SANPA provincial competition featuring men's and women's Under-19 teams, alongside a SARPL Western Cape five-player tournament.

In an interview with the Cape Argus, Grobler discussed the growth of organised paintball, estimating that approximately 600 players were participating in SARPL competitions across South Africa.[6]

Grobler subsequently served as SANPA president.

An official association letter dated 18 July 2020 identified him as president and a director of the South African National Paintball and Airsoft Association.[2]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Grobler communicated the association's safety requirements and operating conditions for the reopening of paintball and airsoft facilities.

International paintball administration

Grobler has also been involved in the United Paintball Federation, the international organisation responsible for the UPBF Paintball World Championship.

He has contributed to the federation's official communications and tournament administration.

In July 2020, Grobler authored the UPBF's review of the 2019 World Championship medal standings, covering men's, women's, veterans and junior national team competitions.[7]

He subsequently published official updates and tournament information for the 2022 and 2023 UPBF World Championships.

His September 2022 World Championship review documented participation by 45 national teams from 18 countries across five competitive categories.[8]

In September 2023, Grobler published a retrospective review of the first decade of the UPBF World Championship, examining international participation and national team results since 2013.[9]

Grobler continued contributing to the federation's communications, including its 2025 World Championship programme and the appointment of Amber Wong as Affiliation Liaison Manager in February 2025.[10]

References

External links