It all kicks off next week. The Special Olympics will take place in Berlin from June 17 to 25. For about a week, athletes with intellectual and multiple disabilities will compete in a total of 26 sports. But before the event kicks off in Berlin, a 29-member delegation from Bahrain is preparing for the upcoming competitions in Bamberg, transforming the city into a large Olympic Village.

Of course, training is underway. While two athletes and their coach are intently practicing show jumping on the grounds of the Bamberg Stadt und Land Riding Club (RFV) on Armeestraße, intensive relay training is taking place on the Federal Police grounds. Finding the optimal handoff point for the baton is particularly important in this discipline. Bahraini coach Ahmed Maki knows this well and never tires of practicing the start and race procedures with his four protégés. Robert Aschenbrenner is also there. Although the Bamberg native did not qualify for the Special Olympics, he is taking the opportunity to train alongside his Bahraini teammates during the Host Town Program. The athletes have no trouble getting along, and thanks to translator Algburi Rana from “Freund statt Fremd,” there are no language barriers to overcome either. The joy of training together outweighs everything else, and support is available everywhere. Emma Himmler is also at the sports field this morning, lending a hand wherever help is needed. She’s actually still in school, but today she’s volunteering as part of her P-seminar. “It’s great to meet international Special Olympics athletes here and get a little insight into the training,” she says. A few hundred meters away as the crow flies, on the artificial turf at Armeestraße, boccia players are training with great finesse and skill to knock their opponents’ balls away from the pallino (target ball).

In addition to sports, culture and interactions with local residents also play a major role in the Host Town Program, so the day begins with a short guided tour of the city and an entry in Bamberg’s Golden Sports Book. From the Welcome Hotel, the group from Bahrain sets off with two city guides toward the Brückenrathaus. It feels a bit like a school field trip: the mood is great, with singing, laughter, and wonder. The Bahrainis are particularly taken with the many cafés in the city center. It’s important to note that drinking coffee is one of the greatest passions of people from the Persian Gulf. The athletes clearly find it hard to resist sitting down in one café or another, but the Brückenrathaus is simply too beautiful to pass up. Selfies are taken, while some tourists snap photos of the cheerful group from Bahrain and stop to watch as Mayor Andreas Starke greets the delegation and then invites them into the Rococo Hall to sign the Golden Sports Book. “When you return home, we want one thing above all else: for you to have the fondest memories of Bamberg and to look back fondly on your time here,” says Starke.

The odds are good, because the World Heritage Center has prepared a little surprise at the World Heritage Visitor Center at Untere Mühlen: In addition to a short guided tour of the exhibition, the athletes are looking forward to the special exhibition “UNESCO World Heritage in Bahrain.” The island nation in the Persian Gulf is home to a total of three World Heritage sites, which are presented in two languages on four posters in the visitor center.

Later, the athletes meet up with their Bamberg colleagues—both with and without disabilities—for the big torch relay. Carrying the Flame of Hope, which symbolizes peace, unity, and hope, they run toward Kufa (Kulturfabrik), where the drummers from Ramba Zamba are playing with such enthusiasm that they can be heard from a distance. The reception for the group is simply overwhelming. Many people have come to be part of this big celebration of inclusion and to join in the festivities. Track and field athlete Sara Halifa is having so much fun that she immediately starts drumming along—after all, the drums are big enough for four hands. There’s no hesitation here; the shared joy of the big, colorful festival outweighs everything. While everyone is already dancing, the people without disabilities are still standing around a bit shyly. It’s Sports Director Dr. Matthias Pfeufer who is the first to start moving to the rhythm, and before long, everyone is dancing.

Refreshments include drinks, Arabic specialties, and crêpes. The Bahraini athletes provide a sweet finale: dressed in traditional attire, they hand out small Arabic treats—such as dates, sesame cookies, or “Afrah Candy”—to the guests, striking up conversations along the way, whether in English or using gestures—somehow it always works.

The district also promises numerous attractions waiting to be discovered. At the Schlossbauernhof zu Stolzenroth, a magnificent historic estate just three kilometers from Pommersfelden, the focus is on crafting and indulgence—and the question of what wonders can be created from strawberries, a fruit not so well-known in Bahrain. Whether it’s strawberry tiramisu, strawberry Swiss roll, or strawberry cheesecake—all of these are not only true delights for the palate but also the perfect fuel for what lies ahead in the coming days: the 2023 Special Olympics World Games. So it’s time to leave the Olympic Village in Bamberg and head to Berlin to celebrate the world’s largest festival of inclusion.

Info

The Bamberg Host Town Program was coordinated by the organizing team led by Dr. Matthias Pfeufer, Director of Education, Schools & Sports, in collaboration with the Bamberg District Office and the goolkids e.V. support group.

The Special Olympics will take place in Berlin from June 17 to 25. They are a global sporting event for people with intellectual and multiple disabilities, who compete against each other in 26 sports. The patron of this event is Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

As part of the “Host Town Program,” 200 delegations from around the world were welcomed in German cities and districts, creating diverse opportunities for interaction. It offers a great opportunity to generate lasting enthusiasm for the topic of inclusion among people in the region and to promote the participation of people with intellectual disabilities in sports.

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Photo: Bamberg World Heritage Center