Special honor for badminton national player Marvin Seidel. The German mixed doubles champion receives the Markus Keck Memorial Cup in Cloppenburg.
Marvin Seidel tears up during the emotional laudation by DBV Vice President Robert Neumann. “You are a role model for us – as a player and as a person. I am so happy to present you with the Markus Keck Memorial Cup,” says Neumann about Seidel.
The award in honor of national player Markus Keck (†29), who died of cancer, has been presented annually since 1997. A trophy “not just for a great badminton player, but also for an outstanding person,” as Neumann puts it. Keck’s death will be 30 years old in 2026.
There are tough years behind Seidel. “2022, European champion, you were among the absolute world leaders in men’s doubles,” says Neumann. In 2024, at the Olympic Games, Seidel and his long-time doubles partner Mark Lamsfuß will have to give up due to injuries. Lamsfuß has been out since then. Seidel plays with new partners and won the German championship with Daniel Hess last year. In mixed doubles he and Thuc Nguyen have been in the top 30 in the world for two weeks, and the duo won the title in Cloppenburg.
A personal stroke of fate last summer. Seidel and his wife Katrin mourn their twins, who were born prematurely and died after just a few days. In an interview with Danish broadcaster TV2 in the winter, Seidel said: “I wasn’t trying to be strong. In a situation like that, it’s okay not to be strong. We cried non-stop for two hours.”
DBV Vice President Neumann honors Seidel, saying: “I am so impressed by how you fought your way out of this as a person.” Seidel says: “It means so much to me. I would like to thank everyone who helped me get through the last year in particular. It was really difficult and is still difficult. But I want to serve as a role model, I want to inspire the people around me and I’m just grateful to have this opportunity here. Stay positive in your life.”
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