The Berlin Senate wants to use the experiences of last summer’s Special Olympics World Games for a possible Olympic bid. “We have now gained so much experience. We can not only pass this on, but we can also offer further major sporting events. Sustainable and inclusive – we want to continue with that,” said Franziska Becker, State Secretary for Sport, at a press conference on Wednesday.
At the end of June, the capital hosted the World Games of the Special Olympics, before the Senate led by Governing Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) signed a “Memorandum of Understanding” with the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) in mid-November. “Berlin has made a declaration of intent for the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said Becker. A German bid for the Olympics is a central topic at the DOSB general meeting next Saturday.
The German umbrella organization was extremely satisfied with the Special Olympics World Games. “Overall, our expectations were exceeded,” said President Christiane Krajewski of Special Olympics Germany. As Sven Albrecht, Federal Managing Director of Special Olympics Germany, explained, 85 percent of the athletes rated the World Games in Berlin as “very good” and the awareness of the Special Olympics increased by 25 to 30 percent from 2022 to 2023.
Nevertheless, work must continue to be done to consolidate the inclusion effects. “It is crucial that political decision-makers further strengthen access to sport. Because still only eight percent of people with disabilities have the opportunity to do sport. There is an urgent need for action,” said Krajewski.