Polytan is delighted to be an Official Supporter of the 2023 Special Olympics World Games held in Berlin from 17 – 25 June. As the largest inclusive sporting event in the world, the Games play host to over 7,000 athletes with intellectual and multiple disabilities competing across 26 sports.
The competitions will be held at various locations throughout Berlin and are accompanied by a Special Olympics Festival offering a wide variety of inclusive cultural activities and events. Over 300,000 visitors, around 16,000 volunteers, and numerous international delegations from all over the world will descend upon Berlin for the nine jam-packed days.
Joining Polytan as an Official Supporter is our sister company, SYNLawn, and together we are proud to advocate for equality and inclusivity through the world’s third largest multi-sport event.
Polytan surfaces will host some of the sporting events including the athletics running disciplines at the Hanns Braun Stadium, which will be held on Rekortan M. The futsal competition, meanwhile, will be played on LigaTurf Cross synthetic turf at the August Beer pitches. Various Polytan surfaces have been in use at the Berlin Hockey Stadium for many years and continue to impress with their outstanding quality.
“Sport is the platform for all people to come together. Our Polytan team in Berlin has had the privilege of renovating many sports facilities in recent years in preparation for this event, applying the latest technologies and sustainability concepts. We are looking forward to playing our part in making the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023 a roaring success with our sports surfaces,” says Jan Lauterbach, Regional Manager of Polytan’s Berlin branch.
While providing world-class surfaces for the participating athletes is a key component of the Games, promoting an inclusive society through the unifying power of sport is equally important, according to Mathias Schmidt, Managing Director of Polytan GmbH. “We truly champion the notion that all people should have equal access to sport, education, culture and health care,” says Schmidt. “Sport is a very important aspect of this, but the Special Olympics World Games convey much more than that.”
Mark Solomeyer, Vice President of Special Olympics Germany, shares a similar sentiment: “Through the power of sport, we can demonstrate how valuable inclusion is for everyone, and how much fun and joy is possible in togetherness.”
