Sports
Germans love sports. Their love finds many expressions, perhaps none more vocal than their support of their favorite soccer clubs, the men's and women's national soccer teams or of athletes like Dirk Nowitzki, biathlete Magdalena Neuner, F1 champion Sebastian Vettel or skier Maria Riesch. But they love to participate, too. The German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB), a non-governmental organizing body of German athletics, has 27.6 million members in over 91,000 clubs, and it supports all levels of play. Indeed, its motto of “Sport for all” opens a wide door to varying degrees and types of athletic interests.
Undoubtedly, soccer is Germany’s most popular sport, and the German Football (Soccer) Association is the world’s largest sports association. As culturally deep as soccer runs, however, Germans do not spread their sports enthusiasm thinly. People enjoy winter sports like alpine skiing and biathlon, handball, tennis, gymnastics, water sports, ice hockey, basketball and many more.
The Bundesliga is the name most people associate with the top league in German soccer but it is in fact the title given to a far-reaching net of organizations which support and promote the game all over Germany. Here, we give you a quick run down.
The Bundesliga
Germans love horseback riding and equestrian sports. On the international level, equestrian sport is also one of Germany’s most successful. Thanks to its long tradition of horsemanship, Germany has produced many world champions in jumping and dressage events.
Equestrian Sport
Whether in a sea, a local lake, “the bathing ship” or the neighborhood pool, Germans gravitate to cool and refreshing waters in hot months. The history of bathing and spas in Germany can be traced back to ancient Roman times.
Swimming and Bathing
Friedrich Ludwig Jahn held his first public gymnastics instruction at the Hasenheide park in Berlin in June 1811. This marked the birth of the German gymnastics movement, whose mission involved sport as well as politics. His followers introduced gymnastics in the US.
Gymnastics in Germany
This American sport is becoming increasingly popular in Germany, thanks to German-born Dallas Mavericks' forward Dirk Nowitzki and the 18 professional teams drawing new fans to the sport.
German Basketball
Source of main intro:
Facts about Germany www.facts-about-germany.de
