The judo department of SV Sachsenkam marks its 50th anniversary on Saturday, November 14, celebrating five decades of local sporting history.
More than 150 guests, including current and former members, are expected to attend the event at 5 p.m. to commemorate the club’s founding and its impact on the community.
The department traces its origins to the completion of the “Kleine Halle” in 1974. Following the persistence of local pioneers Lotte Rossegger and Helga Urek, the first official training session took place in April 1976. Founding member Christoph Lettner, who had gained experience in the sport at a boarding school in Pfarrkirchen, helped establish the program alongside municipal figures including former mayor Max Gast and Adolf Förg.
The club saw immediate interest, with approximately 40 children attending the initial sessions. As the department expanded, it gained a reputation for competitive success across Bavaria. Despite initial confusion from opponents regarding the location of the small village, Sachsenkam athletes consistently earned placements in regional and state championships.
The department’s most notable individual success came from Toni Lettner, son of the founder. He competed for the TSV Abensberg club for a decade, facing international opponents in New York and defeating a Russian world champion in St. Petersburg.
An injury later halted his progress toward Olympic qualification, though he remains active in the local club by hosting international training sessions, including recent visits from judoka at San José State University.
Current department leaders, including Verena Pfatrisch, emphasize that the program’s longevity relies on a strong sense of community. Peter Pfatrisch, a long-term member of the department, said that the club functioned as a social hub for the village, with events like the “Judo-Gunkl” and annual summer camps fostering bonds across generations.
“It is a sport for the whole body, but also for the head,” said Peter Pfatrisch. He described the discipline as a school for life, emphasizing that students learn the importance of technical skill and mental composure over brute force. A core lesson remains the ability to handle defeat, as young athletes are taught the resilience required to recover from a loss.
The anniversary celebration will feature historical documentation of the club’s evolution, including film footage from the 1970s and 1980s and various photographs collected by Heidi Eberl, who previously managed the department’s archives. Organizers have invited anyone who trained with the club over the last 50 years to attend and contribute their own memorabilia to the collection.
The event is scheduled for November 14, starting at 5 p.m. at the local facility where the department has operated since its inception.
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