Welcome to Oberhasuen
Opening Ceremony
1st World Championships for Juniors in 2018 in Underwater Rugby
On November 14th, 2018 the much anticipated CMAS Underwaterrugby World
Cup for Juniors 2018 finally had arrived in Oberhausen. All participating teams
got safely to the hosting city s. The two teams from Sweden were the first to
test the waters at 9 am local time. After the athletes and coaches received their
badges and “Welcome to Oberhausen”-bags they took to the pools and trained
hard for the upcoming games. The host team of Germany followed at 10:30 am
and things started to get busy at the Hallenbad Oberhausen. The ZDF, one of
the two public TV stations in Germany, arrived shortly after the Germans to film
their practice and to collect some interviews. The Germans were followed by
the two Turkish teams. Their delegation is headed by the President of the
Turkish Underwater Sports Federation (TSSF) Prof. Şahin Özen and is
accompanied by Prof. Levent Cavas, the Director of the Underwaterrugby
Board of Comission at the World Underwater Federation (CMAS). “Hellos” and
“good to see you again” could be heard throughout the pool when the various
teams meet going in and out of the pool, proofing once again that
underwaterrugby athletes consider themselves part of a big family of
sportsmen.
Athletes kept pouring into the pool, with the teams from Norway and Colombia
arriving to pick up their accreditations. While the organization team of the
hosting German Club TauchSportAbteilung im Turnclub Sterkrade 1869
Oberhausen e.V (TSA im TC 69 Sterkrade) was busy applying the finishing
touch to the sporting facilities, the officials, team captains and referees
adjourned themselves to the technical meeting. Meanwhile the organization
team took to prepare the nearby Willy-Jürissen-Gymnasium, which was to be
the venue of the opening ceremony.
6 o´clock sharp saw the beginning of that opening ceremony. Audience and
athletes were greeted by the Marina Shanty Choir Oberhausen, which
preformed the traditional “Steigerlied”, a song dedicated to the coal mining
history of the Ruhrarea in which the city of Oberhausen is located as well as a
real life Steiger, a foreman of coal miners, himself. The opening ceremony,
being hosted by Olaf Kippen of TSA im TC 69 Sterkrade, continued with the
welcoming of the athletes from the eight participating nations: Denmark,
Finland, Colombia, Norway, Sweden, Czech Republic, Turkey and Germany.
Lead by a young underwater rugby athlete, hoping to play in a future CMAS
Underwaterrugby World Cup for Juniors, the teams were guided into the
Gymnasium while listening to their individual national anthems. After the CMAS
as well as the German national flag were hoisted in a touching ceremony, it was
time for the dignitaries to address athletes and audience. The first to take the
floor was Dr. Uwe Hoffmann, the Vice-President of the German Underwater
Federation (VDST), who stressed that the young athletes were about to make
underwater history with their participation in the first ever Underwaterrugby
World Cup for Juniors. He was followed by Daniel Schranz, Lord Mayor of
Oberhausen, who welcomed everybody to his hometown in the name of all the
citizens of Oberhausen. He spoke proudly of the fact, that the city of
Oberhausen and the TSA im TC 69 Sterkrade were chosen to host the first
Underwaterrugby World Cup for Juniors. Finally, Prof. Levent Cavas, the
Director of the Underwaterrugby Board of Comission at CMAS, declared open
the Underwaterrugby World Cup for Juniors, but not before he took in the
promise of every participating athlete that they not only will engage in
sportsmen like conduct, but also that they would enjoy the games and the
company of each other. Needless to say, that that promise was given with a
thunderous “yes”.
While the audience and the officials were invited to finish the opening ceremony
at a informal dinner, the athletes were called to their respective hotels. On
Thursday, November 15th, the games will finally begin, when at 9 am local time
the hosting team of Germany will take on the Czech Republic.
Foto: P.Sutter / VDST
