The soccer competitions are exciting at the Special Olympics. Celia Sasic and Philipp Lahm were also impressed by the wonderful atmosphere and the strong performances of the German teams.
The result was very clear, but with the joint group photo and the La Ola wave for the enthusiastic spectators, the pure joy was back on the Swiss faces. The Special Olympics kickers had just lost their category M2 semi-final against Germany at 0:25, but thanks to the loud support, the mood was still great. Of course, the Germans were also infected by this, even if the division into groups and the resulting results caused a little resentment.
Soccer players in action at the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin.
German M2 team: Mixed feelings despite the final
The German final team, which consists entirely of players from the Berlin workshops for the disabled (BWB), slipped into the second performance group in a “hammer group” due to the worse goal difference and is now clearly superior there. “It’s mixed feelings. Winning 25-0 against a team isn’t the Olympic goal. We should have been in Group A, that’s a scandal,” striker Vincent Grüneberg told SID after the game.
Nevertheless, the World Games for people with mental and multiple disabilities in Berlin are “simply great” for everyone, said coach Michael Kürten – even though the German kickers are only fighting for gold in performance group 2.
The German soccer team is playing for gold against Uganda in the M2 category on Saturday.
Several German teams hope for medals
The motivation is huge to give everything again in front of a home crowd against Uganda on Saturday. “We want gold. We don’t want to let that be taken away from us and we don’t want to weaken the fact that we would have won gold in Group B,” said Grüneberg.
And even more German teams are reaching for medals. For example, Germany 2 in the M2 category, which lost 4-0 to the said team from Uganda in the semi-finals. In addition, the German women still have the chance to win bronze.
“This is how I imagine inclusion sport”
A crowd puller in West Berlin are the matches in the unified version, in which there are three players per team without mental disabilities on the field in seven against seven. The German team around captain Ömer Cümen lost 2:3 in a high-quality match in group A against South Korea on Thursday and no longer has the gold in its own hands, but is probably fighting for bronze.
Nevertheless, the German players got standing ovations from the 300 or so loud spectators. “The atmosphere is just amazing, it’s really inspiring. That’s how I imagine inclusion sport,” said coach Friedrich Quien. The Neckarsulm handicapped sports community together with the A youth of VfR Heilbronn provide this men’s national team. “We’ve grown even closer here,” said Quien.
Sasic and Lahm on site – great demand for tickets
The enthusiasm had already spilled over to ex-world champion Philipp Lahm and DFB vice-president Celia Sasic on Wednesday, who had stopped by the Maifeld. “We can also learn something here,” said Lahm, tournament director of the EM 2024 in Germany. Before the final weekend, those responsible were also satisfied with the Special Olympics World Games beyond football. “Our concept works,” said chief organizer Carsten Kranz on Thursday: “For the size of the event, everything is going very well. The feedback from the sport is extremely positive.”
The two former DFB world champions and current organizers of the European Championships, Celia Sasic (right) and Philipp Lahm (middle), did not miss a visit to the Special Olympics.
Last but not least, Kranz referred to the great popularity of the audience. After more than 50,000 visitors at the opening ceremony in the Olympic Stadium, demand at the competition venues is also high. “The grandstands are really full,” said Kranz. By the end of the World Games, 70,000 to 80,000 tickets should have been sold: “That’s an impressive number.” The Special Olympics are the largest multi-sport event in Germany since the Olympic Games in 1972. The event ends next Sunday.
The schedule of the Special Olympic World Games in Berlin at a glance.
