Dear club members, dear sports enthusiasts, dear volunteers, dear Saxon sports family,
On September 1st, a new state parliament will be elected in Saxony, which will steer the fortunes of the Free State for the next five years. The results of the European elections were a first preview of the mood among voters. We, the Saxony State Sports Association, also sense this mood. We sense it when we read the newspaper and when we work with politicians. We sense it in our daily contact with clubs and associations, we sense it in the reports of the people who give courses for us or accompany sporting events.
What is alarming for us is not the differences of opinion on the many legitimate and complex issues of our time. It is the fact that these are increasingly manifesting themselves in daily interactions in the form of aggression, mutual devaluation and exclusion. We want to oppose this. We stand firmly behind the values of sport: fairness, respect and tolerance. We want a sport in which everyone is welcome. No matter whether they are young or old, poor or rich, with or without disabilities, regardless of their origin, skin colour or sexual orientation. We want everyone to feel at home on Saxony’s sports fields, in gyms and clubs, whether as volunteers or club members.
This is what we work for, this is what all volunteers and full-time employees in Saxon sport work for every day. Sports clubs are one of the few places where truly different people come together, regardless of political opinion, school qualifications or physical limitations. We want to maintain this space for exchange, discussion and debate. But always with respect: extremism, racism and discrimination have no place in our sport! It is unacceptable that volunteers are treated with hostility. It must not be the case that clubs experience threats simply because of their commitment to integration. It is a disgrace when teams or individual club members are targeted because of their origin, their faith or their sexual orientation.
All of our member organizations – from sports clubs to district and city sports associations to state professional associations – have recognized our statutes, which in Section 2 Paragraph 3 advocate a free, democratic basic order and against racism. We therefore call on the entire Saxon sports family: stand up with us for the values of sport and position yourselves clearly against extremism and discrimination, especially in this year’s state elections!
Organized sport is also facing major challenges in Saxony. Sports facilities are dilapidated or lacking altogether. Children and young people are becoming less athletic. And volunteers are becoming increasingly difficult to find, whether for sports operations or club management. All of these problems must be tackled, not only by individuals and social commitment, but also and above all by politicians. Therefore: Yes, sport is politically neutral, but it is not apolitical. Use your influence and give democracy your voice. Let us continue to shape Saxon sport successfully and ensure that it is fun for everyone!
In order to be well informed for the upcoming election, the LSB has sent election checklists to seven candidate parties. We asked ten questions to find out how they intend to support organized sport in Saxony. The answers can be found here: www.sport-fuer-sachsen.de/wahlpruefsteine.
With sporting greetings
The State Sports Association of Saxony
