Berlin became the official host of the 2023 Special Olympics World Games during a ceremony in the German capital.
The official contract signing took place at Bellevue Palace in Berlin in the presence of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Special Olympics athletes and representatives from Special Olympics including Christiane Krajewski, president of Special Olympics Germany, and Dr. Timothy Shriver, chairman of Special Olympics International.
Speaking at the signing Steinmeier noted: “We are already looking forward to the Special Olympics World Games 2023 as a wonderfully colorful event. Anyone who has been to a Special Olympics competition knows what joy it brings both to the athletes and all of the supporters. A major event like the Special Olympics World Games gives Germany the opportunity to not only show what good hosts we are, but also send a signal to the world on the importance of inclusion.”
The Games will provide a global platform to showcase the talent of people with intellectual disabilities. In recognition, the 4500 German athletes were engaged in key decision making connected with the Games and were invited to forum gatherings across the country to input their vision in the bid’s design.
Mark Solomeyer, Special Olympics Germany national athlete representative, said he hoped that the Games would deliver significant change in German society. “We hope these Games will give people with intellectual disabilities more recognition. We want to live unified both in sport and in society. Through the spirit of sport, we want to celebrate a festival of inclusion in Berlin in 2023.”
These sentiments were echoed by Dr. Timothy Shriver, chairman of Special Olympics, who – along with Special Olympics Sargent Shriver International Global Messenger, Nyasha Derera – also met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the Federal Chancellery during his visit: “The Special Olympics movement is driven by an urgent mission: to end discrimination against people with intellectual disabilities and create a fully inclusive world for all. The 2023 World Games in Berlin will be a global demonstration of inclusion, with Special Olympics athletes leading every facet of the event, from design to delivery. Governed by the transformative vision of Special Olympics athletes, these World Games will set a new standard for inclusive leadership and display the extraordinary outcomes that are possible when we choose to include.”
In the months ahead, members of the Special Olympics Germany Athlete Committee will take on jobs in different areas of the Games including sport and non-sport events, marketing and communications and hospitality and transportation to ensure an athlete-led and athlete-focused delivery model for the Games. The event organizers also aim to advance the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Germany, an international human rights treaty that seeks to protect the rights and dignity of people with disabilities. The treaty was ratified by Germany in 2009, but many of the key features have yet to be fully realized across Germany.
Taking place from June 16 to 25, 2023, the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin will be one of the largest sport and humanitarian events to take place that year. Following the opening ceremony in the Berlin Olympic Stadium, an estimated 7,000 athletes from over 170 nations will compete in 24 sports across Berlin’s competition venues. They will be supported by 3,000 coaches and an estimated 20,000 volunteers. The Games will also attract 6,000 family members, more than 2,000 national and international media and 500,000 spectators.
The 2023 World Games receives support from the State of Berlin and the Federal Government of Germany with combined funds totaling in excess of 70 million euros.
As part of the Games, ESPN, the global broadcast partner of Special Olympics, will bring stories of the competition to fans around the world on its network and digital platforms, as well as through additional distribution agreements in some markets.
Photo courtesy Special Olympics World Games
