Big football festival: SWP-Cup inspires inclusion athletes in Pforzheim!

Big football festival: SWP-Cup inspires inclusion athletes in Pforzheim!

Pforzheim, Deutschland - A very special football festival recently took place in Pforzheim: the 7th SWP soccer cup for people with disabilities attracted over 350 athletes to the Kramski-Arena. This tournament, which is considered one of the largest inclusion tournaments in Germany, was organized by CFR Pforzheim and offers a wonderful platform for people with a handicap to do sports and become part of the football community. As pz-news Federal states, including Hesse, Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate, participated in the tournament.

The tournament was divided into special handicap categories in which 30 teams from all over Baden-Württemberg competed, including several cities such as Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Freiburg and many others. Participation was inclusive and motivating, and each participant was able to look forward to a T-shirt as a lasting memory. It was noticeable that the 1. CFR Pforzheim, who launched an inclusion department ten years ago, gives the development and support of people with disabilities at the highest priority.

successful teams and exciting games

The competition in the individual categories was particularly exciting. In category A, the Black Forest workshop Dornstetten triumphed after successfully asserting itself against five other opponents. In category C, the "Rising Phönix Karlsruhe" and the "Maudacher workshop Ludwigshafen" caused a stir by staying without conceding in the group phase. Karlsruhe finally prevailed 1-0 in the final and both she and Maudacher climbed into the next higher category A. In Category D, the second team of OH kickers from Heilbronn won what the qualification for the next category brought them.

The CFR also had to fight with personnel challenges, since the team could only compete with three teams, which was due to injuries. Nevertheless, goalkeeper Tobias Bachmann traveled from Hanover to support the team in Pforzheim. Andreas Ens and Paulo Sorbal scored the goals for the CFR, each scored three goals, followed by Timo Hofer, Andreas Stollsteimer, Florian Muser and Lukas Grünewald, all of whom contributed a goal.

The commitment to inclusion in football

The importance of such events is also firmly anchored in the German Football Association (DFB). According to an initiative of the DFB, competitions and events for people with disabilities are encouraged to live inclusion in sport. The DFB and the Sepp-Herberger Foundation offer numerous programs, including qualification measures for club employees and the organization of the blind soccer Bundesliga, which has existed since 2008. This league enables both men and women to actively participate in the football game and has already produced some award winners, such as Serdar Celebi, who was awarded a "goal of the month" in 2018.

In Pforzheim it was not just a sporting event, but a sign of community and coexistence. Steffen Bähr, from the organization team, thanked around 60 helpers who contributed to the success of the tournament. For the future, the CFR, CEO of the CFR, Markus Geiser, has already announced the next edition of the tournament, which underlines the lasting obligation to include and promote people with disabilities in football.

football not only brings joy, but also cohesion. As the various programs of the DFB show, work is actively working on many levels to integrate people with disabilities and enable them to participate in football, be it as a player, referee or viewer. These efforts form the core of the idea of ​​inclusion in football and show that sport can be a powerful platform for everyone. More information about the initiatives on inclusion can be found on the DFB website and the Sepp-Herberger Foundation.