Lars Szameitpreuss alone in the wide hall. The alligators baseball players were allowed to play.
© Mathias M. Lehmann (archive photo)
Corona compulsory break: The state of affairs for Solingen’s team athletes.
By Thomas Rademacher and Jürgen König
Has there even been a football game with the Paladins that year? Did the alligators baseball players actually complete their season? How long will the football break last, subject to legal restrictions? Even in the ST sports editorial office, the answers to these questions sometimes don’t come spontaneously – the Solingen sports year 2020, which is shaped by the corona pandemic, is too complex and crazy. Reason enough to provide another overview of the season with the teams.
American Football: Incredible, but unfortunately true – the second division team could not play a single game in its “Fortress Walder Stadium” or abroad. The women suffered the same fate, once the U16 was allowed to play, after all, the flag team with theirs several times low-contact variant of football. In the meantime, the men still hoped for a slimmed-down season with Western teams, but these expectations were not fulfilled either. “The planning from October to March was in vain, the solidarity of the Paladins family was enormous,” says Ingo Hübner for the board. And hopes for a smoother course in 2021. The second division license has been applied for.
Badminton: Games in the 2. Bundesliga North have been suspended since the end of October, and so far the STC Blau-Weiß has not been continuously as desired. But there is no acute risk of relegation, only the last one should descend – and the Solingen people still have a buffer. The German Badminton League Association plans to resume gaming at the end of February. At the state level, the championship is suspended for an unknown period. The cancellation of the West German championships in the coming month will be seen as an indication against the hope that the teams from the upper league can start in January. “Our players are provided with exercises online”, STC press spokesman Horst Rosenstock has praise for coach Christian Sonnenberg as a qualified sports scientist.
Baseball: The improvised Bundesliga season 2020 ran surprisingly smoothly. The Solingen Alligators did not make it to the semi-finals, but all seven game days with 14 games took place as planned. The Heidenheim Heideköpfe won the German championship. In 2021 there will be a normal season with 28 games again, but according to the current status, the quarter-finals will not be held again – among other things, because the international schedule with a men’s European Championship as well as the U23 World Cup and European Championship is extremely tight. The Bundesliga season should start on the first weekend in April and end on August 29th at the latest.
Basketball: The West German Basketball Association (WBV), under which TSG Solingen also competes, has been acting decisively and quickly since the beginning of the pandemic. The WBV has already reacted to the current situation and presented a concrete plan. The hope is that all games in the second half of the season can be played from the beginning of March. In order not to motivate anyone to take to the field with symptoms of illness, there will be no relegated teams this season. The promotion will be played in a shortened play-off mode with the first four teams in each league following the games. Normally, the first would be allowed to go straight up, but here, too, you want to reduce the importance of the regular season games a little, so that only completely fit basketball players actually compete for the games.
Business sports: In table tennis (as well as in the Solingen Blades in the district league) and football, one is hoping for matches in the first half of 2021. The walking footballers are also currently on a break.
Ice Hockey: Time is running out for EC Bergisch Land, especially since the ice sports season ends in spring and the ice in most halls is thawed over the summer. Nevertheless, the ice hockey association NRW is still planning a shortened season, which starts in January at the earliest. The starting point will probably have to be moved again, an alternative game mode must be worked out. The primary goal of the association is to return to training in closed groups.
Fistball: The indoor season, including all German championships, has been completely canceled, so that the focus on Ohligser TV is on the field season as normal as possible. Association president Ulrich Meiners: “If we can play again in April, then on the field.”
Soccer: In the entire Niederrhein Association, games should be resumed at the earliest two weeks after the opening of the sports facilities for training and games in order to give the clubs sufficient time to prepare. The association-wide competitive game starts on the weekend of 23/24 at the earliest. January. In contrast to the seniors, the youth have not yet played a competitive game.
Chess in a special ambience: Corona law was the issue with SG Solingen at the tournament for the German Chess Championship 2020. The title holder 19/21 will be determined in May.
© Oliver Kniest
Handball: The professional teams of Bergischer HC 06 (1st division, men) and HSV Solingen-Gräfrath (2nd division, women) could and can carry out their encounters without spectators. In the men’s 3rd division (Leichlinger TV) and the A-Jugend-Bundesliga (BHC), it is initially for the weekend of 9/10. January planned restart not feasible. The action is now suspended until January 31st. The handball association Niederrhein, under which all other Solingen amateur teams play, has worked out two variants – it could start on February 6th (with training from January 11th) or on March 13th, if practice is possible by February 15th at the latest .
Chess: The SG Solingen took part in the tournament for the German Chess Championship 2020, which was held centrally and in accordance with corona in Karlsruhe. Baden-Baden was again champion, the Klingenstädter achieved fifth place in the field of eight. The dormant 2019/20 season is not over, but should continue in March 2021. The German champions of the 19/21 season will be crowned on May 16 in Berlin.
Sports cones: The lake rests quietly at the Schmalzgraben and in the association. “Everything is canceled until mid-January,” explains Markus Gruben, whose second division team is on a break, as are the lower teams from Blau-Weiß Solingen-Hilden. Individual championships were canceled in order to have more time for league operations.
Tennis: No German youth championships, rankings are suspended, the winter season is still a long time coming – it looks bleak at the clubs, which are also not allowed to use their halls. “If the game can be played in January, we assume that there will be no promotions and relegations,” believes Christian Darmann, sports manager of the TC Ohlig 1914. The occupancy plans stand in the way of a complete season, for the performance classes relevant matches could be give.
Volleyball: There should be games in mid-January at the earliest, until this date, for example, the regional league with the volleys men is suspended.
Water polo: The SGW Solingen / Wuppertal is still waiting for the start in the 2nd division. This was postponed to January, but nothing should come of it.
