The club is alive: At the most recent annual general meeting of BSV Passau in 2022, the badminton players elected a new chairman and thus completed a generational change. The new chairman is Andreas Wltschek, who replaces the club’s founder and long-time board member Dr. Roland Liebsch replaces. The initiator of the club was made an honorary member at the meeting.
Two badminton teams in action, a new youth department, stable membership numbers, regular training offers, solid finances, a complete board and its own “Nordic Ski” department: The club that Dr. Liebsch, who was founded four years ago, is doing well in Passau club life. But at the most recent annual general meeting, the 58-year-old initiated a turnaround. For health reasons he had to stop playing badminton. “And that’s why I’m no longer running for board office,” he explained.
The Chairman’s final speech
In his last speech as chairman, he quickly reviewed the history of badminton in Passau since 2008 and the beginnings of BSV Passau. In 2008, the ophthalmologist initially founded a Nordic skiing department at Spvgg Hacklberg. At the annual general meetings of the traditional club, those responsible for the badminton department repeatedly asked the Spvgg board to look for a “better” hall for the badminton players. In the comparatively small and low school gymnasium in Hacklberg, proper training and games were hardly possible.
But nothing happened. In 2012, the department head resigned from his position, the league team was deregistered, and the last players moved to a district club. The Spvgg board was dismayed. Dr. Liebsch offered to act as acting department head, to appear pro forma on the homepage and to organize a “free” badminton game. But the offer was less and less accepted. The low point was reached in autumn 2015, when alongside Dr. Liebsch only one player showed up for training. However, by Christmas, ten more players were added out of nowhere. Since the interim department head continued to receive inquiries via the homepage, it was clear to him: There is a need for this sport in Passau.
An Indian IT specialist brought momentum
As Dr. When Liebsch was asked to take over the chairmanship of Spvgg Hacklberg, he asked Lars Friedrich to head the badminton department. The number of members increased, real momentum and a lot of new impulses were brought by Saurabh Kumar, an Indian IT specialist, from 2020 onwards. “Kumar had the ambition to take part in the game again and motivated him to play badminton like no other – it was just fun,” recalled Liebsch.
Friedrich became second chairman of the Spvgg, Kumar became the new head of the badminton department. The restart of the league was difficult due to the corona pandemic, “but the foundation was laid”. Since a large part of the board of Spvgg Hacklberg now consisted of badminton players, they decided to found their own club – implemented in the 2021/22 winter season with BSV Passau 2022. “Unfortunately, Kumar went to Berlin at short notice,” says Liebsch, but with Andreas Wltschek he was able to recruit another expert to take over the sporting management.
Stable membership numbers
From then on they successfully ran the new club together. Dr. Liebsch primarily took care of the general conditions: additional hall segments, new hall times and, most recently, training times in the new sports hall at the Freudenhain high school. Wltschek was responsible for the sporting area. He registered two teams, of which the top team was promoted in the first year.
“I always wanted to hand over the club in a good condition – we achieved that,” said Liebsch. The result is stable membership numbers, regular training in three halls with a player-coach and two trainers who are about to complete their training, a complete board, solid finances and strong sporting management. His thanks went to the sponsor, player-coach Anant Thapliyal, Dr. Antje Peterhagen, who regularly unlocks the hall, and Vitali Sokolov, who locks it and is responsible for prevention work.
Proudly reported Dr. Liebsch about the trainers Anne-Sophie Hardouin and Valentin Friedl, who are about to complete their last exam and are now offering excellent, coordinated training. He also thanked Dr. Andreas Weger, who already worked as a cashier in Hacklberg and made the transition to the new club smooth, as well as Max Klabunde, team captain of the second team and reliable managing director. Finally, he thanked Andreas Wltschek: “Without him, the club would be playing in the bottom league with only an insignificant team.”
Youth department founded
The meeting decided to found a youth department, which Anne-Sophie Hardouin will lead. Treasurer Dr. Weger reported on solid finances, so that the board could be relieved.
In the new elections, led by 3rd Mayor Armin Dickl, Andreas Wltschek was elected as the new 1st chairman, Birgit Ull as 2nd chairman, Alex Gottinger as treasurer, Max Klabunde as managing director, Wltschek as head of the badminton department, Dr. Liebsch as head of the Nordic Ski department and Vitali Sokolov and Konrad Frank as auditors.
The new chairman presented his predecessor with a large gift basket, which the outgoing chairman accepted with visibly emotion. The meeting also decided on a new paragraph to honor deserving members and the possibility of granting a flat rate for volunteer work. Finally, Dr. Liebsch was elected club founder (office on the club committee) and honorary member. Andreas Wltschek presented each of them with a certificate.
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