DFL and Bundesliga Foundation renewing partnership with German Sports Aid Foundation until 2019
DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga and Bundesliga Foundation ("Bundesliga-Stiftung") are renewing their partnership with German Sports Aid Foundation ("Deutsche Sporthilfe") until 2019 and additionally strengthening their long-standing collaboration.
This was jointly announced today, Wednesday, by the partners at the Ligaverband general assembly in Berlin. Following the Paralympics in Rio, the Bundesliga Foundation will not only be funding the development of potential future Olympic athletes but also supporting German Sports Aid Foundation’s future Paralympics elite scheme. As well as this, it is aiding the "Junior sportsman/sportswoman of the year" event. DFL will continue to provide communication services such as advertising for the joint publicity activities with German Sports Aid Foundation.
"Professional football is part of the German sports family and holds the greatest possible respect for the achievements of the young athletes. We are personally committed to supporting them and will be continuing and intensifying these activities in conjunction with German Sports Aid Foundation over the coming years," says DFL CEO Christian Seifert.
This partnership between professional football and German Sports Aid Foundation goes back to the 2008 Olympic Games in Peking. "With the focus on athletes, it was clear for the partners from the outset that this partnership should and would be a lasting one. It has been steadily expanded on all levels relevant for the young elites receiving support," says Dr. Michael Ilgner, chairman of the German Sports Aid Foundation board. "Thanks to the support of the Bundesliga Foundation, all aspects of the support given to young elites stand on a solid foundation, while the communications activities contributed by DFL were appreciated by many athletes, giving them additional incentive to perform as well as they could at the Olympic Games in Rio."
35 talents who had received support from the Bundesliga Foundation under the young elite development programme took part in the Olympic Games and four of them won medals: Kira Walkenhorst (gold in women’s beach volleyball), Petrissa Solja (silver in table tennis with the national women’s team), Sophie Scheder (bronze on the level bars) and Denis Kudlar (bronze in wrestling up to 85 kg). Since 2010, the talents supported by the Bundesliga Foundation and German Sports Aid Foundation have won a total of four gold, five silver and three bronze medals at the Olympic Games.
“Our motivation for supporting young elite athletes comes from the sportsmen and sportswomen themselves,” explains the chairman of the Bundesliga Foundation board Stefan Kiefer. “We are a reliable partner to them on their difficult road to world success. Regardless of whether their goal is to take part in the Olympic Games or the Paralympics, we are utterly committed to assisting them.
