The Regional Games in Yverdon-les-Bains were a great success and also an important progress check on the way to an even bigger goal: In just under four years, the National Summer Games of Special Olympics Switzerland will take place in Yverdon-les-Bains for the first time. For the local organising committee, the event was therefore a valuable opportunity to gain experience and further develop collaboration with clubs, volunteers and local partners.
Around 250 athletes from different regions of Switzerland competed in Swimming, Basketball, handball and pétanque. Together with coaches, volunteers, club members and guests, around 450 people were part of the sports festival. Exciting competitions, many encounters and a warm atmosphere shaped the day across the four venues.
François Armada, Mayor of Yverdon-les-Bains, also highlights the power of sport to bring people together: “Sport is a wonderful driver of connection and inclusion. The Regional Games bring people from different backgrounds together around shared values and make this openness something the whole population can experience in a very tangible way.”
An event like this can only succeed thanks to the commitment of many people. Volunteers, coaches, clubs and partners worked together to ensure that the athletes could live out their passion under the best possible conditions. At the same time, the event showed how sport brings people together and how inclusion can be lived as something completely natural.
For Pierre Taramarcaz, Project Manager for Sports Promotion for the City of Yverdon-les-Bains, the overall assessment is accordingly positive: “In sporting and organisational terms, the event was a great success. The strong participation and the smooth delivery provide an excellent foundation for the upcoming events.”
This made the Regional Games far more than a successful day of competition: they were an important step on the shared path towards the National Summer Games in Yverdon-les-Bains.
Photos and more information about the Regional Games are available here.
