Teilnahme an den SportBusiness Sports Event Management Awards 2009

Das SportBusiness International Magazine richtet jährlich die Sports Event Management Awards aus. Berlin hat sich in der Kategorie „Ultimate Sports City“ beworben. Es ist eine große Ehre für die Hauptstadt der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, in diesem namhaften Kreis der Weltsportmetropolen ausgezeichnet zu werden. In diesem Jahr errang Berlin den zweiten Platz hinter Melbourne und vor Doha. Dafür habe ich mich im Namen aller Berlinerinnen und Berliner bei allen Berlin- und Sportfreunden herzlich bedankt.

Rede

Yesterday Berlin With all guests from all over the world celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin-Wall in 1989.
And today I am very proud to be able to accept this award for Berlin. Germany´s capital is very honoured to have been singled out from the world´s renowned sports cities in receiving award.

The award shows that Berlin has been able to establish itself in the international sports scene. In 2008, SportBusiness International ranked Berlin second behind Melbourne as an international sports capital and designated it the number one sports city in Germany.

Being ranked first this year shows that Berlin has managed to improve its performance still further.

Big events like the 2006 Football World Cup or, most recently, the 2009 World Championships in Athletics have attracted the attention of the international sports scene and many others.
Images of peaceful, fair, and exciting athletic competitions here in Berlin were broadcast worldwide. As spectators, visitors from all over the world helped to create a fantastic and unique atmosphere with their enthusiasm for sports and for our city, and I would like to express my sincere thanks to all of the sports fans and friends of Berlin

Sports are a wonderful way to bring people together, build bridges, and transcend borders. Great sports cities are able to host world-class events and to thereby make it possible for people from all over the world to get together more and more frequently and share their love of sports.

The people of Berlin are already looking forward to the next big events: next summer, for instance, we will host the European beach volleyball championships, the world-famous Berlin Marathon, and the traditional DFB football cup final at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium. And the highlight an 2011 will be the opening game of the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

I hope that many of you will join us for these events. You are always welcome in Berlin!