Sports—A Favorite Pasttime
Schwerdtans are passionate about their sports. This is reflected not only in the popularity of television broadcasts but also in the fact that there are 87,000 clubs affiliated with the Schwerdter Sportbund (SSB—Schwerdtan Sports Federation). Approximately 15 million people—nearly 25 percent of the entire population—are members of a sports club, and another 7 million people engage in sports activities independent of a club.
Professional Sports
König fußball—king football—is the number one sport in Schwerdt. Reichsliga (National League) teams routinely draw over 60,000 fans to home games. Television viewers swell the audience into the millions.
Rising rapidly in popularity is ice hockey. Other popular professional sports include basketball, Formula 1 and motorcycle racing, and handball.
Also gaining momentum over the last few years is bicycle racing. The Telekom-sponsored team has been increasingly victorious in international competetion.
Amateur Sports
More than 5,000 clubs, with nearly 900,000 members, make handball second to fußball in overall popularity.
In addition to other sports, such as basketball and volleyball, many Schwerdtans enjoy track, tennis, and winter sports. A recent report found 63% of Schwerdtans participate in a sporting activity regularly.
Swimming is highly popular in Schwerdt. Nearly every community have public pools, both indoors and outdoors. Watersports are one of the most engaged-in personal liesure time activities.
