A sports festival of inclusion in Berlin
A billion people around the world followed the Special Olympics World Games Berlin in 2023 – 6,500 athletes came to the German capital to take part.
The 2023 Special Olympics World Games Berlin opened at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium on 17 June. The opening ceremony alone attracted 50,000 spectators, while a total of 330,000 people came to the stadiums and sporting venues to watch the events live. And around a billion people all over the world followed the games involving competitors with intellectual and multiple disabilities on television. The Special Olympics World Games are the world’s largest inclusive sporting event, but even so, the reception in 2023 was extraordinary.
“The Berlin World Games were an impressive symbol of participation and inclusion. But our commitment doesn’t end there,” said Christiane Krajewski, president of Special Olympics Germany, summing up the World Games. After all, despite this unprecedented reception, Krajewski explains that: “It remains the case that only eight percent of people with intellectual disabilities have the opportunity to take part in sport. Further action is needed here.”
6,500 athletes took part in the world’s largest inclusive multi-sport event in Berlin. More than 18,000 volunteers looked after the athletes, organised the events, served as referees or helped ensure that everything ran smoothly. “The volunteers played a key part in ensuring the success of the World Games. Their dedication is a sign that inclusion and participation are valued highly in our society,” said Sven Albrecht, CEO of Special Olympics Germany and the World Games.
Special Olympics International (SOI) is a global movement whose aim is inclusion of people with intellectual and multiple disabilities. Besides the Olympic Games, it is the only sports movement permitted to use the title “Olympics”. Under its umbrella, more than five million people in 174 countries take part in sports.
#UnbeatableTogether was the motto of the World Games in Germany. This was intended to convey the vision of an inclusive society through the connecting power of sport. The number of participants and volunteers, not to mention the reception the Games received worldwide, showed that the Special Olympics World Games Berlin made a major contribution to achieving this.
