Half the world, it seems, is currently visiting the Ruhr area and Berlin for World University Games. At least as far as the sports delegations of the respective nations are concerned. The spectators at the largest sporting event of the year, measured in its number of participants, come mainly from the region – if they have actually noticed that sports takes place in NRW.
The loudest scream on the Court Court of Etuf Essen came on Thursday evening from Estzer Méri. A miracle that the Slovakian also had the strength – after all, she was sent over the tennis court for three hours by her semi -final opponent Vaishnavi Adkar. Méri had lost the first set 2: 6.
Nevertheless, her story ended up a victorious. Underdog against supposed superiority, unbroken will to fight against cool dominance – for stories like this will be sport loved by his fans. Only there were not many fans who received these emotions live on site.
Expensive arenas, but not many you see
This is less a problem of the location itself, admission for spectators is relatively cheap, often even free of charge in tennis. In addition, the ETUF Essen tennis area had been renovated with a lot of money and prepared for World University Games, although sporting use on the site of the amateur association is unclear. On Thursday afternoon, about a third of all seats were occupied at the top in the Essen Center Court.
Almost 15 kilometers further, a similar picture was shown in the Bochum Lorheidestadion. The over 50 million euro retained stadium is the central jewelry of the World University Games. At the medal -rich highlight of athletics on Thursday evening, the Wattenscheider stadium was in top form, with high -quality sports facilities and an exuberant atmosphere in the ranks.
On day four of the athletics competitions, the Lohrheide filled noticeably compared to the previous events. During the sporting highlights, the stands around the target area were fully occupied with fans, athletes and officials. Apart from that, this in turn looked much thinner.
Do the World University Games have a marketing problem?
Basically, this is not a surprising knowledge, even at the Olympic Games, not all competitions are sold out. This would not be expected of the less than less important world student games.
However, it is surprising that – in addition to the well -promoted organization – outside of the sports facilities, advertising for the games can rarely be seen. Even if the organizers are satisfied with the capacity utilization on request: As the central presentation of the NRW location for an Olympic advertising, the University Games far from arousing as much sports taxhoria in the Ruhr area as the sports facilities would give. The impression that important marketing potential has been given away.
Zeche Zollverein: Essen answer to the Paris Invalidendom
In the Bochum Century Hall you should see it differently. The 3×3 basketball competitions were delighted in the old machine hall Full spectator ranks often ago. The urban flair of the hall together with the popular trend sport 3×3 basketball was a profitable concept for the century hall. The semi-finals in the water polo in Duisburg were also well fully booked with German participation or the games of the German basketball teams, for example in the Essen Gruga Hall.
The sport is also quite attractive. The final competitions in archery were set up directly at the UNESCO World Heritage of the Zeche Zollverein. Anyone who was amazed at the Olympic Games in Paris about the spectacular pictures of archery at the invalidendom shows that the Ruhr area can keep up. Urbaner and less glossy than Paris, but figuratively just as impressive.
But here too it turns out that World University Games are just something for knowing. Despite the excellent backdrop, not many places are filled. If you follow the main street directly in front of the Essen World Heritage, no banner, no sign indicates the competitions. From the outside, it is not recognizable what is offered here.
This damages the mood, even in Essen. Whether expensive or cheap, urban or glossy – the sports facilities of the World University Games have one thing in common: all visitors report a great experience, sporty and atmospheric. Only if you are not there, you just don’t notice anything. Even if the loud cry of Estzer Méri has been able to start with some ignorant passers -by in the area.
Our sources:
- Reporter on site
- WDR interviews
