Dirk Elkemann officially handed over the newly renovated floor at the Stadionsporthalle, following a 165,000-euro investment approved by the municipal council. The nearly 1,000-square-meter facility, originally built in 1964 and last updated in 2002/2003, reopened to local clubs and schools after a complete overhaul during the summer break.
Summer Construction and Initial Delays
Contractors completely stripped the aging sports surface down to the concrete subfloor during the school summer holidays. Workers faced unexpected challenges with the building’s insulation, which pushed the project past its original September 26 deadline, according to Elkemann. The underlying concrete slab also required significant adjustment to correct a nine-centimeter height gradient, necessitating extra foundational fill before the modern, low-maintenance surface could be installed.
Safety Inspection Triggers Complete Overhaul
City officials pursued the project after routine safety checks revealed severe degradation across the playing surface. The flooring’s top layer had begun peeling away in sections, accompanied by widening gaps and chipping material that compromised athlete safety. Despite tight municipal budgets, the city had previously performed minor patches to keep the venue operational, but experts ultimately determined that a full replacement was unavoidable.
Local Club Reactions and Multi-Sport Access
TSG Wiesloch chairman Manfred Walter praised the swift execution of the work during the summer window, thanking municipal leaders for completing the project for club training and school athletics. Florian Sauter, who leads the club’s handball division representing nearly 400 active players, noted that the fresh surface immediately benefits multiple disciplines, including volleyball and badminton.
New Maintenance Protocols for Handball Resin
To preserve the newly laid flooring, the municipality established a cleaning agreement with TSG Wiesloch’s handball teams. Players will wash the courts on weekday evenings following adult practices and after weekend fixtures to minimize resin buildup. While the surface was optimized for easier removal of adhesive residue, Sauter noted that purchasing a specialized cleaning robot could cost around 40,000 euros if added to the municipality’s multi-weekly cleaning routines.
Worth a look
