Season opener of the sports metropolis Berlin

The new season of the sports metropolis Berlin is just around the corner. Hertha BSC and 1st  FC Union Berlin have already started their seasons. Alba Berlin, the Füchse, the BR Volleys and the Eisbären are still in the final stages of preparation or have recently had their 1st  matchday. ISTAF 2022 in the Olympiastadion Berlin has come to a successful end and the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON is also soon to take place. With the final round of the EURO Basket 2022 in the Mercedes-Benz Arena and the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023, the sports metropolis Berlin is already looking forward to the next major sporting events.

Reason enough for the sports metropolis Berlin to celebrate its kick-off to the upcoming season. Under the motto “Experience sport - The future of top-class sport in Berlin”, the Sports Metropolis Berlin Initiative invited guests from the worlds of sport, politics, business and culture to the Stadion An der Alten Försterei. After the welcoming address by the Governing Mayor, Franziska Giffey, Iris Spranger, Senator for the Interior, Digitalisation and Sport, Kaweh Niroomand, Spokesperson for the Berlin professional clubs of the Sports Metropolis Berlin Initiative, and Thomas Härtel, President of the Landessportbund Berlin, discussed the current challenges facing Berlin’s professional clubs and sports organisers. Furthermore, the topic “Sport and inclusion in Berlin” was taken up with a view to the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023.

The start of the season in the sports metropolis Berlin illustrates the social and economic value of sport in Berlin and consolidates it at the highest political level. In this way, the importance should move more firmly onto the political agenda and enable a dialogue between sport, business and politics.

The Governing Mayor of Berlin Franziska Giffey: “The sports metropolis Berlin celebrated great successes in the previous season. It was a great honour for me to welcome in the Red City Hall the teams of the Eisbären, the Albatrosse, the BR Volleys and the ladies of the TTC Berlin Eastside as the German title winners. I will keep my fingers crossed that our Berlin teams will once again be so extraordinarily successful in the new season. Top-class sport is also of great social importance. After all, sporting successes encourage people to take part in sport and thereby act as role models, especially for children and young people.”

Iris Spranger, Senator for the Interior, Digitalisation and Sport: “Berlin is looking forward to the new season. With outstanding sporting events and the successes of our clubs and top athletes, the sports metropolis shines time and again both nationally and internationally. Whether professional or amateur sports: All Berliners can do and experience sports everywhere in the city. In June 2023, the Special Olympics World Games will come to us. Then the sports metropolis will have the whole world of (inclusion) sports as guests in Berlin. The Special Olympics National Games in Berlin in June were an excellent dress rehearsal for this.”

Dr. Stefan Franzke, Managing Director of Partner für Berlin: “Berlin has developed into a globally distinguished location for sporting events and competitive athletes. On the one hand, this sustainably strengthens Berlin’s economy and, on the other, creates image effects. However, our city also has an attractive and wide range for the many recreational athletes. That is why we continue to work on advancing diversity in Berlin’s sport, offering athletes good prospects and inspiring enthusiasm as a sports city and well appreciated host.”

Kaweh Niroomand, Spokesperson for the Berlin professional clubs of the Sports Metropolis Berlin Initiative: “Once again, the sports metropolis Berlin proved its national exceptional position in the past season. The championship titles of the Eisbären, Albatrosse and BR Volleys were just the icing on the cake of another extremely successful season for all of Berlin’s top sports. Furthermore, the National Games of the Special Olympics World Games were a great kick-off for the next big event in summer 2023. Therefore, we are equally looking forward to the inclusion games with 7,000 athletes in 26 sports and up to 20,000 volunteers, as well as to another spectacular season of the professional clubs and hopefully many title wins with Berlin participation.”

Thomas Härtel, President of the Landessportbund Berlin: “Cohesion in our sports metropolis is particularly important right now. The energy crisis affects everyone equally, both small neighbourhood clubs and professional clubs. We want to continue to experience high-quality sport in our city and do sport ourselves under motivating conditions. The sports metropolis stands for this strong connection.”

About the sports city Berlin: It has a unique density and diversity of sport with 684,298 memberships in Berlin sports clubs, the enthusiasm for sport of its citizens, the diverse mass sports with its over 2,300 clubs, the major international events, the professional clubs and over 120 national lists as well as the traditional sporting events. The BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, the ISTAF, the Sixdays and the six professional clubs are beacons of the sports metropolis Berlin with their high-reach brands that radiate far beyond the borders of the capital. The sports metropolis is characterised by strong cooperation, great diversity and a quality that is unique.

About the Sports Metropolis Berlin Initiative: Staying at the top
The “Sports Metropolis Berlin Initiative” was founded in 2009 to ensure that Berlin remains a world-class city for top-class sports. It markets the German capital nationally and internationally as THE metropolis for sports. In this cooperation, which is unique in Germany, the important decision-makers in Berlin’s sports and business sectors have joined forces: Berlin’s top clubs and largest sports facilities, the Berlin Olympic base, Landessportbund e.V., the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, the Senate Department for the Interior, Digitalisation and Sport, as well as the Berlin Chamber of Industry and Commerce, visitBerlin and Berlin Partner, who coordinates the Sports Metropolis Berlin Initiative.

Supported by the cooperation partner Deutsche Kreditbank AG (DKB) , a joint communication platform is offered to top-class sport in Berlin.

The partners of the Sports Metropolis Berlin Initiative:

• Professional clubs: 1. FC Union Berlin, ALBA Berlin, Berlin Recycling Volleys, Eisbären Berlin, Füchse Berlin, Hertha BSC
• Sports arenas: Max-Schmeling-Halle, Mercedes-Benz-Arena, Olympiastadion Berlin,
  Stadion an der Alten Försterei, Velodrom
• Clubs & associations: Landessportbund Berlin e.V., Olympiastützpunkt Berlin
• Sports organisers: Berliner 6-Tage-Rennen GmbH, SCC Events (BERLIN MARATHON),
  Top Sportmarketing Berlin (ISTAF)
• Institutions: Berlin Partner für Wirtschaft und Technologie, Chamber of Commerce and Industry Berlin (IHK), Senate Department for the Interior, Digitalisation and Sport, visitBerlin   

More details at: www.berlin-sportmetropole.de